A review by alienor
The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden
1.0
"[men and boys] may conquer different worlds when they grow up, but they'll still want these stories for themselves and for their sons." ← The fuck?
What I fail to understand is this : Why in the world this book is aimed at boys?
It's by no means a real review because I only skimmed it, and I'm not sure I'll come back to it. Therefore I can't judge if the historical/scientific facts are accurate or not. I'm not saying that all that we find in it isn't interesting for children. That's not the point here.
Call me crazy. Call me delusional. Call me stupid, while you're at it.
But.
To me this kind of book is sexism in disguise. Why? Because it perpetuates the stereotypes which say that science, history, adventure is for boys and for boys only (and their dads). The fact is, I work with children every day and I'm sick of it. Sick to see boys don't dare to play with a doll because they are mocked. Sick to see girls don't dare to say that they love science because that's not for them.
Of course the advices they give to boys about girls are kind. Of course. They say that boys have to treat girls with respect. But they remain so fucking patronizing, I'm drowning in it.
"By this, we do not mean the physical differences, more the fact that they remain unimpressed by your mastery of game involving wizards, or your understanding of Morse Code."
YOU DON'T SAY?!
Finally, my bit of advice for boys who read this : They're explaining that if a boy sees a girl who is in need of help to lift something, he has to do this : "Approach the object and greet her with a cheerful smile, whilst surreptitiously testing the weight of the object. If you find you can lift it, go ahead. If you can't, try sitting on it and engaging her in conversation." ← Don't do that. That's stupid. I won't FORGET my box if you sit on it. WTF?!
What I fail to understand is this : Why in the world this book is aimed at boys?
It's by no means a real review because I only skimmed it, and I'm not sure I'll come back to it. Therefore I can't judge if the historical/scientific facts are accurate or not. I'm not saying that all that we find in it isn't interesting for children. That's not the point here.
Call me crazy. Call me delusional. Call me stupid, while you're at it.
But.
To me this kind of book is sexism in disguise. Why? Because it perpetuates the stereotypes which say that science, history, adventure is for boys and for boys only (and their dads). The fact is, I work with children every day and I'm sick of it. Sick to see boys don't dare to play with a doll because they are mocked. Sick to see girls don't dare to say that they love science because that's not for them.
Of course the advices they give to boys about girls are kind. Of course. They say that boys have to treat girls with respect. But they remain so fucking patronizing, I'm drowning in it.
"By this, we do not mean the physical differences, more the fact that they remain unimpressed by your mastery of game involving wizards, or your understanding of Morse Code."
YOU DON'T SAY?!
Finally, my bit of advice for boys who read this : They're explaining that if a boy sees a girl who is in need of help to lift something, he has to do this : "Approach the object and greet her with a cheerful smile, whilst surreptitiously testing the weight of the object. If you find you can lift it, go ahead. If you can't, try sitting on it and engaging her in conversation." ← Don't do that. That's stupid. I won't FORGET my box if you sit on it. WTF?!