A “thoughtful” historical and sociological look inside the fraternity that’s shaped men from W.E.B. DuBois to Martin Luther King, Jr. to Thurgood Marshall (Choice). On December 4, 1906, on Cornell University’s campus, seven black men founded one of the greatest and most enduring organizations in American history. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. has brought together and shaped such esteemed men as Martin Luther King Jr., Cornel West, Thurgood Marshall, Wes Moore, W.E.B. DuBois, Roland Martin, and Paul Robeson. “Born in the shadow of slavery and on the lap of disenfranchisement,” Alpha Phi Alpha—like other black Greek-letter organizations—was founded to instill a spirit of high academic achievement and intellectualism, foster meaningful and lifelong ties, and racially uplift those brothers who would be initiated into its ranks. In Alpha Phi Alpha, Gregory S. Parks, Stefan M. Bradley, and other contributing authors analyze the fraternity and its members’ fidelity to the founding precepts set forth in 1906. They discuss the identity established by the fraternity at its inception, the challenges of protecting the image and brand, and how the organization can identify and train future Alpha men to uphold the standards of an outstanding African American fraternity. Drawing on organizational identity theory and a diverse array of methodologies, the authors raise and answer questions that are relevant not only to Alpha Phi Alpha but to all black Greek-letter organizations.

Men are losing their masculinity. Guys are urged to get in touch with their "feminine" side at the expense of the traditional attributes that make men "male." Not only has "manliness" become a dirty word in a society of beta males and couch potatoes, but there's actually less and less of it in the blood of too many American men, with studies showing declines in average testoterone levels over the past 20 years. Today's men need a major adjustment of alpha attitude, and "Alpha Male Challenge" is the 10-week plan for reclaiming the masculine, competitive edge guys need to be on top of their game in every aspect of their lives. It's the new blueprint for the "true" Alpha Male--the ideal of masculine excellence today. More than just another fitness book, this three-part exercise, diet, and mind-set overhaul features: the revolutionary MaleScale assessment questionnaire that measures the physical and mental traits that define the true Alpha Male; a step-by-step regimen to develop the Four C's of Alpha Attitude: commitment, confidence, courage, and conscience; the Alpha Wave Basic Training program to build muscle, burn fat, and produce testosterone; the Work Heart/ Play Heart cardio system; and the Alpha Fuel Solution, a convenient approach to food and supplements with simple Fuel Rules based on what the human body was designed to eat over the past 2.5 million years, tweaked with cutting edge innovations. This is a straightforward instruction manual to build the kind of man these hard times demand: ruggedly powerful and supremely confident. It will help guys become more successful in their workouts, in their careers, and even in their relationships, as they learn to embody the everyday heroism of the true Alpha Male.