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maddollie's review
5.0
Brilliant, sensitive analysis of masculinity and it's effect on society, and men. All people should read this book.
snow_phie's review
2.0
A witty, personal take on masculinity that never truly takes off. Grayson Perry writes compellingly about gender and why he thinks we need more positive masculine role models that can show men it's okay to be vulnerable, kind and caring. Coming at just under 150 pages (about 4h of listening as an audio book, which is what I did), it's a breezy read/listen but not one that's pushed my thinking.
The most interesting passages are when Perry talks about his own childhood and life experiences, notably as a cross dresser, and how it's given him distance on his own gender. The chapter on clothing was the most novel to me. It's also when he combines a gender and class / economic that the book becomes more thought provoking.
As a whole, however, "The Descent of Man" struck me as preaching to the converted. I may not be the audience for it so I could be wrong, but I somehow doubt that the very men most in need of this book are the ones likely to pick it up. If they did, they might find the arguments a bit light.
Despite its length, it also went around in circles a fair bit. And if you're vaguely familiar with feminism, it's unlikely to uncover new grounds (admittedly I have a degree in it, again I may not be the target audience). So while the message is worthwhile, I can't help but feel a little underwhelmed by what I'm taking away from "The Descent of Man". Hopefully the men picking it up won't.
The most interesting passages are when Perry talks about his own childhood and life experiences, notably as a cross dresser, and how it's given him distance on his own gender. The chapter on clothing was the most novel to me. It's also when he combines a gender and class / economic that the book becomes more thought provoking.
As a whole, however, "The Descent of Man" struck me as preaching to the converted. I may not be the audience for it so I could be wrong, but I somehow doubt that the very men most in need of this book are the ones likely to pick it up. If they did, they might find the arguments a bit light.
Despite its length, it also went around in circles a fair bit. And if you're vaguely familiar with feminism, it's unlikely to uncover new grounds (admittedly I have a degree in it, again I may not be the target audience). So while the message is worthwhile, I can't help but feel a little underwhelmed by what I'm taking away from "The Descent of Man". Hopefully the men picking it up won't.
rubyprior's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
jenpaul13's review against another edition
3.0
Men. It's difficult to easily summarize what it means to be a man as there are many, often conflicting, ideas that come to mind in describing what a man is and how he should behave. Grayson Perry's The Descent of Man self-reflectively looks at masculinity.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
A rather quick text of the current state of affairs of how men are perceived by themselves and by others, it does not mount an attack or turn whiny but instead approaches the concept of masculinity with an aim toward highlighting the role that society inevitably plays in forming an "acceptable" version of masculinity and how that can modify attitudes and behaviors relating to equality.
While there was research presented on the subject of various gendered topics, much of what was presented seemed more personal or anecdotal in nature, which helped to contextualize the points being made into more of a "here's how this manifests and plays a role in your life," but failed to progress a dialogue on the issues regarding masculinity that were initially raised. This was an enjoyable read but didn't present much new material to foster more meaningful discussions to progress thoughts and actions on the subject; rather it offered readers a rehashing of things they likely already knew.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
A rather quick text of the current state of affairs of how men are perceived by themselves and by others, it does not mount an attack or turn whiny but instead approaches the concept of masculinity with an aim toward highlighting the role that society inevitably plays in forming an "acceptable" version of masculinity and how that can modify attitudes and behaviors relating to equality.
While there was research presented on the subject of various gendered topics, much of what was presented seemed more personal or anecdotal in nature, which helped to contextualize the points being made into more of a "here's how this manifests and plays a role in your life," but failed to progress a dialogue on the issues regarding masculinity that were initially raised. This was an enjoyable read but didn't present much new material to foster more meaningful discussions to progress thoughts and actions on the subject; rather it offered readers a rehashing of things they likely already knew.
hecaldwell's review
5.0
Loved this book, an insight to manliness, as a feminist I naturally want equality, this books shows how that can be achieved more easily. It questions masculinity, it’s origins and it’s future
marcosbedbooks's review
3.0
I didn't have anything against this book, however, it is excruciatingly boring. For the 30%-40% of the beginning of the beginning I was really interested in what Grayson Perry had to say, but after that, I lost interest and got bored. This is more of an issue with me rather than a book issue since the fact that I chose to read this during a readathon was a bad decision.
rhargrave's review
5.0
If you are interested in gender and the role that masculinity plays in men’s lives. This is a brilliant, well written book from a man being open, honest and thoughtful
alorena92's review against another edition
3.0
A very light read, although not exactly a page-turner, hence the 3(.5) rating. Nevertheless, I did enjoy the book. The more I think about it, the more I tend to blame masculinity for all that's wrong in the world. A must-read for every man, young parent, or future parent of little boys.
emleemay's review against another edition
3.0
The most pervasive aspect of the Default Man identity is that it masquerades very efficiently as 'normal' - and 'normal' along with 'natural', is a dangerous word, often at the root of hateful prejudice.
Grayson Perry is known mostly for his artwork and transvestism. Here he draws on his own experiences with masculinity and femininity to explore traditional ideas about what it means to be masculine, and challenge those ideas. It's an easy, interesting read, complete with some great artwork.
Where it fails a little is when considering this alongside other books about gender. It works better as a memoir on Perry's growing up and transvestism. [b:The Descent of Man|30118099|The Descent of Man|Grayson Perry|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1483631984s/30118099.jpg|50543140] is very personal - which alternated between being a positive and a negative. His experiences as a boy trying on his mother's dresses and redefining his own personal gender norms were great to read about and kept the pages turning, but what this book adds to the discussion on gender and masculinity is less impressive.
Perry doesn't cite any references, though his ideas have already been brought forward by numerous other writers - most notably, [a:Judith Butler|5231|Judith Butler|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1238028179p2/5231.jpg] in [b:Gender Trouble|85767|Gender Trouble|Judith Butler|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1349037224s/85767.jpg|2249813]. Anyone who has read a little into gender studies already knows what he tells us: that masculinity is a social construct; that the patriarchy and gender binary are damaging to women, men and those who identify as both or neither; that a better world, a better notion of masculinity, would allow men to be weak, vulnerable and emotional.
He sets out with two clear agendas: 1) To expose the social construct of masculinity, and 2) Convince men it is beneficial to them to change the traditional idea of what it means to be "masculine".
He does the first mostly by reiterating the work of other writers. By far his most valuable contribution to the gender discussion is his idea of the "Default Man" - an oblivious creature who doesn't see the detriment to society caused by traditional ideas of gender because they tend to work in his favour. Too bad Perry makes way too many generalizations with this idea without pausing to consider how some might intentionally use it to their own benefit, or simply not care about the harm it does because of their personal beliefs or gains.
Additionally, by his own admission, he wishes to convince these "Default Men" that they should change, and despite showing his own experiences and how a new interpretation of masculinity could benefit him, I don't think he did that. The later chapters of the book lost the initial focus and I felt it lacked a strong conclusion as to how the "Default Man" would benefit from a change. The DM, by his nature, believes in traditional masculinity that shuns male weakness, so offering him the opportunity to be weak feels, itself, like a weak argument.
Also, though he expresses many ideas aligned with feminist ideology, he refers to them as "the feminists", a separate group - it seems - from himself. And though I don’t believe he meant this to be derogatory, his clear desire to distance himself from the word was unfortunate, given the book seems in many ways a feminist one.
Still, a quick and interesting read. I especially liked Perry's acknowledgement of the masculine and feminine traits that can exist alongside one another in anyone. They are not mutually exclusive. In fact, this reminded me of one of my favourite songs: When I Was a Boy by Dar Williams.
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