I am always leery about the focus of think tanks, but the American Enterprise Institute, to which this author belongs, is described as centrist but leaning right, although the source of its funding is not entirely clear (Some comes from Qatar.) Loaded with data about the many ways in which women have come to surpass men in the last twenty years, and with an international focus, he is willing to disagree with Left and Right equally.
Early on he rightly points out the major biological differences between girls and boys that impact their responses to decision-making, careful to exclude those which may be driven by expectations and culture. One can then begin to see where his argument is going. He makes a compelling argument for delaying entrance into formal school for boys to fit with their biological development and answers several objections to this. Second, he argues for a greater role for male and black teachers, specifically in early education. He advocates for greater funding for, and encouragement of, career and technical schools.
In the penultimate chapter, a compelling plea is made for encouraging men into Healing, Education, Administration, and Literacy (HEAL) jobs, modelled after the remarkably successful programs that have greatly increased the proportion of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) jobs. This however is narrowly focused on the job market in the U.S., but easily expandable, at least in theory. The final chapter discusses the need to
reform paternity leave, child support and father-friendly jobs.
A well-documented balanced treatise on an important subject with well-thought-out suggestions, I enjoyed this book, but feel powerless to do anything about the problems identified. Let’s hope that some lawmakers are listening and are willing to act.
7.5/10
Thanks, Andra.
The Passionate Reader 