It took me a long time to get through this book. I found the first third or so to be emotionally draining; the writers are psychologists who work with adolescent boys and their stories about the difficulties young men endure were sad and upsetting. Not that I thought adolescence was easy for anyone, but I thought my two sons might be spared the cruelties that girls inflict on one another. Apparently not. Once I got through that portion of the book, I found the authors' insight extraordinarily helpful. My boys are only 1 and 3 but I already spend a lot of time thinking how I can help them navigate childhood and adolescence, and I feel as if I am starting from scratch because I am female. Raising Cain provides insight into the challenges young men face from family, peers and media, and offers insight into ways parents can provide guidance and provide a safe space for boys to express emotion in a healthy way. I know I will refer to this book often as my sons grow. I marked several passages, including ones that stress the biology of boy energy, something with which I struggle. The second half of the book deals with issues such as alcohol, drugs, sex and violence, and then the authors summarize their findings with seven principles for healthy emotional growth for boys. I highly recommend this book for anyone parenting a boy.