Rating: 
Summary: Unworthy of a Ph.D.
Review: The best that I can say about this book is that Dr. Dobson appears to very sincere in his desire to help parents raise their boys in modern society. Sincere morals, however, are no excuse for the errors, faulty logic, and outright deception with which this book is riddled. For the sake of brevity, I will discuss only chapter nine, "The Origins of Homosexuality."Most of this chapter would be seriously questioned or rejected by any reputable psychologist or psychiatrist, regardless of what he or she thought about the morality of homosexuals. It is filled with factual errors, apparently deliberate misuse of quoted sources, and the deceptive use of statistics. In his effort to show that homosexuality is not genetic, Dobson misleads his readers by suggesting that all genetic traits are absolute, like hair and eye color. In fact, most mental traits'including sexual orientation'appear to be the result of both genetics and the environment. Dobson's own data suggest this. The author uses a well-known study of homosexuality in identical twins to advance his thesis that homosexuality is not caused by genetic factors. The study found that if one twin is homosexual, there is *only* a 50% chance that the other will also be homosexual. Since liberal estimates of the incidence of homosexuality is less than 10%, this study suggests that one's sexual orientation has a very strong genetic component. Dobson does not deal with the implications of the research he cites, which might include the conclusion that some boys will wind up gay no matter what the parents do. For those boys'and all the others whose parents messed up and made them gay, Dobson has no answer but 'reparative therapy.' Dobson offers no hard evidence that this form of therapy works, or even that it is safe.
Major factual errors in Chapter 9 include Dr. Dobson's completely incorrect use of basic terms from abnormal psychology. He refers to homosexuality as 'gender-identity disorder,' which is a completely different and much rarer condition. Persons with gender-identity disorder feel as if they were born in a body of the wrong gender. They actually wish to live as a member of the opposite sex, and sometimes cross-dress or undergo sex-change operations to make this possible. Homosexuals, in contrast, are usually comfortable with their gender. Dobson's claim that homosexuals can be 'cured' rests in part on gender-identity disorder research that is irrelevant to homosexuality. He might as well argue that because Prozac can relieve the symptoms of depression, it must also be able to cure schizophrenia.
It is difficult for me to understand how anyone with significant training in human psychology'let alone a Ph.D'could make such serious factual errors. Even worse, the author's arguments are often so logically fallacious that one wonders if Dr. Dobson is simply incompetent, or if he just takes his readers for fools. In either case, you should pass this book by.
Rating: 
Summary: good book that tells it how it is
Review: I had to read one of the chapters for a psychology paper and ended up reading the entire book. I enjoyed the reading and also found the information usefull for planning a family. Thanks for the the advice Dr. Dobson!
Rating: 
Summary: Brutally honest reflection of society!
Review: This book is an honest look at how society has attempted to change the role of men from bible focused father's to secular, gender neutral wimps. Men and boys are manipulated by the media to believe that if we act as the bible teaches us we are somehow not sensitive to the needs of others in today's culture. This book in fact preaches God's love as Jesus lived it - without compromise. The compromising of God's word is why it is so difficult to distinguish many Christian's from the "world".
Rating:
Summary: Excelent book thats desperatly needed in today's world
Review: This book is one of the few places you will find some one that is not afraid to point to the scientific fact of life, boys and girls are different from a biological and gentic point of view. Boys need to be raised as boys, and not as gender nuetral girls. This book covers alot of the why boys are different, and helps parents understand more about why their sons act the way they do. If you have a son, or about to have one, you need to read this book. Perferably before you read any other book. I highly recomend this book to every parent out there.
Rating:
Summary: The Crisis is real;What feminists won't tell U about Boys
Review: His book may be as offensive to some as an actual read through the bible, but bottom line is that even if he is controversial & his stance is "unpopular" or not PC, he backs it up with facts. He actually delves into studies & statistics, & results U may find shocking! Boys are:
2x as likely as girls to be diagnosed as learning disabled, 2/3 of high school special-education & handicapped students, 90% of discipline problems in schools (most suspensions & expulsions),on average receive lower grades than girls, 4x more likely than peer females to be diagnosed as emotionally disturbed, majority of juvenile mental patients, significantly outnumber girls in diagnoses of most conduct disorders, thought disorders & brain disorders, are Most of longest lasting & deadliest mental problems experienced by children. Adolescent males:
drop out of high school at 4x rate of peer females, 4x more likely to commit suicide, 15x more likely than adolescent girls to be victims of violent crime
Rating:
Summary: A bunch of malarky!
Review: According to Dr. Dobson, lacking a fear of God and being raised by a single mom has left our nation in distress! As a doctor (who sounds like a Priest) shouldn't he be looking at the violence we introduce our infant boys to in hospitals as a possible cause to why they tend towards violence throughout life? I read this book and returned it to the store the next day. Deeply disappointed! I am NOT a single mother, but greatly offended that the author blames homosexuality on the common broken homes of our society. Shame on you Dr. Dobson for adding to the suffering and guilt of families that can not make the "Ozzie & Harriet" work for them. This book is an embarrasing waste!!
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Books I've Read On How To Raise Boys!
Review: This is a wonderful book on how to raise boys to be men...real men. Not feminist, bullys, or hate mongers; rather, balanced and loving yet still men. Practical guide full of wisdom that will help others, especially mothers, better understand males and appreciate that they do think differently from females. Wish I'd had this book when my four boys were little. It would have saved me a lot of misunderstanding.
Rating:
Summary: Useless drivel - misleading title, biblical propaganda
Review: My wife bought this book without reviewing the synopsis here on Amazon. Big mistake. At first glance the book appears to be a genuine effort to educate parents on the subject of raising boys. However, this book is nothing more than typical Focus on the Family, Christian right rantings, packaged as something mainstream. It is written for people who already buy into this philosophy and will simply infuriate those who are anywhere left of Jerry Falwell. Utter self-righteous garbage.
Rating:
Summary: True North
Review: Bringing Up Boys recognizes we want our teenagers to be, among other things, confident and increasingly capable. Generations ahead, as we have, will depend on competent and responsible brothers, husbands, and fathers. Affirming that value, Dobson knows this means bringing up boys now is going take the best parents can bring, including love, confidence, and substance. Holding this course and embracing boys' instinctive strengths can require recognizing popular but destructive media messages that trivialize boys' natural strengths and marginalize boys' achievements. Parents who chose conservative Christian values will see in this book what they have sensed: nurturing and guiding our boys at times requires knowing how to be on their side. For these mothers and fathers sharing the rearing of their sons, Dobson's straight-talking chapters will ring true.
Rating:
Summary: Dobson is a wise man
Review: "Bringing Up Boys" is a must read for parents of boys and girls alike. If you want to take a stand against the morally confused left, this is the book for you. If you're ready to reject most tenets of modern psychology...you know the ones that seem to defy any hint of common sense, the tenets responsible for unprecedented social ills...this book is for you. If you think children grow up more well-adjusted when they are raised by their parents instead of a day care worker, this book is for you. If you agree that a perfect balance of masculine and feminine traits creates beautiful harmony, and that an inbalance creates confusion and chaos, this book is for you. If you understand that the values that created this great nation are the same values our children are being bred to reject, and you would like to reverse this trend, this book is for you. If you want good, practical advice on how you can most effectively shape the next generation and the future of humanity, this book is for you.
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