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Rating: 
Summary: A Strong Response But Wisely Researched
Review: Ah the joys of this Christian debate.
I only want to mention a few things. First, read this book if you are (1) a seminary student, (2) a pastor dealing with this issue in your ministry, and (3) interested in a variety of well written articles on this debate.
If you are looking for easy answers, this is not the book for you.
Second, I took a class with Grudem in seminary on this particular issue, and suffice it to say I am still working on this issue. It is important to say here that he does truly care about women and that this book is an out growth of that concern. I don't think anything said in this book does otherwise (regardless if you disagree with the views presented).
However, I would suggest that you would also read books on the other side of the issue. Even the four views book on this topic.
Be informed of all the positions' points so that you truly sort out what is your stance.
Rating:
Summary: A most timely resource for Pastors and church leaders.
Review: As an evangelical Pastor, I was most impressed with the various authors' faithful representation of the Biblical position. Recovering Biblical Manhood & Womanhood is an excellent resource for any Christian who truly desires to adopt a God honoring attitude toward gender roles. Each contributor affirms the universal truth of male leadership in the home, church and community, while at the same time affirming the value of women. One feminist author has referred to this book as a form of right-wing hate literature. Nothing could be further from the truth. Those men who seek to apply what is written here, cannot help but bless the women who know them. Far from being an insult to womankind, Recovering Biblical Manhood & Womanhood is a long overdue (yet loving) response to feminists in the evangelical Christian community. I could hardly regard it with higher esteem. Please read this collection of hermeneutic genious, paying special attention to the essays of the Godly women who made their brave stand for the singular truth of God's Word.
Rating: 
Summary: Thorough. Well-Supported. Fair.
Review: I would say 4.5 stars if I could.The book tackles two very challenging issues: gender roles in the family and gender roles in the church. It breaks down the factors bearing on these issues from a social and, mainly, biblical analysis. It is a great book -- perhaps the best treatise available on the issues presented. The book is complete and scholarly. It should satisfy anyone looking for EITHER a quick summary and analysis on one hand, or those looking for a sustained position supported by academic biblical study. Because the book is really a series of articles / papers by various authors, it is likely that the person looking for quick but deep and researched answers will find them in a single article. On the other hand, those looking for a more thorough assessment will have more articles to review. The only criticism I would have goes to the organization of the book. Because of the use of multiple authors addressing the same basic issues, some of the points become repetitive for the person wanting to ingest the entire volume. This is not a problem for those looking for a short answer, and who are willing to be satisfied with finding and reading only the single chapter/article that most addresses the issue the reader is curious about. But these may find that the book is more than they need. The organization problem perhaps is unavoidable, but reading the book from cover to cover becomes monotonous as a result. Skipping around is truly the only way to appreciate this book without repetition becoming a little annoying. On substance, the book is entirely unapologetic and refreshingly direct with its principle themes. It does not allow circumstantial experience to shade biblical scholarship. These authors go at the subject head on, and, despite the controversial nature of discussions of gender roles, they lay out the biblical analysis well. How could the book have gotten 5 stars from me? Well, for one I would have recommended two books, rather than one. The issues of gender roles in the home are truly separable from gender roles in the church, and because I would estimate that most people would be looking for one or the other, two separate volumes might have been advisable. Next, I would have suggested being more careful to avoid repetition of arguments, but again, that may have been unavoidable if one wanted to truly hear the complete position of the various contributors. Finally, despite the emphasis on biblical analysis, the authors did include several social commentaries. I don't think this part of the book was very effective; it forces the reader to move from objective truth to social opinion, and opens the objective positions to unnecessary challenge on social rather than biblical grounds. All in all, a great book. Again, probably the best out there on the subjects. If the purpose is to reach a larger lay audience, however, I would strongly recommend separating the text along the two themes. I would think a shorter piece could be made easily from three or four of the articles, under the title, "Biblical Manhood and Wommanhood in the Home." I think it would be a useful and instant best-seller. I would suggest it as required reading for every engaged or married Christian couple. But because so much of the book addresses the other issue of church leadership, I'm sure some couples would avoid it. There could be a separate volume, "Biblical Manhood and Womanhood in the Church," which would attract a different clergy or leadership audience -- with similar outstanding impact.
Rating:
Summary: Most Thorough Defense of the Complementarian View Yet!!
Review: I've read a few of the other reviews here, and I frankly can't agree with the negative sentiments. Whether or not a person has a complementarian perspective, this book is still very informative and well written. It is not intended to be a book that is read from its beginning to its conclusion (although I did). Instead, it serves more as a reference volume, addressing various issues of men and women in marriage and in ministry. There are five sections that comprise this work. The first section is an overview that moves rather quickly and sets the stage for the sections to follow. Exegetical and theological in nature, the second section is very meticulous and may be boring to some readers. The third section addresses male/female issues in church history, biology, psychology, sociology and law. After establishing a strong basis of support, the fourth section proceeds to apply the ways in which men and women can complement one another today in the the church, in the home, and in society. The fifth section briefly summarizes and comments upon the many points that have been made. I recommend this title as a REFERENCE book. Reading it from cover to cover will prove challenging, much like trying to read an encyclopedia. Still, this work is a classic. I know of no other book on the market that provides such a strong, comprehensive explanation of the complementarian position. For the pastor or teacher who is dealing with the issues surrounding the roles of men and women in marriage and in ministry, this book is a MUST READ.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book on this topic, Great Exegesis demands...
Review: No matter if you agree with the authors or not, the thorough exegesis demands a response. This topic is very sensitive in our current culture and deserves this kind of attention in today's evangelical church. The modern nonsense that plagues Christian churches is commonly caused by poor exegesis from modern man's agendas. Many people even ignore certain texts because they don't want to disturb their own worldly conformed beliefs. This book will challenge anyone to read the text again, prayerfully and thoughtfully. Is it the Bible that influences our current beliefs or society? God's agenda or our personal sentiments?
This is a scholarly read and deals with Greek texts occassionally as well as theological concepts foreign sometimes to those not inclined to deeper theological issues. With that mentioned, this is very much worth the time investment.
Rating:
Summary: A Challenge to the Nay-sayers
Review: To anyone who is reading these reviews without having an already established position on the roles of men an women, I would strongly encourage you to read this book. It is a thurough hermeneuticly solid and Biblical exigisis of the numerous texts of Scripture that speak to this issue. Each chapter is written by a different NT Greek scholar and deals solely with one of the texts that lend information to the isssue of gender roles. the book is extremely scholarly written,and to my knowledge these has been no rebuttal written to it. It stands unchallenged.
What saddens me however, is reading the various reviews on the book. PROOF-TEXTING (like quoting "there is neither male no female in Christ" without giving it's context and meaning) dishonors God's Word! I have failed to see any negative reviews that in any way engage the arguments of the book. NONE!! I only have read people who quote a verse on two out of context and then proceed to condiscendingly attack the complimentarian view as a whole. I would encourage any open minded readers to see through this type of propoganda and read the book for themselves Lastly I would like to disprove the false argument proosed by many reviewers that equality and subservience are contradictory notions. Here Go's.... 1. Jesus is fully God and completely equal with God and in no way inferior to Him (Phil 2:6) 2. Jesus is submissive (Luke 22:42) and obedient to God The Father, who is "Greater" (John 14:28)position and authority. In this way, male and female genders and gender roles reflect the image of God. Within the trinity itself there is complete equality but yet their is a clear authority structure. God the Fathers sends His Son, and They in turn send the Holy Spirit. This proves that the concept of total equality and of subservience are not multuly exclusive.
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