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"We live in a time of fallen heroes. The monuments built of men, by men, and for men have tumbled." With these simple but compelling statements, Doctors William Betcher and William Pollack open their searching and provocative inquiry into the nature of masculinity, challenging traditional notions of what it means to be a man.
They begin with - indeed, take inspiration from - the ground-breaking work of women writers and scholars of the past three decades who have articulated a new psychology of women. ("If it turns out the Garden of Eden was not such a beautiful place for women," they write, "then perhaps it wasn't heaven for men either.") Drawing on their own clinical practices and research, the extensive professional literature, and a subtle interpretation of some classical myths (most importantly, the stories of Oedipus, Achilles, and Odysseus), these two Harvard Medical School clinicians give us a clear and persuasive portrait of men's true inner needs and desires. In doing so, they cast new light on such fundamental issues as solitude, authority, work, sex, violence, friendship, sports, and fathering.
All this is presented without rancor, bluster, or a false sense of correctness. Rather than merely championing masculinity, the authors should inspire men's self-respect and foster a greater understanding by women of men's special voice.
