Author: Michael Gurian
Book Link

My interest in this book stemmed from an interview with the author on the Art of Manliness podcast.

While I hadn’t read any of his previous works, I was agreeing with what Gurian was speaking about:

There’s something wrong with the boys of our society.

As someone who was in a support position in a high school, I noticed that for every girl struggling with school, there were at least 5 boys.

The stories were similar: unmotivated, doesn’t care, parents are struggling with him at home and (some) spend all night playing video games.

What’s going on here?

This is the question Gurian is trying to answer using the latest brain scans in neuroscience and the latest findings in scientific research in genetics and epigenetics.

As a clinical practitioner and founder of the Gurian Institute, he is on the front lines with this every day.

However, before he can even get to what’s happening with boys and how we can help them, he does address the elephant in the room…

The Dominant Gender Paradigm.

The DGP (as it’s then referred) is the framework that men are privileged and we won’t entertain any other notion until there’s equity for women.

Gurian stresses the importance of empowering women for true equity, but it can only come if we properly mature our males in a way that is natural to them.

I found myself putting this book down and ruminating with my own thoughts several times.

There were many points I agreed with, based on my own observations in working with young people, and some I would challenge (mainly his solutions).

Overall, an eye-opening read and one that will challenge you.