Manning Up: How the Rise of Women Has Turned Men into Boys

"Manning Up" explores the unintended consequences of the feminist revolution - the infantilization of young men and the rise of lad culture. Marrying later than ever before in history, young men and women are carving out a new stage of life, frequently referred to as 'emerging adulthood'. With higher education and multiple moves between jobs now essential to gain a career foothold, young adults often live the single life for much of their twenties and even thirties. These decades pose special, new challenges for young men. Women complain there are no good men left, that men are immature, unreliable, and adrift. No wonder. Masculine role models have become increasingly juvenile and inarticulate: think of stars like Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell. There are no rules for dating and mating, Guys are unsure how to treat a woman. Most importantly, whereas in the past dating in the pre-adult years was largely a means to an end-marriage-that's no longer the case. Many young men of today, whether because of a childhood encounter with divorce or a history of less than satisfying relationships, suspect that they are no longer essential to family life. In other words, men are at the crux of post-modernity society. There are yet other forces lined up against men too. Today's knowledge economy is female friendly in ways that are only dimly understood. Many of the highest profile areas of that economy-communications, design, the arts, and health care-are particularly hospitable for, and even dominated by, women. Moreover, the competitiveness and instability of today's economy requires initiative, planning, and organization. Many educators and social psychologists find that these are areas where girls outperform boys. The result is 'the slacker'.

About the Author :
Kay S. Hymowitz is the William E. Simon fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal, where she writes extensively on education and childhood in America. She also writes for many major publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. A regular commentator in the broadcast media, she earned a Masters of Philosophy from Columbia University and has taught at Brooklyn College and Parsons School of Design. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Review :
A.J. Jacobs, author of" The Year of Living Biblically ""Kay Hymowitz has written a fascinating and important book--one that should be read by every man, woman and man-child in America. So put down your Wii controller, click off the Tucker Max blog, and pick up "Manning Up." You won't regret it." Pamela Paul, author of "The Starter Marriage ""With spot-on detail and zero dogma, Kay Hymowitz has written a smart, incisive analysis of the woes troubling today's young men, oft saddled with the dreary label, 'adultescents.' Anyone interested in the state of the sexes will want to read Hymowitz's wise, accessible and compassionate take." William J. Bennett ""Manning Up" is an important portrayal of the disintegrating covenant that once existed between the sexes. And few can do this better than Kay Hymowitz. She untangles the complex forces threatening marriage for even the most privileged young Americans." Caitlin Flanagan, author of "To Hell with All That: Loving and Loathing Our Inner Housewife ""In her fascinating, brutally honest new book, Kay Hymowitz describes an unintended consequence of the successes of feminism: the creation of a huge generation of aging frat boys, men who have discovered--in the spray tanned, bikini-waxed wonderland of post-feminism--a shangrila they are only too happy to inhabit. Freed from the old tests of manhood, such as the ability to marry and provide for a woman and children, they are biding their time, and leaving many of the best and brightest young women wondering, 'where did all the good men go?' "Manning Up" is an important book for parents, educators and most of all, for today's young women." Neil Howe, co-author of "Millenials Rising: The Next Great Generation ""Kay Hymowitz is a brilliant observer of cultural and social trends in America. "Manning Up" moves in a crescendo of accelerating energy from first chapter to last. Any reader who has ever wondered about changing gender roles and the purpose of marri