The Boy Crisis

Healed a Deep Wound with my Daughter

Would you listen to The Boy Crisis again? Why?

Yes, as it The Boy Crisis does a great job of describing what the boy crisis is, and how it has become one of the greatest hidden secrets of our time. It explains that this is a crisis of Education, Mental Health, Fathering, and a lack of Purpose.

This book is priceless. I believe that if it were available during my marriage, I would have my daughter in my life today.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The stories about the young men that carried out the school shootings.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were too many to list as the book is filled with data and insights that describe what the Boy Crisis is and what needs to be done to address the serious issues facing them.

Any additional comments?

This book enabled me to heel years of deep sadness and hurt. Written about the boy crisis, it is just as relevant to a girl crisis. As a father who saw his teenage daughter grow up fatherless due to divorce, I am so very grateful for Warren’s immense amount of research and reference to numerous studies that helped me to understand the causes and the impact of children losing a parent. If you are a fatherless child or a parent of a fatherless child, be prepared to feel sadness, anger, and even shed some tears, but don’t stop reading. By the end, it is possible that you can heal a wound that has affected your entire life.

13 of 13 people found this review helpful

This is the reason men are going their own way

It is a book that everyone should be aware of. We as a society need to cure the issues in men, not cure the symptoms.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Good points ruined by social justice interlogs

The major point of this book would have been better presented without the author's prejudice against the second amendment and his entreat to get us talking about global warming at the dinner table. Inserting his own political/social agenda items just kind of discredited his authority, and my acceptance of his message was blunted.
I agree there is a boy/man crisis and Mr. Farrell makes some great points towards that effect. However I found him harder and harder to listen to as he began inserting non-facts and blatant agendized opinions. It would have been so easy to have left those parts out-but he didn't. And I would not recommend this book based on my wonderment at the authority of Mr. Farrell's opinions.
(I know the word 'agendized' is made-up, but I like it, and it expressed what I was trying to say exactly.)

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Excellent Discussion of a Critical Topic

I’ll begin with a caveat: this review applies only to the portion of this book written by Warren Farrell. For more on John Gray’s (thankfully) small section of the book, see the final paragraph.

The Boy Crisis is an incredibly thoughtful book written by a man who has been actively working to improve the lives of every member of our society for decades. His more recent focus on the gender specific problems of men and boys came about because of the great need of men and boys for advocacy, advocacy at the level seen with certain women’s groups. I say certain to underline that some women’s groups view the denigration of men as equivalent to the elevation of women. The author is well aware of this trend of portraying men negatively and unfairly, but not once does he allow resentment or bitterness to slip into his discussion. Rather, Farrell’s equanimity and grace give further clout to his message. This is not about men vs. women. It is about men and women helping each other find better lives for themselves and their children.

Farrell brings to light the huge, but largely ignored, struggles that men and boys face in our society today. From the societal expectation that, “As a male, I am disposable,” to the terrible dilemma that fathers face where showing love by providing at work (as is expected of him by family and society) paradoxically alienates him from the family that gives his life meaning. Farrell also ties in, with a poignant story from his own life, the blatant discrimination against fathers in family and divorce court. This discrimination is also seen in the ACA legislation, in federal committees, and in popular media.

This book personally resonated with me. It gave voice to so many social injustices that face men and boys today. It also underlines, with statistics and stories of actual sufferers, how society today doesn’t seem to care about those injustices. Indeed, how does the “wage gap” still get so much attention when the “workplace death gap” and the “suicide gap” receive none?

The book gives a message of hope, however. Discussion of the importance of fatherhood, and of fathers, to our society leaves the reader with a renewed sense of purpose. Farrell also outlines strategies for fixing The Boy Crisis that extend to the personal, the familial, and the political. Overall, Warren Farrell’s “The Boy Crisis” is a fascinating, moving read, and I think everyone, both men and women, should give his ideas some real consideration.

Caveat:
John Gray’s section on ADHD is less about the scientific evidence regarding ADHD, its causes, and its viable treatment options, and more about the presentation of data in a misleading way in order to support Gray’s narrative. John Gray’s section reads like a scaremongering tabloid, it detracts from the important social issues of The Boy Crisis, and could cause parents to seek medically unsound options for their children. Note that Gray is an author and a family/marriage counselor. He has NO formal pharmacological or medical training. His section of this otherwise well written, well researched book should be taken with a lump of salt, or disregarded entirely. Take your child to a certified medical doctor if you are worried about your child’s health.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Thank you

Great topics covered and backed with facts. Nothing more important than raising my sons and this book introduced some new tools for my wife and I.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

great writing and performance by Warren Farrel

I really enjoyed Dr Farrells writings and findings on how children, boys especially need their fathers to help them overcome the traps of modern society and avoid livingmeaning deprived lives. He is ofcourse very liberal and that seeps through his writing but i only found myself screaming at the car radio a couple of times while listening to this book.
John Gray's part of the book should be separated into a different book called 'John Gray kills your fun' or 'Stop having so much fun!' by John Gray.
If this book had only the part read by dr Farrell i would have given it 5 stars.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Warren Farrell good John Grey bad

The Warren Farrell sections of this book that take up its majority are pretty darn great but when it switches to the John Grey chapters near the end I was taken aback. John Grey continually states that homeopathic treatment is FDA-approved which is a blatant lie, pushing for limited studies and experimental treatments. While there are certainly unique cases the research in these areas indicates that individuals can be harmed by such treatments and more research is certainly needed.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Outstanding!

This is full of great facts, great analysis, and great advice and guidance. It is a must read for every Father, Mother, Grandparent, Boy, and Man. Thank you Dr. s Farrell and Gray!!

Great insight on the life of boys in these times.

It's a little slow going in the beginning but this book offers a lot of information and definitely helps the reader understand where a boy/man is coming from a lot of times and the pressures that are put on us all mostly by society.

great book

Great book. Being uninformed about guns was quite clear to people in the know. The rest of book was really good.