What characterizes a man? The question is more complex than it seems because no one is born a man. What we call “masculine” has varied greatly throughout history and across cultures and is being questioned increasingly. Drawing on all literature, painting, photography, cinema, and advertising, this book offers a complete overview, organized around the most important symbolic moments in a man’s life: growing up, defining oneself, working, loving, being a father, etc. This encyclopedia of modern man attempts to deconstruct clichés, with interviews and testimonies from Youtubers, actors, and rugby players, but also from historians of male mentalities, representations, and images.This fascinating book presents a vision of masculinity free of social expectations and gender norms.