Of Boys and Men

Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It

Richard V. Reeves

The Book that Sparked a National Conversation

A Barack Obama 2024 Summer Reading Selection

An Economist Best Book of 2022

A New Yorker Best Book of 2022

Boys and men are struggling. Profound economic and social changes of recent decades have many losing ground in the classroom, the workplace, and in the family. While the lives of women have changed, the lives of many men have remained the same or even worsened.

In this widely praised book, Richard Reeves, father of three sons, a journalist, and now the president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, tackles the complex and urgent crisis of boyhood and manhood. He argues that our attitudes, our institutions, and our laws have failed to keep up. Conservative and progressive politicians, mired in their own ideological warfare, fail to provide thoughtful solutions.

Reeves looks at the structural challenges that face boys and men and offers fresh and innovative solutions that turn the page on the corrosive narrative that plagues this issue. Of Boys and Men argues that helping the other half of society does not mean giving up on the ideal of gender equality.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers / Brookings Institution Press

Pages: 256 • Trim: 6½ x 9

978-0-8157-3987-6 • Hardback • November 2022 • $28.99 • (£19.99)

978-0-8157-4066-7 • Paperback • May 2024 • $19.95 • (£14.99)

978-0-8157-3988-3 • eBook • November 2022 • $27.50 • (£19.99)

Subjects: Social Science / Men's Studies, Social Science / Gender Studies, Political Science / Public Policy / Social Policy

Of Boys and Men

Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It

Hardback

Paperback

eBook

Summary

The Book that Sparked a National Conversation

A Barack Obama 2024 Summer Reading Selection
An Economist Best Book of 2022
A New Yorker Best Book of 2022

Boys and men are struggling. Profound economic and social changes of recent decades have many losing ground in the classroom, the workplace, and in the family. While the lives of women have changed, the lives of many men have remained the same or even worsened.
In this widely praised book, Richard Reeves, father of three sons, a journalist, and now the president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, tackles the complex and urgent crisis of boyhood and manhood. He argues that our attitudes, our institutions, and our laws have failed to keep up. Conservative and progressive politicians, mired in their own ideological warfare, fail to provide thoughtful solutions.
Reeves looks at the structural challenges that face boys and men and offers fresh and innovative solutions that turn the page on the corrosive narrative that plagues this issue. Of Boys and Men argues that helping the other half of society does not mean giving up on the ideal of gender equality.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers / Brookings Institution Press

Pages: 256 • Trim: 6½ x 9

978-0-8157-3987-6 • Hardback • November 2022 • $28.99 • (£19.99)

978-0-8157-4066-7 • Paperback • May 2024 • $19.95 • (£14.99)

978-0-8157-3988-3 • eBook • November 2022 • $27.50 • (£19.99)

Subjects: Social Science / Men's Studies, Social Science / Gender Studies, Political Science / Public Policy / Social Policy

Author

Richard V. Reeves is a senior fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution, where he directs the Boys and Men Project and holds the John C. and Nancy D. Whitehead Chair. He is the author of John Stuart Mill: Victorian Firebrand (2007) and Dream Hoarders (2017).

Table of Contents

Preface: Worried Dad to Worried Wonk
Part I: The Male Malaise
1. Girls Rule: Boys Are Behind in Education
2. Working Man Blues: Men Are Losing Ground in the Labor Market
3. Dislocated Dads: Fathers Have Lost Their Traditional Role in the Family
Part II: Double Disadvantage
1. Dwight’s Glasses: Black Boys and Men Face Acute Challenges
2. Class Ceiling: Poor Boys and Men Are Suffering
3. Non-Responders: Policies Aren’t Helping Boys and Men
Part III: Biology and Culture
1. Making Men: Nature and Nurture Both Matter
Part IV: Political Stalemate
1. Progressive Blindness: The Political Left Is in Denial
2. Seeing Red: The Political Right Wants to Turn Back the Clock
Part V: What to Do
1. Redshirt the Boys: Boys Need an Extra Year in the Classroom
2. Men Can HEAL: Getting Men into the Jobs of the Future
3. New Dads: Fatherhood as an Independent Social Institution
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index

Reviews

The modern male is struggling. It matters, and we must do something about it. In Of Boys and Men, Richard V. Reeves explores the issues so many males face in silence. His research has led to surprising revelations regarding men and health, the social sphere, education, and the age-old nature-versus-nurture debate. He pushes back on ideas that have been widely accepted with little examination, such as “toxic masculinity,” and puts into words what so many have observed, which is that boys and men are ignored as society and its social constructs continue to evolve. What is going on with our boys, with our men? Without political partisanship, Reeves brings this question to the fore of modern discourse, and in doing so, does a service to us all.

— Amerie's Book Club

The subtitle of this booklays out the three areas the book explores: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It. Reeves surveys a wide range of social science scholarship on the issues men and boys face in the contemporary US to argue for a gender politics that can accommodate their specific needs. Rather than treat men as a monolithic identity, Reeves breaks down the problems men face by race, class, and education level to underscore the different challenges they encounter. Reeves’s sensitivity to the impacts of race and class on masculinity sets this book apart from other titles. Though Reeve’s project of rehabilitating American men might lend itself to anti-feminist efforts to roll back the advances made for women, Reeves encourages readers to pursue liberal gender politics that achieve greater opportunities for men and women by being sensitive to their unique needs.

— Choice Reviews

When Beauvoir was writing her manifesto on the plight of women, she noted that “the most mediocre of males feels himself a demigod as compared with women,” and that “a man would never get the notion of writing a book on the peculiar situation of the human male.” Nowadays, there are many such books. Self-doubt has broken through the supposed imperviousness of masculine self-belief. Reeves’s book is only the latest; it is also one of the most cogent. That’s not just a consequence of his compelling procession of statistical findings. It’s also due to the originality of his crisply expressed thesis: that men’s struggles are not reducible to a masculinity that is too toxic or too enfeebled but, rather, reflect the workings of the same structural forces that apply to every other group.

— The New Yorker

In some ways the world remains male-dominated, yet many men are falling behind, says the author. Boys do worse than girls in school in many countries, and are more likely everywhere to end up in prison or kill themselves. He suggests practical, incremental reforms, such as having boys start school a year later.

— Economist

Throughout most of Richard Reeves’ excellent new book, Of Boys and Men, I wasn’t just nodding along, I was foot-stomping. Too little has been written about the troubles of boys and men.

— The Bulwark

Of Boys and Men has garnered widespread praise, and for good reason. Reeves isn’t content to simply point out a dispiriting social problem and be on his merry way. He offers solutions…. Reeves has written a tremendously thought-provoking, well-researched, and convincing book on the plight of the modern man. As a policy wonk, he proposes policy solutions.

— Christianity Today

Addressing the kind of male disadvantages that Reeves catalogs does not mean ignoring or excusing inequalities that favor men over women. It’s possible, Reeves writes, to “hold two thoughts in our head at once.” Indeed, it’s urgent that we do so.

— Commonweal

Any talk about masculinity today can easily veer into predictable patterns: a left that paints with uncritically broad brushes, and a right that gets defensive and in the process dumbs down its beliefs. But Richard Reeves’s book Of Boys and Men avoids predictability, blending statistical insight and easygoing wit to craft a fruitful exploration of male malaise.... [Reeves] bookends Of Boys and Men by presenting the educational, economic, and cultural challenges men face, and he proposes policy and social solutions for each. They’re all insightful and (unsurprisingly) subject to debate, especially, in my view, his discussion of fatherhood and marriage. But one of the most important lessons of the book—which Reeves introduces to reassure readers that they can care about both women’s equality and men’s struggles—is that ‘we can hold two thoughts in our head at once.’.... Of Boys and Men has a point of view, but Reeves doesn’t close off the possibility of exchange or criticism by making a caricature of his opponents. This is the sort of book that not only exposes an often ignored issue, but elevates the quality of our conversations about it, even amid disagreement. That is perhaps its most impressive feat.

— Public Discourse

The modern male is struggling. It matters, and we must do something about it. In Of Boys and Men, Richard V. Reeves explores the issues so many males face in silence. His research has led to surprising revelations regarding men and health, the social sphere, education, and the age-old nature-versus-nurture debate. He pushes back on ideas that have been widely accepted with little examination, such as “toxic masculinity,” and puts into words what so many have observed, which is that boys and men are ignored as society and its social constructs continue to evolve. What is going on with our boys, with our men? Without political partisanship, Reeves brings this question to the fore of modern discourse, and in doing so, does a service to us all.

— Amerie's Book Club

Boys and men are in trouble. Compared to women, relatively few boys or men enroll in or complete higher education. Boys and men don’t participate in the workforce up to their full potential. They’re disproportionately dying deaths of despair from suicide, drug overdoses and substance abuse. Parents worry about their sons’ futures. While recent cultural and economic changes have created problems specific to boys and men, most liberal and conservative politicians alike fail to acknowledge the crisis or do anything about it. Brookings Institution scholar Richard Reeves offers concrete suggestions that can help men without damaging women’s hard-won advances.

— getAbstract

Speaks to our hearts as well as our heads. A powerful and important book.

— Jonathan Haidt, Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership, New York University—Stern School of Business

Finally, an analysis of the crisis among men and boys that adds more light than heat. Richard Reeves takes on the issues facing males today with courage and compassion, and offers solutions that are both workable and agreeable across the political spectrum. A much-needed book.

— Arthur Brooks, Professor, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, and #1 New York Times bestselling author

As a feminist who is deeply committed to gender equality and a mother of two young men, I highly recommend Of Boys and Men. Reeves offers real, practical, solutions to create a world that would be better for all of us, across the gender spectrum.

— Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America and author of Unfinished Business: Women Men Work Family

Judicious and meticulously researched. Instead of blaming men for their predicament, or pathologizing masculinity, Reeves points to sensible, humane and practical solutions.

— Christina Hoff Summers, Senior Fellow Emeritus, American Enterprise Institute, author of The War on Boys

An authoritative overview of the problems faced by boys and men—and most importantly, bold ideas to solve them.

— Andrew Yang

In this courageous, compelling, and urgently needed book, Reeves argues for dispensing with the damaging narrative of 'toxic' masculinity, and offers concrete suggestions for how to support boys and men.

— Carole Hooven, Harvard University and author of Testosterone: The Story of the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us

Important, timely, well-balanced and thoroughly researched, Of Boys and Men effectively outlines the rapid economic, psychological, social and educational decline of males in our society and proposes practical policies that offer a positive masculinity for our sons, brothers and fathers.

— Joe Henrich, Harvard University and author of The WEIRDest People in the World

Richard Reeves has the rare combination of writerly flair, analytical skill, and unflinching focus on problems that partisans would rather dismiss. Just as Dream Hoarders forced Americans to question our mantras about social mobility, his work on men and boys is provocative, timely, and rich with real-world solutions.

— Evan Osnos, The New Yorker and author of Wildland: The Making of America's Fury

Recommended with enthusiasm, this book did not disappoint. After decades of expending lots of resources to promote equality for girls and women, the author, Richard V. Reeves, argues that boys and men are being left behind in some very significant ways – especially in school, at work, and in finding a purpose at home. Reeves is careful not to suggest that women and girls have surpassed men in all measures of equality. He doesn’t believe that at all. But he does provide strong arguments holding two beliefs that 1) women and girls still need support for equality in some areas and 2) boys and men are lagging behind in others where systems and structures are serving girls and women much better. The book is definitely non-partisan. Throughout the book, he talks about why the solutions proposed to the crises around the well-being of many boys and men are not being addressed well by progressive or conservative policies.

— Honestly Modern

[The book] offered a host of pragmatic policy recommendations including ways to encourage men in healing professions such as health care and education, much as we encourage girls in STEM. If you have a son, or know men who feel isolated from family or the workplace, this book offers thoughtful explanations as well as possible cures.

— CAST

Features

11/13/24, Boston Globe: Richard Reeves contributes an opinion piece.
Link: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/11/13/opinion/election-gender-gap-richard-reeves/

11/30/22, CNN: Michael Smerconish interviewed Richard Reeves about the struggles of boys and men.
Link: https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2022/11/26/smr-reeves-men-in-trouble.cnn

12/21/22, Next Big Idea Club: Richard Reeves penned a piece on five key insights from the book.
Link: https://nextbigideaclub.com/magazine/boys-men-modern-male-struggling-matters-bookbite/38289/

1/9/23, Psychology Today: Jett Stone featured the book in an article on the disorientation after extended paternity leave.

Link: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-souls-of-men/202301/dawn-of-the-new-american-dad

1/16/23, The Learning Leader Show: Ryan Hawk interviewed Richard Reeves about the book.
Link: https://learningleader.com/richardreeves/

1/19/23, Public Discourse: Richard Reeves was interviewed about fatherhood and the modern male malaise in this feature.
Link: https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2023/01/86960/

1/27/23, Dr. Phil show: Richard Reeves discussed the demise of guys with Dr. Phil.
Link: https://www.drphil.com/shows/the-demise-of-guys/

2/4/22, WNYC On the Media: Richard Reeves was featured in an episode hosted by Micah Loewinger.
Link: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/segments/what-data-says-boys-men-struggling-on-the-media

2/15/23, New York Times: The book was included in this piece from Jessica Grose.
Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/15/opinion/fertility-decline.html

2/15/23, The New Yorker:This was named a Best Book of 2022.
Link: https://www.newyorker.com/best-books-2022

2/27/22, Independent Women's Forum: Richard Reeves was interviewed by Patricia Patnode and James Broughel.
Link: https://www.iwf.org/2023/02/27/what-happens-when-you-overcorrect-the-gender-gap/

3/10/23, The Ezra Klein Show: Richard Reeves and Ezra Klein delved into the data from the book, discussing how men and boys are struggling and falling behind.
Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-men-and-boys-are-not-alright/id1548604447?i=1000603582206

4/8/23, Big Think: Richard Reeves weighs in on American friendship.

Link: https://twitter.com/i/status/1644398187430518790

4/5/23, New York Post: Richard Reeves discusses the book withRikki Schlott.
Link: https://nypost.com/2023/04/05/the-war-on-toxic-masculinity-sees-boys-men-struggle-in-society/

4/23, ManTalks with Connor Beaton podcast: Richard Reeves discusses the book and teaching kids about sex.
Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/richard-reeves-why-men-are-in-decline-and-what-you/id1015078747?i=1000609343970
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv5E-Lr64lw

5/12/23, The Bulwark podcast: Richard Reeves joins Charlie Sykes to talk about the book.
Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/richard-reeves-the-trouble-with-boys-and-men/id1447684472?i=1000612819363

5/12/23, The Economist, Checks and Balance podcast: Richard Reeves discusses the book, masculinity, and what is behind problems facing men.
Link: https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2023/05/12/is-there-a-crisis-of-masculinity

5/24/23, Washington Monthly: In a discussion of Josh Hawley’s book new book on manhood, Richard Reeves and the book Of Boys and Men are discussed as serious alternatives.
Link: https://washingtonmonthly.com/2023/05/24/what-josh-hawley-and-the-right-get-wrong-about-manhood/

5/30/23, Publishing Perspectives: In a discussion with Porter Anderson, Richard Reeves talks about the book.
Link: https://publishingperspectives.com/2023/05/of-boys-and-men-and-publishing-richard-v-reeves/

5/31/23, Men’s Health: Richard Reeves discusses having the ‘sex talk’ with boys and book is prominently featured.
Link: https://www.menshealth.com/trending-news/a43644660/sons-parents-dad-sex-talk-kids/

7/10/23, The Washington Post: Christine Emba’s opinion page piece “Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness” features Richard Reeves and the book as well as commentary from Reeves specific to the article. Emba and Reeves also discuss it on Washington Post Live.
Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/10/christine-emba-masculinity-new-model
Washington Post Live Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live/2023/07/12/christine-emba-richard-reeves-crisis-american-masculinity/
Transcript link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live/2023/07/12/transcript-crisis-masculinity/

7/11/23, House Calls with Dr. Vivek Murthy podcast: Richard Reeves joined the U.S. Surgeon General to discuss why boys and men are struggling for connection.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcKKAffWpAQ
Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/richard-reeves-why-are-boys-and-men-struggling-for/id1621592840?i=1000620834421

7/8/23, Issues in Perspective: Jim Eckman discusses Richard Reeves’ findings, saying it’s an “indispensable book.”
Link: http://issuesinperspective.com/2023/07/has-the-american-male-lost-his-way/

7/28/2023, Vancouver Sun: Richard Reeves and parts of the book were featured in this opinion piece by Douglas Todd on whether boys should automatically be held back a year in school.
Link: https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/douglas-todd-should-boys-be-held-back-a-year-in-school-by-default

5/9/23, The Higher Ed Spotlight podcast: Richard Reeves joined Ben Wildavsky to discuss the book in this podcast sponsored by the Chegg’s Center for Digital Learning.

Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/education-struggles-of-men/id1620239101?i=1000612301002

6/21/23, TED Talk: Richard Reeves’s TED Talk about how to solve the education crisis for boys and men is available to view. As of this am, it’s had 35k views.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXsOlAYvgh0

6/16/23, Honesty with Bari Weiss: Richard Reeves’s joins guest host Eli Lake and Ryan Holiday and Ian Rowe in a conversation about fatherhood in 2023 on Father’s Day.
Link: https://www.honestlypod.com/podcast/episode/3067b6c7/how-to-dad-in-2023-a-roundtable-with-our-favorite-fathers
Twitter link: https://twitter.com/thehonestlypod/status/1670824553780576257?s=20

8/9/23, Mother Jones: Eamon Whalen pens a piece entitled “Boy Problems: The manosphere promises to fix young men’s lives. Instead, it’s making them miserable” and Richard Reeves and the book are discussed favorably.
Link: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/08/boy-problems-andrew-tate-masculinity-crisis-manosphere/

8/18/23, No Mercy, No Malice with Scott Galloway: Features a guest post from author Richard Reeves.
Link: https://www.profgalloway.com/head-of-the-class/

9/6/23, The Lever: Richard Sirota and Richard Reeves discuss the book on this episode of Lever Time.
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8SOAFee3cI
Link: https://www.levernews.com/the-american-masculinity-crisis/

9/6/23, GEN+: Richard Reeves is the featured guest.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEU1mO3kqIU

9/18/23, CNN Health: Richard Reeves is quoted and the book is featured in this article about loneliness in men as an epidemic and specifically within fatherhood.
Link: https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/18/health/male-loneliness-epidemic-wellness/index.html

9/19/23, Comment Magazine: Richard Reeves and Christine Emba discuss the crisis of masculinity on Comment’s The Whole Person Revolution podcast.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AScijlkzCyE

10/6/23, On Point / WBUR Boston: Richard Reeves is part of a panel on NPR’s On Point program on unraveling the secrets of the Y chromosome.
Link: https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2022/11/11/richard-reeves-gender-equality-boys-school-men

10/23/23, Los Angeles Review of Books: Melissa Ridley Elmes reviews Chuck Wendig’s new fiction book Black River Orchard and mentions Richard Reeves and the book in a section about the U.S. crisis of masculinity.
Link: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/masculine-frailty-and-ambition-on-chuck-wendigs-black-river-orchard/

11/15/23, The American Conservative: Brad Wilcox and Elizabeth Self offer a piece entitled “Male Malaise Is Not Just About ‘the Culture’: Big Business and Big Education have a hand in our boys’ failure to thrive” and the book is included in the article.
Link: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/male-malaise-is-not-just-about-the-culture/

1/9/24, The Privileged Man podcast: Richard Reeves discusses the book and the institute in this episode.
Link: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/9bb7a01d-36da-47d7-81c2-2db799711ff9
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HrcUnp8-pI

1/17/24, PBS NewsHour: Geoff Bennett interviews Richard Reeves about the implications of male loneliness and efforts to address it.
Link: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-a-growing-number-of-american-men-say-they-are-in-a-friendship-recession

2/5/24, Top of Mind with Julie Rose / BYU Radio podcast: Richard Reeves is part of a panel discussing the crisis of modern boys and men and people who are trying to address it.
Link: https://tunein.com/podcasts/World-News/Top-of-Mind-with-Julie-Rose-p684922/

2/5/24, San Diego Reader: The book is sourced in an article about how new dads are running to therapists.
Link: https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2024/feb/14/cover-dudes-to-dads/

3/14/24, Boston Globe’s Say More with Shirley Leung podcast: The book and Richard Reeves are featured.
Link: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/03/14/business/why-crisis-men-boys-is-so-hard-talk-about

3/1/24, Word on Fire: Maggie Smith interviews Richard Reeves about the book and the newly launched institute.
Link: https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/richard-v-reeves-and-jocko-willink-take-on-male-malaise/
X/Twitter link: https://x.com/WordOnFire/status/1765861257154859099?s=20
IG link: https://www.instagram.com/p/C4OkpDjvm9r/

4/16/24 , The New York Times: In an article about toxic masculinity, Of Boys and Men is mentioned.
Link: https://images.burrelles.com/image/U2FsdGVkX1_KHw3sqtD5FLdsM7h5wxSs7LaHHKKVSc-HTxMf1yHRrQ

May/June issue, Men’s Health: Richard Reeves contributes an essay about raising sons in modern times. The book is included.
Link: https://images.burrelles.com/image/U2FsdGVkX18LlhaL3xOBVSsfh-5zI7xuOW5Gc7FeubSfCrPs4cURdg

5/1/24, MIR Meets podcast: Host Andrew Xu and Richard Reeves discuss the book.
Link: https://mironline.podbean.com/e/mir-meets-richard-reeves/

5/7/24, The New York Times: In an opinion piece from Thomas Edsall about the emerging gender gap, Of Boys and Men is mentioned.
Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/01/opinion/biden-younger-voters-gender.html
Salt Lake Tribune Link: https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2024/05/07/opinion-huge-gender-gap-is/

5/30/24, The New York Times: The book is mentioned in Nicholas Kristof’s recent column about marriage and the gender divide.
Link: https://images.burrelles.com/image/U2FsdGVkX1_4r-pHEOKxH9cglta56j0VuoNOS5zdEzu05n9M9cxKqA

6/7/24, The Pulse/WHYY NPR Philadelphia: Richard Reeves discusses the book during a segment on modern masculinity.
Link: https://whyy.org/episodes/the-search-for-modern-masculinity/

6/23/24, The New York Times: Richard Reeves is quoted and the book is mentioned in this article about male teachers.
Link: https://images.burrelles.com/image/U2FsdGVkX19pS5faqVdfh2Fq8cvmK2VxTzJfc0IxHfnaSxvu0fxKkA

6/17/24, The Aaron Renn Show: Richard Reeves discusses the book with host Aaron Renn.
Link: https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/richard-reeves-boys-and-men

6/16/24, The Telegraph (UK): In a Father’s Day culture feature about man-in-the-kitchen stereotypes, Richard Reeves and the book are featured.
Link: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/features/types-of-dad-cook/

August 2024, Since the original post on by Barack Obama, coverage continues from Today, Kirkus, Yahoo, Mediaite, USA Today, Boston Globe, and many more.
Today link: https://www.today.com/popculture/books/barack-obama-reading-list-books-2024-rcna166292
Yahoo link: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/books-barack-obamas-2024-summer-041337545.html
USA Today link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2024/08/12/barack-obama-summer-2024-playlist-books-recommendations/74774229007
Kirkus Reviews link: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/barack-obama-releases-his-summer-reading-list
Mediaite link: https://www.mediaite.com/news/obama-drops-his-latest-summer-book-and-music-recommendations-hope-you-find-something-new/
Boston Globe link: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/08/13/arts/barack-obama-summer-reading-and-music-playlist/

8/20/24, The Michael Shermer Show: Richard Reeves discusses the book with host and Skeptic magazine founder Michael Shermer.
Link: https://www.skeptic.com/michael-shermer-show/richard-reeves-why-men-are-struggling/

8/27/24, Morning Edition/NPR: Richard Reeves discusses the book with host Steve Inskeep.
Link: https://www.npr.org/2024/08/27/nx-s1-5086473/where-do-different-ideas-of-masculinity-fit-into-the-presidential-election

8/24/24, Toronto Star: Columnist Andrew Phillips says that “Democrats finally have an answer to the right’s swaggering model of masculinity” and discusses the book in detail.
Link: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/the-democrats-finally-have-an-answer-to-the-rights-swaggering-model-of-masculinity/article_481e490e-60af-11ef-8622-c3706054491f.html

9/2/24, EconLib’s EconTalk podcast: Richard Reeves discusses the book with host Russ Roberts.
Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/Econlib/posts/pfbid0zJo1GBzsoXYnetNmQH1VRWbApRWzymV89KtTxQa4zEy9fC9PuYZ1u81BAEtpux7Fl
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lIlAtNweuo

September issue, Independent School Magazine: The book and Richard Reeves’ studies are discussed in detail in this article about why boys are struggling in school.
Link: https://www.nais.org/learn/independent-ideas/september-2024/whats-going-on-with-boys-in-schools/

10/9/24, Matriarchal Blessing: The book is discussed in Celeste Davis’s newsletter on why boys aren’t going to college anymore.
Link: https://celestemdavis.substack.com/p/why-boys-dont-go-to-college

Awards

• Commended, Best Book, Culture and Ideas (The Economist, 2022)
• Commended, Best Book (The New Yorker, 2022)
• Commended, A Barack Obama Summer Reading Selection (2024)