Of Boys and Men

Acknowledged as one of the most significant non-fiction books of 2022 by The Economist and the Daily Mail, Of Boys and Men also earned high praise from the Sunday Times as 'one of the most important non-fiction books of the year'.

Consider the startling statistics: boys are 50% more likely than girls to fail in the key school subjects of maths, reading, and science. In the United States, the wages of the majority of men have declined since 1979, while women’s wages have experienced an increase. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, suicide stands as the leading cause of death for men under the age of 45.

Boys and young men are lagging behind in educational institutions largely due to systems that disadvantage them. Men struggle in the labour market as the economy shifts away from jobs traditionally held by males. Furthermore, fathers find themselves disoriented as the cultural expectation of the family provider erodes. These issues, Reeves argues, are not due to a widespread psychological crisis but are rooted in deeper structural challenges.

Reeves proposes several structural solutions to these pressing problems. He suggests starting boys at school a year later than girls to accommodate developmental differences. Additionally, he advocates for more men to enter caring professions and calls for a reevaluation of fatherhood roles beyond the traditional nuclear family framework.

Recognising the substantial progress made by feminism, Reeves stresses the need for a complementary positive vision of masculinity – one that promotes gender equality. His insightful propositions in Of Boys and Men offer a pathway to addressing the unique struggles faced by men and boys, advocating for societal changes that benefit all genders.