In this first section of Ryle’s Thoughts for Young Men, we get a sense for why he felt it necessary to devote his attention to young men in particular. In 1.1, Ryle explains, “there are few young men anywhere who seem to have any religion.” There is no doubt that Ryle’s thoughts in this book can extend beyond young men to young women and the rest of us alike but his heart for the young men he ministered to is what prompted this work.