Faludi, Susan. Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Man
In Stiffed, the author turns her attention to the masculinity crisis plaguing our culture at the end of the '90s, an era of massive layoffs, "Angry White Male" politics, and Million Man marches. As much as the culture wants to proclaim that men are made miserable--or brutal or violent or irresponsible--by their inner nature and their hormones, Faludi finds that even in the world they supposedly own and run, men are at the mercy of cultural forces that disfigure their lives and destroy their chance at happiness. As traditional masculinity continues to collapse, the once-valued male attributes of craft, loyalty, and social utility are no longer honored, much less rewarded. Faludi's journey through the modern masculine landscape takes her into the lives of individual men whose accounts reveal the heart of the male dilemma. Stiffed brings us into the world of industrial workers, sports fans, combat veterans, evangelical husbands, militiamen, astronauts, and troubled "bad" boys--whose sense that they've lost their skills, jobs, civic roles, wives, teams, and a secure future is only one symptom of a larger and historic betrayal.

Kimmel, Michael. Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men
The passage from adolescence to adulthood was once clear. Today, growing up has become more complex and confusing, as young men drift casually through college and beyond-hanging out, partying, playing with tech toys, watching sports. But beneath the appearance of a simple extended boyhood, a more dangerous social world has developed, far away from the traditional signposts and cultural signals that once helped boys navigate their way to manhood-a territory Michael Kimmel has identified as "Guyland."

Kivel, Paul. Boys Will Be Men: Raising Our Sons for Courage, Caring and Community
Paul Kivel has done it again with this excellent, pragmatic piece on how to challenge the forces that harm young men (and young women) in schools and families. As a professor of school and family counseling, I am always searching for pragmatic, effective, down-to-earth resources that will assist students, parents, counselors, teachers, and all others concerned about our youth. Kivel brings his substantial experience as an anti-oppression educator and activist from his work with the Oakland Men's Center into his latest work.

Nikkah, John. Our Boys Speak: Adolescent Boys Write About Their Inner Lives
Convinced that boys, like girls, need to air their emotional lives, psychologist Nikkah offers a collection of essays, journal entries, stories, and poems written by young men ages 12 to 18. Heartfelt entries grouped into sections on relationships with family and friends ("Our Inner Circle"), outside influences ("Our World"), and inner struggles ("Our Selves") reveal the turmoil that male teens often mask with nonchalance and bravado. Friendships forged and forgotten, families pulled together and torn apart, threats of violence faced or avoided--all are thoughtfully examined in these revealing accounts. The young writers are painfully honest and generous in sharing those uncomfortable moments so much a part of growing up. Nikkah's brief chapter introductions add perspective and make the collection flow more smoothly. Teachers, parents, and teens themselves will find these writings eye-opening.

Pittman, Frank. Man Enough: Fathers, Sons and the Search for Masculinity
Combining case studies, examples from literature and films, and personal vignettes, a family therapist considers male childhood with no caring father or male role model and offers ways for adult males to overcome this loss.

Pollack, William. Real Boys' Voices
In his groundbreaking bestseller, Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood, Dr. William Pollack delved into the issues that today's boys face, from violence to the limiting notion that boys don't cry. In his follow-up book, Real Boys' Voices, Pollack, a clinical psychologist and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, lets readers get close to his source--the boys themselves, ages 10 to 20, from all around the country. The voices he presents are searingly authentic and eager to be heard. Pollack's basic premise is simple: Despite what society might tell us, boys want to talk. Furthermore, they have a lot to say on a wide variety of topics, including gender issues, friendship, sex, fear of violence, and relationships with their mothers and fathers.