Another book for women about men, this attempt at psychological/sociological exploration generalizes about relations between white, urban, middle-class men and women. Blaming socialization and stereotypic sex roles for the inability of men to relate to women, the author maintains that ``only when a woman shares male risks can she really begin to understand men.'' Farrell uses cartoons, advertisements, personal and fictional anecdotes, references to movies, but few hard facts to substantiate his simplistic hypotheses. Often appealing, occasionally insightful, sometimes misguided, this sincere attempt to deescalate the war between the sexes has relatively little to offer.James E. Van Buskirk, Acad. of Art Coll. Lib., San Francisco (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publishers Weekly Review
In analyzing the nature and attitudes of men, psychologist-sociologist Farrell (The Liberated Man, etc.) airs women's grievances against men and sets out to explain men to both women and to men themselves. Taking into account that feminism has altered the dynamic between the sexes, Farrell claims that in their relationships both sexes would like to ``have it all,'' but that their realities and fantasies diverge widelyfantasies that, he contends, are exploited by advertising, magazines, romance novels, movies and TV, working at both conscious and unconscious levels. These media intensify men's compulsion to perform in sports, at sex and on the job, often masking deep insecurity and vulnerability, the author maintains. To achieve intimacy and balance in a relationship, he counsels, both men and women must not only share risks but learn to promote growth in the other, rather than nurture deficiencies. Major ad/promo; author tour. (September 8) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
Farrell's main aim is not to explain men to women but to examine the dynamics that force both men and women into what the author calls ``symbiotic sex roles.'' In a question-and-answer format, the book explores such standard concerns as why men are afraid of commitment and why men can't get in touch with their feelings, along with less frequently raised questions such as ``Why do women treat men like `success objects'?'' and ``Why are so many women so angry at men?'' In support of his contention that both men and women are powerless in equal measure, Farrell looks at popular culture (i.e., ads, TV shows, comic strips, magazine articles) to see what messages society is sending and how those messages have or have not changed during the past decade. This potpourri of facts, examples, dialogues, and personal observations sheds new light on how much farther society needs to travel before true sexual equality is reached. Notes; to be indexed. MB. 305.3'1 Men U.S. Psychology / Masculinity (Psychology) / Sexism U.S. [OCLC] 85-23678
