Richard V. Reeves is a senior fellow in Economic Studies and the Director of the Future of the Middle Class Initiative. His research focuses on social mobility, inequality, and family change. Prior to joining Brookings, he was director of strategy to the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister.
[The book] offered a host of pragmatic policy recommendations
including ways to encourage men in healing professions such as
health care and education, much as we encourage girls in STEM. If
you have a son, or know men who feel isolated from family or the
workplace, this book offers thoughtful explanations as well as
possible cures.-- "CAST"
Addressing the kind of male disadvantages that Reeves catalogs does
not mean ignoring or excusing inequalities that favor men over
women. It's possible, Reeves writes, to "hold two thoughts in our
head at once." Indeed, it's urgent that we do so.--
"Commonweal"
An authoritative overview of the problems faced by boys and
men--and most importantly, bold ideas to solve them.--Andrew
Yang
Any talk about masculinity today can easily veer into predictable
patterns: a left that paints with uncritically broad brushes, and a
right that gets defensive and in the process dumbs down its
beliefs. But Richard Reeves's book Of Boys and Men avoids
predictability, blending statistical insight and easygoing wit to
craft a fruitful exploration of male malaise.... [Reeves] bookends
Of Boys and Men by presenting the educational, economic, and
cultural challenges men face, and he proposes policy and social
solutions for each. They're all insightful and (unsurprisingly)
subject to debate, especially, in my view, his discussion of
fatherhood and marriage. But one of the most important lessons of
the book--which Reeves introduces to reassure readers that they can
care about both women's equality and men's struggles--is that 'we
can hold two thoughts in our head at once.'.... Of Boys and Men has
a point of view, but Reeves doesn't close off the possibility of
exchange or criticism by making a caricature of his opponents. This
is the sort of book that not only exposes an often ignored issue,
but elevates the quality of our conversations about it, even amid
disagreement. That is perhaps its most impressive feat.-- "Public
Discourse"
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
Boys and men are in trouble. Compared to women, relatively few boys
or men enroll in or complete higher education. Boys and men don't
participate in the workforce up to their full potential. They're
disproportionately dying deaths of despair from suicide, drug
overdoses and substance abuse. Parents worry about their sons'
futures. While recent cultural and economic changes have created
problems specific to boys and men, most liberal and conservative
politicians alike fail to acknowledge the crisis or do anything
about it. Brookings Institution scholar Richard Reeves offers
concrete suggestions that can help men without damaging women's
hard-won advances.-- "getAbstract"
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
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
In some ways the world remains male-dominated, yet many men are
falling behind, says the author. Boys do worse than girls in school
in many countries, and are more likely everywhere to end up in
prison or kill themselves. He suggests practical, incremental
reforms, such as having boys start school a year later.--
"Economist"
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
Judicious and meticulously researched. Instead of blaming men for
their predicament, or pathologizing masculinity, Reeves points to
sensible, humane and practical solutions.--Christina Hoff Summers,
Senior Fellow Emeritus, American Enterprise Institute, author of
The War on Boys
Of Boys and Men has garnered widespread praise, and for good
reason. Reeves isn't content to simply point out a dispiriting
social problem and be on his merry way. He offers solutions....
Reeves has written a tremendously thought-provoking,
well-researched, and convincing book on the plight of the modern
man. As a policy wonk, he proposes policy solutions.--
"Christianity Today"
Recommended with enthusiasm, this book did not disappoint. After
decades of expending lots of resources to promote equality for
girls and women, the author, Richard V. Reeves, argues that boys
and men are being left behind in some very significant ways -
especially in school, at work, and in finding a purpose at home.
Reeves is careful not to suggest that women and girls have
surpassed men in all measures of equality. He doesn't believe that
at all. But he does provide strong arguments holding two beliefs
that 1) women and girls still need support for equality in some
areas and 2) boys and men are lagging behind in others where
systems and structures are serving girls and women much better. The
book is definitely non-partisan. Throughout the book, he talks
about why the solutions proposed to the crises around the
well-being of many boys and men are not being addressed well by
progressive or conservative policies.-- "Honestly Modern"
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
Speaks to our hearts as well as our heads. A powerful and important
book.--Jonathan Haidt, Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical
Leadership, New York University--Stern School of Business
The modern male is struggling. It matters, and we must do something
about it. In Of Boys and Men, Richard V. Reeves explores the issues
so many males face in silence. His research has led to surprising
revelations regarding men and health, the social sphere, education,
and the age-old nature-versus-nurture debate. He pushes back on
ideas that have been widely accepted with little examination, such
as "toxic masculinity," and puts into words what so many have
observed, which is that boys and men are ignored as society and its
social constructs continue to evolve. What is going on with our
boys, with our men? Without political partisanship, Reeves brings
this question to the fore of modern discourse, and in doing so,
does a service to us all.-- "Amerie's Book Club"
The subtitle of this booklays out the three areas the book
explores: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and
What to Do About It. Reeves surveys a wide range of social science
scholarship on the issues men and boys face in the contemporary US
to argue for a gender politics that can accommodate their specific
needs. Rather than treat men as a monolithic identity, Reeves
breaks down the problems men face by race, class, and education
level to underscore the different challenges they encounter.
Reeves's sensitivity to the impacts of race and class on
masculinity sets this book apart from other titles. Though Reeve's
project of rehabilitating American men might lend itself to
anti-feminist efforts to roll back the advances made for women,
Reeves encourages readers to pursue liberal gender politics that
achieve greater opportunities for men and women by being sensitive
to their unique needs. -- "Choice Reviews"
Throughout most of Richard Reeves' excellent new book, Of Boys and
Men, I wasn't just nodding along, I was foot-stomping. Too little
has been written about the troubles of boys and men.-- "The
Bulwark"
When Beauvoir was writing her manifesto on the plight of women, she
noted that "the most mediocre of males feels himself a demigod as
compared with women," and that "a man would never get the notion of
writing a book on the peculiar situation of the human male."
Nowadays, there are many such books. Self-doubt has broken through
the supposed imperviousness of masculine self-belief. Reeves's book
is only the latest; it is also one of the most cogent. That's not
just a consequence of his compelling procession of statistical
findings. It's also due to the originality of his crisply expressed
thesis: that men's struggles are not reducible to a masculinity
that is too toxic or too enfeebled but, rather, reflect the
workings of the same structural forces that apply to every other
group.-- "The New Yorker"
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