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Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It Hardcover – November 27, 2022
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The Book that Sparked a National Conversation
A Barack Obama 2024 Summer Reading Selection
An Economist Best Book of 2022
A New Yorker Best Book of 2022
Boys and men are struggling. Profound economic and social changes of recent decades have many losing ground in the classroom, the workplace, and in the family. While the lives of women have changed, the lives of many men have remained the same or even worsened.
In this widely praised book, Richard Reeves, father of three sons, a journalist, and now the president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, tackles the complex and urgent crisis of boyhood and manhood. He argues that our attitudes, our institutions, and our laws have failed to keep up. Conservative and progressive politicians, mired in their own ideological warfare, fail to provide thoughtful solutions.
Reeves looks at the structural challenges that face boys and men and offers fresh and innovative solutions that turn the page on the corrosive narrative that plagues this issue. Of Boys and Men argues that helping the other half of society does not mean giving up on the ideal of gender equality.
- Print length256 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBrookings Institution Press
- Publication dateNovember 27, 2022
- Dimensions6.35 x 0.85 x 9.11 inches
- ISBN-100815739877
- ISBN-13978-0815739876
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From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
—Jonathan Haidt, Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership, New York University—Stern School of Business
"Finally, an analysis of the crisis among men and boys that adds more light than heat. Richard Reeves takes on the issues facing males today with courage and compassion, and offers solutions that are both workable and agreeable across the political spectrum. A much-needed book."
—Arthur Brooks, Professor, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, and #1 New York Times bestselling author
"As a feminist who is deeply committed to gender equality and a mother of two young men, I highly recommend Of Boys and Men. Reeves offers real, practical, solutions to create a world that would be better for all of us, across the gender spectrum."
—Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America and author of Unfinished Business: Women Men Work Family
"Judicious and meticulously researched. Instead of blaming men for their predicament, or pathologizing masculinity, Reeves points to sensible, humane and practical solutions."
—Christina Hoff Sommers, Senior Fellow Emeritus, American Enterprise Institute, author of The War on Boys
"An authoritative overview of the problems faced by boys and men—and most importantly, bold ideas to solve them."
—Andrew Yang
"In this courageous, compelling, and urgently needed book, Reeves argues for dispensing with the damaging narrative of 'toxic' masculinity, and offers concrete suggestions for how to support boys and men."
—Carole Hooven, Harvard University and author of Testosterone: The Story of the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us
"Important, timely, well-balanced and thoroughly researched, Of Boys and Men effectively outlines the rapid economic, psychological, social and educational decline of males in our society and proposes practical policies that offer a positive masculinity for our sons, brothers and fathers."
—Joe Henrich, Harvard University and author of The WEIRDest People in the World
"Richard Reeves has the rare combination of writerly flair, analytical skill, and unflinching focus on problems that partisans would rather dismiss. Just as Dream Hoarders forced Americans to question our mantras about social mobility, his work on men and boys is provocative, timely, and rich with real-world solutions."
—Evan Osnos, The New Yorker and author of Wildland: The Making of America's Fury
Book Description
The book that Sparked a National Conversation
About the Author
Richard V. Reeves is a senior fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution, where he directs the Boys and Men Project and holds the John C. and Nancy D. Whitehead Chair. He is the author of John Stuart Mill: Victorian Firebrand (2007) and Dream Hoarders (2017).
Product details
- Publisher : Brookings Institution Press (November 27, 2022)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 256 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0815739877
- ISBN-13 : 978-0815739876
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.35 x 0.85 x 9.11 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #35,904 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #36 in Men's Gender Studies
- #60 in General Gender Studies
- #72 in Parenting Boys
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Richard V. Reeves is the founding president of the American Institute for Boys and Men (AIBM) and a non resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, where he was previously Director of the Center for Children and Families.
Reeves is the author of several books, including the forthcoming "Yes, Boys Can!: Inspiring Stories of Men Who Changed the World - He Can H.E.A.L.", coauthored with Jonathan Juravich, which is intended to inspire boys to be confident and caring through the biographies of 50 fascinating men, past and present, in the fields of health, education, the arts, and literacy (HEAL).
His previous book published in 2022 is Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why it Matters, and What to do About It”, a Book of the Year according to the New Yorker and The Economist, and included in Pres. Barack Obama's summer reading list for 2024.
Inspired by his own experiences as a father and policy expert, Richard founded AIBM to bring awareness to the challenges facing boys and men today and to develop evidence-based solutions.Richard V. Reeves is the author most recently of Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It (Brookings 2022). He is also a regular a contributor to New York Times, The Atlantic, National Affairs, and other publications.
His previous books include Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That Is a Problem, and What to Do About It (Brookings, 2016), All Minus One (with Jonathan Haidt), and John Stuart Mill: Victorian Firebrand (Atlantic, 2007).
Between 2010 and 2012, Richard was director of strategy to the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister. He has also been director of Demos, the London-based political think-tank, principal policy advisor to the Minister for Welfare Reform, research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research, among other roles. He is a former European Business Speaker of the Year. A former journalist on the Guardian and Observer newspapers, Richard earned a BA from Oxford University and a PhD from Warwick University.
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Customers find the book extremely well-researched, informative, and fascinating. They describe it as a great, interesting, and captivating read. Readers also praise the writing quality as well-written and easy to understand.
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Customers find the book extremely well-researched, informative, and fascinating. They appreciate the good summary of evidence and important ideas. Readers also say the author does a great job tackling challenging questions and offers powerful and well-researchede pathways toward remedying the problem.
"Can't say enough good things about this book. Blew my mind and made so much sense. Can't wait to discuss at our next book club meeting" Read more
"...reading this book, I can say that this has been one of the most informative/influential books that I've read on the current state of mens issues...." Read more
"...for women, and a woman in STEM - I found this book to be extremely well-researched, well-written, and important to the next wave of equality and..." Read more
"...The first section is very well done. In addition to describing the problems very well, it does so in a very up to date manner...." Read more
Customers find the book great, interesting, and important. They say it's the first definitive book on the case of this emerging issue. Readers also mention the first section is well-done and that the book is an enjoyable read.
"...It's not perfect, but I do think its a fantastic read and a book that everyone should pick up to be at least aware of the subject." Read more
"...Overall, the author has provided an interesting book that does a good job of exploring the current situation with regard to boys and men and of..." Read more
"This was a very good book although not too much fun read because it's kind of an academic study full of statistics and studies...." Read more
"...That said, this is an excellent book...." Read more
Customers find the writing quality of the book well-written and easy to understand. They say it's a quick read and enjoyable. Readers also mention the author offers bold, sometimes radical policy ideas that are practical and seem doable.
"...woman in STEM - I found this book to be extremely well-researched, well-written, and important to the next wave of equality and progress in the US..." Read more
"...The inside pages are fine and readable, but the outer cover is all messed up. Not cool." Read more
"...And other advice is also practical and seem doable." Read more
"...He offers bold (sometimes radical) policy ideas that will rightly inspire robust debate...." Read more
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The Problems Men and Boys are Facing are Large and Growing
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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After reading this book, I can say that this has been one of the most informative/influential books that I've read on the current state of mens issues. People will probably read the title and think this is a means to distract people from women issues and such, but this is quite untrue. This book aims to inform people that we need to strive for equality for both men and women. Not disregarding the issues that women have, but to pay attention to both issues that women and men at the same time.
The author covers three bases on where men struggle. They struggle in education, family life and economic life. Covering each topic with great detail and explaining each concept with accurate data. He even addresses on how people either tend to be one sided one when it comes to looking at men's issues (all or nothing mentality) or how people recognize mens issues, but use it to their advantage and steer them in the wrong direction.
My least favorite part of the book was the solutions that he provided to solve some of these issues. Although some of them I can agree with, other solutions are a bit questionable, but you never know the results of anything until you try. Even if you are sure of it.
The only real issue that I had with this book is that there were some points where I was questioning what the author said and rather than having a clear answer. There were some points that he made where you can have a lot of counter arguments and thats partially because he doesn't address some of those counter arguments that you may have until later on. Some counter arguments that I had in my mind weren't even answered in this book I believed, but I tried to keep my head in the scope of the topic.
This book gave me a greater appreciation to not only pay attention more to mens issues, but also to female issues as well. Clearing up some biases that I had due to the sheer intoxication of social media. In my eyes this book deserves a 4.5, but I can only give it a 4. It's not perfect, but I do think its a fantastic read and a book that everyone should pick up to be at least aware of the subject.
Women are way ahead of men in graduating from high school and getting college degrees. Reeves looks at the struggles of boys and men through the lens of social class and the terrible plight of Black boys and men in particular. One root of the problem is the struggle of boys in our school system. For every two men earning a college degree there are three women. For every Black man earning a college degree there are two Black women. Another root is the breakdown of traditional gender roles in marriage, the difficulties of balancing work and family in modern marriage, and the large number of children being born outside of marriage. These problems effect people with a high school education or less most acutely. Many men are left feeling dislocated. Men account for 70% of opioid deaths in the US and are 3 times more likely to commit suicide than women. Things are even worse for Black men, who are often seen as threatening. Black boys are more likely to go to prison than become husbands. Black men without a criminal record are less likely to be hired than similarly qualified white men with a criminal record.
In the last part of his book, Reeves offers some suggestions to help boys and men. Several of these are directed at helping boys in school. Reeves argues that women mature more rapidly than men. He would have the school system redshirt entering boys by default. They would enter kindergarten at age six while girls would continue to enter at age five. This would increase the burden of childcare on parents of boys. Reeves would have the school system offer a year of universal preschool for five-year-olds to help with childcare for redshirted students. Parents could also opt their boys out of redshirting or have their girls enter late. Reeves also would have the school system reemphasize vocational learning and recruit more male teachers.
Reeves has fewer suggestions to help dislocated fathers. One idea is to fund a system of leave paid for by the state, six months each for mothers and fathers that can be taken up until the child reaches age 18. Leave would be non-transferable, so fathers would have to take their leave or lose it. This would incentivize fathers to engage in child rearing.
Finally, Reeves briefly discusses the tension between work and family. The nature of work was fixed when workers were assumed to be the male breadwinners of traditional families. Ambitious men had to work long and irregular hours to get ahead. However, both husband and wife typically work in the modern marriage, and it is just too hard for both to be ambitious at work if there are kids. Somehow, society needs to adapt.
Top reviews from other countries
Muito esclarecedor. Com propostas polêmicas porém que, se bem empregadas, podem representar um ganha-ganha para nossa sociedade.
This is a fraught topic that pushes against popular narratives, it challenges both sides of the political spectrum, but it is a topic that desperately deserves policy action. As a father of a son and a daughter, I deeply care about the opportunities that are available to both of them. And I recognise that they have biological gender differences that require tailored approaches for developing their unique talents (for example, boys tend to be more aggressive, boys tend to have more interest in things, while girls tend to have more interest in people – men and women obviously overlap on many dimensions but there are measurable and pronounced gender differences)… I devoured the 180 pages in less than twelve hours following the Amazon delivery of this book. It clearly presents an uncomfortable truth, with compelling narratives and many practical recommendations. Reeves will move the gender debate forward with this book, cutting through the culture wars with precision and authority.
Eight years ago I wrote about the educational inequalities facing boys and young men: the year-12 retention rate in Australia was 10% lower for boys than it was for girls; there were 50% more female university graduates than men in 2012; literacy rates were about 8-9% lower for boys; the proportion of male primary school teachers was going backwards (from 30% to 20%). An incredibly intense focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives has done nothing to support vulnerable boys, nor to reverse these concerning trends during the last decade...
Of Boys and Men focuses on the United States where 12% of English teachers in middle school are men, 3% of pre-K and Kindergarten teachers are men (who are often stigmatised for their contribution to childcare and early learning), and only 2% of teachers overall are Black men. Affirmative action programs for male teachers pale in comparison to the effusive support for getting more women into STEM… At American universities there are 40% more women graduating with Bachelor and post-graduate degrees, compared to men. In 2020 every single law review at the top 16 law schools had a female editor-in-chief (Is that diverse? Is that inclusive?).
There has been very significant attention/time/money devoted to increasing women’s participation in STEM training and occupations. Reeves recommends a complementary approach of increasing men’s participation in HEAL sectors (Health, Education, Administration, and Literacy)…
Reeves does a terrific job of explaining the intersectionality faced by vulnerable boys and men. They are discriminated against because of several characteristics: being male; coming from poorer families; being Black, Brown, or Latino; being disabled; being unemployed or not in the labour force. These factors compound, to present almost insurmountable education/workforce challenges for a large majority of men in Western societies... Allowing harm to most future men (in the name of boosting up women) does nothing to rectify the misguided and flawed approaches of generations past. The “male malaise” has indeed now become an inherited condition, which is entrenching intergenerational inequity.
“Women have expanded their role, and the range of choices that they can make. Too many men are stuck with the narrow provider role, which is now badly obsolete, not only in theory but also in practice… The result is that the separation of men from women too often means the separation of fathers from children. This is bad for men, bad for women, and bad for children. Just as women have largely broken free of the old, narrow model of motherhood, so men need to escape the confines of the breadwinner model of fatherhood.”
Reeves argues for three main reforms of education as a starting point: giving boys an extra year of pre-K before starting them in school (by default they will be a year older than girls in the crucial years from age 11-15, when the developmental gap between teenage boys and girls is at it’s largest); an aggressive recruitment drive for male teachers (especially in the teaching of English, and for Black men to become teachers); significant further investment into vocational education including more technical high schools... In terms of combining work with family time, he supports six months of use-it-or-lose-it paid leave for both mother and father (available until the child turns 18 years old). He does not argue for diverting resources away from existing programs (such as for Black teachers or for encouraging women into STEM), instead focusing on how to replicate successful efforts to the areas that now need support.
The asymmetry of concern for gender equity is truly striking, with massive efforts to push female educational and workforce attainment (including after parity has been reached). World Economic Forum produces a Global Gender Gap Report, which rates countries on fourteen variables (from 0 for complete inequality through to 1 for equality). US higher education has a gender parity score of 1.36 (women are exceeding men), but this gets asymmetrically rounded down to 1 for their calculations. There is no recognition that half of the US gender variables have already been exceeded... Scotland is one of the few places to explicitly target gender inequalities in both directions, seeking to close the undergraduate enrolment gap (it currently favours women by 17%, and they are aiming to reduce that to below 5%).
It is not beyond decision makers and public policy analysts to hold multiple thoughts/goals/visions in their head at the same time. Expanding the pipeline for female executive talent, supporting high quality childcare, and removing barriers for male educational attainment can all be done at the same time. Huge resources have already been mobilised for a small subset of DEI aspirations, while minimal support has been provided to other equally worthy outcomes.
“Policymaking is not a zero-sum game in which you have to choose between caring about female disadvantage or the socio-economic gap or male underachievement… All three matter.”
This is a must-read for all parents, all educators, people who pay attention to evidence, public policy wonks, critical thinkers, people who love the boys in their life, people who care about the opportunities that men have, and for everyone who is passionate about equity. How many more warning signs will we have to drive past as a community, before we fly over the cliff’s edge (with no parachute to protect generations of boys)?
The author interview between Richard Reeves and Hari Sreenivasan is also well worth watching, which was broadcast on Amanpour and Company in October 2022.
The life outcomes for all families, for boys from poor/minority/migrant backgrounds in particular, and for disadvantaged men will depend on the education and workforce settings that we shape. Ignoring these issues will incur enormous cost (financial, emotional, social, and in so many other ways). Are we listening, and looking at the evidence?
Reviewed in Australia on November 3, 2022
This is a fraught topic that pushes against popular narratives, it challenges both sides of the political spectrum, but it is a topic that desperately deserves policy action. As a father of a son and a daughter, I deeply care about the opportunities that are available to both of them. And I recognise that they have biological gender differences that require tailored approaches for developing their unique talents (for example, boys tend to be more aggressive, boys tend to have more interest in things, while girls tend to have more interest in people – men and women obviously overlap on many dimensions but there are measurable and pronounced gender differences)… I devoured the 180 pages in less than twelve hours following the Amazon delivery of this book. It clearly presents an uncomfortable truth, with compelling narratives and many practical recommendations. Reeves will move the gender debate forward with this book, cutting through the culture wars with precision and authority.
Eight years ago I wrote about the educational inequalities facing boys and young men: the year-12 retention rate in Australia was 10% lower for boys than it was for girls; there were 50% more female university graduates than men in 2012; literacy rates were about 8-9% lower for boys; the proportion of male primary school teachers was going backwards (from 30% to 20%). An incredibly intense focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives has done nothing to support vulnerable boys, nor to reverse these concerning trends during the last decade...
Of Boys and Men focuses on the United States where 12% of English teachers in middle school are men, 3% of pre-K and Kindergarten teachers are men (who are often stigmatised for their contribution to childcare and early learning), and only 2% of teachers overall are Black men. Affirmative action programs for male teachers pale in comparison to the effusive support for getting more women into STEM… At American universities there are 40% more women graduating with Bachelor and post-graduate degrees, compared to men. In 2020 every single law review at the top 16 law schools had a female editor-in-chief (Is that diverse? Is that inclusive?).
There has been very significant attention/time/money devoted to increasing women’s participation in STEM training and occupations. Reeves recommends a complementary approach of increasing men’s participation in HEAL sectors (Health, Education, Administration, and Literacy)…
Reeves does a terrific job of explaining the intersectionality faced by vulnerable boys and men. They are discriminated against because of several characteristics: being male; coming from poorer families; being Black, Brown, or Latino; being disabled; being unemployed or not in the labour force. These factors compound, to present almost insurmountable education/workforce challenges for a large majority of men in Western societies... Allowing harm to most future men (in the name of boosting up women) does nothing to rectify the misguided and flawed approaches of generations past. The “male malaise” has indeed now become an inherited condition, which is entrenching intergenerational inequity.
“Women have expanded their role, and the range of choices that they can make. Too many men are stuck with the narrow provider role, which is now badly obsolete, not only in theory but also in practice… The result is that the separation of men from women too often means the separation of fathers from children. This is bad for men, bad for women, and bad for children. Just as women have largely broken free of the old, narrow model of motherhood, so men need to escape the confines of the breadwinner model of fatherhood.”
Reeves argues for three main reforms of education as a starting point: giving boys an extra year of pre-K before starting them in school (by default they will be a year older than girls in the crucial years from age 11-15, when the developmental gap between teenage boys and girls is at it’s largest); an aggressive recruitment drive for male teachers (especially in the teaching of English, and for Black men to become teachers); significant further investment into vocational education including more technical high schools... In terms of combining work with family time, he supports six months of use-it-or-lose-it paid leave for both mother and father (available until the child turns 18 years old). He does not argue for diverting resources away from existing programs (such as for Black teachers or for encouraging women into STEM), instead focusing on how to replicate successful efforts to the areas that now need support.
The asymmetry of concern for gender equity is truly striking, with massive efforts to push female educational and workforce attainment (including after parity has been reached). World Economic Forum produces a Global Gender Gap Report, which rates countries on fourteen variables (from 0 for complete inequality through to 1 for equality). US higher education has a gender parity score of 1.36 (women are exceeding men), but this gets asymmetrically rounded down to 1 for their calculations. There is no recognition that half of the US gender variables have already been exceeded... Scotland is one of the few places to explicitly target gender inequalities in both directions, seeking to close the undergraduate enrolment gap (it currently favours women by 17%, and they are aiming to reduce that to below 5%).
It is not beyond decision makers and public policy analysts to hold multiple thoughts/goals/visions in their head at the same time. Expanding the pipeline for female executive talent, supporting high quality childcare, and removing barriers for male educational attainment can all be done at the same time. Huge resources have already been mobilised for a small subset of DEI aspirations, while minimal support has been provided to other equally worthy outcomes.
“Policymaking is not a zero-sum game in which you have to choose between caring about female disadvantage or the socio-economic gap or male underachievement… All three matter.”
This is a must-read for all parents, all educators, people who pay attention to evidence, public policy wonks, critical thinkers, people who love the boys in their life, people who care about the opportunities that men have, and for everyone who is passionate about equity. How many more warning signs will we have to drive past as a community, before we fly over the cliff’s edge (with no parachute to protect generations of boys)?
The author interview between Richard Reeves and Hari Sreenivasan is also well worth watching, which was broadcast on Amanpour and Company in October 2022.
The life outcomes for all families, for boys from poor/minority/migrant backgrounds in particular, and for disadvantaged men will depend on the education and workforce settings that we shape. Ignoring these issues will incur enormous cost (financial, emotional, social, and in so many other ways). Are we listening, and looking at the evidence?