What Makes a Man: 22 Writers Imagine the Future

Rating:
Summary: A Worthy Collection
Review: I enjoyed this collection of stories and essays from the men featured in this collection. These are stories from the hearts of men. With a nice line up of authors this is worth the money. You will enjoy.
Reviewed by
Dawnny

Rating:
Summary: What's Appropriate?
Review: This book caught my eye at the bookstore because of its title, and even though it was only available in hardcover I decided I had to have it. I read the initial chapter a few times before actually reading the book fully, and I thought I had an idea of what it would be all about. Fortunately, I was wrong. Parts of this book (chapters by certain authors) are amazing. Others are reiterations of information I had learned elsewhere, reiterations that reminded me of the "standing on your soapbox" image. The chapters that really interested me were the one by Meri Nana-Ama Danquah where she discusses the stereotypical perceptions of "masculinity" and "femininity," the chapter by Michael Moore where he candidly discusses gender roles (and how to escape a room if your wife has set your bed on fire), the chapter by Ruth Bettelheim about the affects of divorce on male children (and how parents should work with their children post-divorce), and Martha Southgate's story of "her girlish boy." Above all what I took from this book was a sense of awe; not only do we not understand that society is creating unhappiness (in both women and men), but we also are buying into it. We keep pushing ourselves to become what it is that someone, somewhere else than where we are, is telling us is "good" and appropriate for our genders. This motion is creating depression, anger, aggression, and general malaise in both women and men. Hopefully more people will read this book, or more books like it, and begin to have an understanding of what is happening, if not do something about it.

Rating:
Summary: What's Appropriate?
Review: This book caught my eye at the bookstore because of its title, and even though it was only available in hardcover I decided I had to have it. I read the initial chapter a few times before actually reading the book fully, and I thought I had an idea of what it would be all about. Fortunately, I was wrong. Parts of this book (chapters by certain authors) are amazing. Others are reiterations of information I had learned elsewhere, reiterations that reminded me of the "standing on your soapbox" image. The chapters that really interested me were the one by Meri Nana-Ama Danquah where she discusses the stereotypical perceptions of "masculinity" and "femininity," the chapter by Michael Moore where he candidly discusses gender roles (and how to escape a room if your wife has set your bed on fire), the chapter by Ruth Bettelheim about the affects of divorce on male children (and how parents should work with their children post-divorce), and Martha Southgate's story of "her girlish boy." Above all what I took from this book was a sense of awe; not only do we not understand that society is creating unhappiness (in both women and men), but we also are buying into it. We keep pushing ourselves to become what it is that someone, somewhere else than where we are, is telling us is "good" and appropriate for our genders. This motion is creating depression, anger, aggression, and general malaise in both women and men. Hopefully more people will read this book, or more books like it, and begin to have an understanding of what is happening, if not do something about it.