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A review by kstep1805
Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys by Michael Thompson, Dan Kindlon
4.0
This is absolutely a book I would recommend to anyone with sons, male students, nephews, boys they coach, anyone who may be a role model to a boy. But I do have a couple criticisms I just want to bring to the attention of potential readers. First, this book should be titled Discovering the Emotional Life of Boys, because it offered very little in terms of practical application. Though I would say, just getting into the heads of boys, especially troubled boys, creates an empathy that is lacking in our culture for boys of all ages. And in my opinion this is a good first step. A second criticism is that, having been written fifteen years ago, it tends to focus solely on the nuclear family despite growing numbers of non-traditional families. This may make it less helpful, I would live to see an updated version with newer studies being reflected.
I often look at boys and men and believe them to be emotionally impenetrable, even as I know this to be false. The authors don't attempt to try to change the world but instead carve out places in the world boys live in to make positive changes in how they grow emotionally. As a woman sometimes it doesn't feel enough but as they explain how we got where we are, these small steps may very well make a huge difference as each generation of men are able to learn to appropriately deal with their feelings. I thought the book held a good balance, at times it may make the most liberal or the most conservative among us flinch, trying to hold boys/men accountable while also creating understanding to move forward.
I often look at boys and men and believe them to be emotionally impenetrable, even as I know this to be false. The authors don't attempt to try to change the world but instead carve out places in the world boys live in to make positive changes in how they grow emotionally. As a woman sometimes it doesn't feel enough but as they explain how we got where we are, these small steps may very well make a huge difference as each generation of men are able to learn to appropriately deal with their feelings. I thought the book held a good balance, at times it may make the most liberal or the most conservative among us flinch, trying to hold boys/men accountable while also creating understanding to move forward.