Masculinities

Rating:
Summary: Good research/poor writing style
Review: I purchased this book because it had been lauded as "a powerful reply to Iron John," the mythopoetic bestseller on manhood by Robert Bly. "Masculinities" was in fact not comparable to Iron John. This book seems to lack flow for the reader, the powerful technique of storytelling for the most part is missing, and a common thread of negativity runs throughout the narrative.

I welcome an alternative viewpoint from that of traditional authors on men's issues, the men's movement, and male psychology. However, it is really one thing for a writer to put his opinion out there for the world to see, and quite another to shred the works of others who disagree with him. I do not see eye to eye with everything that Robert Bly has written in Iron John or what Sam Keen has said in Fire in the Belly. However, in their own very personal way, both men get their points on masculinity across to readers without viciously attacking other authors. In addition, Bly and Keen are gifted writers who have the unique ability to see the power of "the story." Connell apparently does not see the importance of the story, although he has plenty of interview data to construct readable and interesting stories for his readers.

Positive points: Connell has done a very good job defining hegemonic masculinity, informing his readers about the existence of a wide variety of possible masculinities, and detailing the history of the study of masculinity. A very poor storytelling technique and a negativity in his writing style weakens his book, however. And in the end, this also very much weakens a male feminist view of masculinity in general.

This book is not something I would recommend reading from cover to cover -- as I have done. It is more of a reference work, a book one would keep on his or her bookshelf for quick reference or for selective reading. Quite frankly, I very much doubt that many people have read this book completely. Positive reviews to me appear to be based on Connel's reputation as a scholar more than anything else -- they certainly aren't based on the book's format or the author's writing style.

Rating:
Summary: Excellente!
Review: This book destroys the silly notions of those that ppl believe in a purely genetic basis for gender and those taht believe in strict gender roles... duh humans are usually more complex then simple dualities....