This book was required for a class at BYU. My biggest gripe with it was that it treated truly abused and neglected boys as normal behavior for all boys. I wonder how much my perspective would change now that I have a son. A lot of therapists have really skewed perspectives because they spend majority of their time working with people with serious problems.

This was by far the most phenomenal book I have read in a long time. It was written by two psychologists who have predominantly worked with adolescent boys throughout their careers. The book talks about the male experience in every capacity. The authors explore the emotional side of boys, addiction, sexuality, aggression and how these things impact their lives at home, in school and in therapy. They use examples from their practice to illustrate their points throughout the book. It really makes you think of the assumptions we make about boys and men, and is a must-read for anyone who is raising a boy or working with one. I could read the last chapter over and over again. This is the kind of book that you wish every teacher who works with your son would have to read before starting the school year. Amazing book!

"Two of the country's leading child psychologist hsare what they have learned in more thant thirty-five years of combined experience working with boys and their family. they revieal a nation of boys who are hurting--sad, afraid, agry and silent." So reads the back cover of this excellent book. This is a book that every parent of sons should read. I personally wish that I had read it years ago when my boys were younger. Even at the ages my sons are now, this book gave me some insight into what I did right and wrong as a parent. It has also given me ideas on how to go forward with my sons. I am glad that one of my daughters sho has two young sons read this, and I would hope that my other daughter, also the mother of a little boy, will read it as well. It was not necessarily a "quick read." Some of the anecdotes and cases the authors write about are difficult to read about, but the book is packed with important and compelling information for anyone who parents, teaches, or works with boys in any way. Highly recommended.

This was an interesting read!

This book had some good insights into the emotional miseducation of boys and why they have problems as a result. However, they take 240-some odd pages to make their case and 10-15 pages giving insight into what can be done about it. I would have liked more outcomes on the individual case studies instead of an introduction and then leaving it to continue the authors' theories. I think more people should read stuff like this to at least raise awareness of the cultural model for boys and to help develop a healthier cultural model. Ultimately the lesson of the book is: Leave no room for doubt that you love your boys, teach/show them how to express their emotions, and appreciate the differences they bring to the gender table.

I really liked the chapter about mothers and sons.

This is an older book that I had avoided reading because the title and the book jacket made it sound kind of new agey/touchy-feely. It really wasn't at all. It is written by two psychologists who have worked with teen boys for a long time and thought that the fact that boys didn't understand their emotions was causing them a lot of trouble.

Much of what they wrote in the book was spot on. I especially appreciated one of the early chapters that discussed the cruelty of boys. So often I have heard people say that girls are so much meaner than boys. My experiences with my classmates, my brothers, and my son have not proven that to be true, but I thought I must have a unique experience. Seems I have not; it's just that adults tend to overlook or ignore what can be extreme cruelty among boys. This is one among many reasons why boys can't identify their feelings - the adults around them don't acknowledge them.

My complaint about this book is that there is too much description and not enough explication of what we can do to alleviate the boy problems the book describes.