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Summary: A GREAT BOOK!!
Review: After reading so many negative reviews of this book written by females, it made me want to immediately go out and get it. I did. The problem with our modern society is that we just do not want to face the natural FACT that males and females ARE different. Do not say that out loud, however, or you will be branded a chauvinist. Today's adolescent males are scared, confused and insecure. I wonder what has caused this. (Not really) We still encourage females to BE females, be proud of it and be as much a contributing member of the business world as men have always been. With boys, however, we do not encourage. We tell them what they SHOULD NOT do. We teach them, subconsciously, that they are now to pay for the centuries of repression of women committed by what one of my students termed, "a bunch of dead white guys." Thus, we have self-assured, confident women and insecure, weak men. No one really believes that men are put on the earth to dominate women, men are stronger, men are better and all that rubbish. I don't agree with previous readers fears that this book is dangerous because it will lead to a perpetuation of the "John Wayne" mentality. That is the opinion of fools. If you want someone to "tell it like it is," without the psychobabble that really says nothing at all, get this book.
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Summary: If you read ONE book on raising boys, this is it!
Review: With my background in boys' camps and the criminal justice system, I see the whole range of boy development on the grand scale. I would have appreciated a more closely-footnoted text given Gurian's daring (and welcome) challenging of the current (and ineffective) attempt to treat boys as if they are imperfect girls. The books major strength is its avoidance of sappy psychobabble. This book is not anti-women in my opinion. On the contrary, I think he bends over a little too far to soften the harsh reality. If you didn't like The Wonder of Boys, then Gurian's next book, Fine Young Man will not make any sense as it goes the next step.
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Summary: A must-read for all mothers with sons!
Review: With two boys, aged 8 and 11, I stood on the brink of their adolescence feeling unprepared and clueless as to how I should guide them. Then I read this book!Its basic review of the physiological differences between boys and girls was insightful and thorough. It has already changed my parenting in the areas of discipline, my attitude towards video games, their "rough-housing" behavior, etc. I found this book was more comprehensive than "A Fine Young Man", by the same author. It has a great balance between exploring underlying principles and offering practical tips for successfully parenting boys. I can't wait to give this book to my husband for Fathers Day! This book is an affirmation of all the wonderful things he already does with our sons and an encouragement and guide for the years ahead. After reading this book I feel better prepared to release my boys on their journey to manhood!
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Summary: The very best book about boys on the market.
Review: This is a well balanced and important book about boys. In fact, considering the violence that our society's boys are acting out, this is the only book on the market that really explains how we can help boys to become healthy in all ways. I found Pollack's book to be the same-old, tired tirade about how we should just let boys cry, but frankly that is a one-note argument (not to mention 20 years out of date). I find it astonishing that so many people deny the role of biology in our behavior, as if testosterone had no effect on boys. Please, can we get over the politically correct arguments of old and understand that it is both nurture AND nature? This is the only book that seems to support this. Besides, the biology part of this book is only one aspect (a fact lost on some of these other readers, making me wonder if they really read this book or are just ignoring the wisdom found in this book because it doesn't echo their tired arguments?). And despite some suspiciously well-planted Pollack-positive comments here, Gurian gives a well-balanced and inclusive look at all of the ways that we can support our boys. Instead of making it an either-or argument, read them all and make up your own mind.
Rating: 
Summary: Alarming Reductionism
Review: In sociology, there is a term that fits this book to a tee: reductionism. The author, in near-fascist glee at times, tries to convince us that "boys will be boys" by virtue of their biology, and that we should just accept that they are different, even superior, to their female counterparts. I found it hard not to close this book time and time again with the blatant misogynistic overtones, but I'm afraid I had to read it till the end to believe he was serious -- he is. Many of the studies he cites in the book have been challenged by behavioral psychologists, and sociologists all along have pointed out that you cannot reduce issues of social causation to a mish-mash of biological excuses. Non-biological social factors contribute much more significantly to boys' behavior than Mr. Gurian would like us to believe.
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Summary: Interesting, but get "Real Boys" by Pollack instead.
Review: As a parent of 3 boys, a grandparent of 2 boys, and a classroom teacher of boys for 34 years, I found this book to be interesting, but not as insightful as I would have hoped. There were just a few too many generalizations. I found "Real Boys" by William Pollack to be more in depth aboutwhat really makes boys tick (aside from testosterone)
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Summary: Pseudo-Feminist Alert
Review: Gurian claims in this book to be a "feminist" family therapist but reveals his anti-woman bias throughout the book, especially when he names the only "feminist" thinkers he agrees with: Katie Roiphe, Camille Paglia, and Christina Hoff Somers -- women who are more misogynist than feminist. Gurian's philosophy is truly dangerous. He states that men are biologically determined to be violent and dominant over women, and that women should not try to change this fact. He wildly understates the consequences of the "boys will be boys" attitude, such as sexual harassment and rape; and he seems bitter about the economic strides that women have gained in the past twenty years. This is a backlash book masquerading as a parenting guide.
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Summary: An excellent resource for social work practitioners.
Review: As an MSW intern in a family counseling agency, I found this particular text to be highly useful in providing services to latency age and adolescent boys. Fortunately, it free of most of the highly time sensitive pop "dogma" of diversity, multiculturalism, and so on...
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Summary: A powerful philosophy; I like what Gurian has to say.....
Review: Although Gurian has received much criticism about this book--from the way it is written (Gurian is not a professional writer after all) to its "narrow" philosophy-- I found it thought-provoking and reassuring. I found Gurian to be a proponent of all humans, male and female. He points out the fact that certain aspects of the feminist movement have resulted in male villainization, an idea that is bound to be unpopular. At the same time he acknowledges how necessary it has been for our culture to change the way we view the feminine. He presents to the reader a different way of approaching the age old problem of the differences in the sexes. He states his case honestly, and yes, sometimes he wanders a bit. Many have criticized his philosophy because he cannot substantiate some of his findings, but philosophy does not have to be substantiated--it is a system of ideas, not necessarily scientific fact. In summary: because of this book, I have added new ways to my old ways of raising my two sons; what could be wrong with that?
Rating:
Summary: Excellent research, fresh insights, real solutions
Review: Gurian comes from a place of reality, compassion and hope for the boys of our deteorating culture. Pointing out, repeatedly, the statistics of boys lost to criminality, to learning disorders etc... he calls for a change in the way the rest of view boys and men and he offers solutions! Sripped bare of it's infrastructure that supports boys, as they truly need to be, he enlightens parents, etc... to bring this matrix back. For all parents (even of girls), teachers, psychologists etc...
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