Scan barcode
bookph1le's review against another edition
5.0
This was a really eye-opening read. Rosin makes a convincing case for why the social and cultural upheaval that's going on in our society might just be the tip of the iceberg. I think it's really important to consider what it means if women are advancing but men are stationary. This isn't some sort of apologist novel, and Rosin isn't defending male privilege, but she does a good job of proving why we ought to be concerned about how men will fit into the new cultural structure we're creating. There needs to be a cultural revolution not just in the way women's roles in society are viewed, but also the way men's roles are viewed.
heidihaverkamp's review against another edition
4.0
Intriguing. Although this is the type of book where you step back and wonder about the statistics a bit, and if she's taking her point a bit far. But it's an interesting look at the changing roles of men and women in many workplaces, in colleges, in marriage statistics (especially among people without a college degree), etc. She puts some flesh on observations I've had about, and helped me think about them more fully. And she ends on a hopeful note, which is always good.
glitterkitter's review against another edition
2.0
Almost a three, but there were too many issues I had with the research.
I decided to pick up this book because Roxanne Gay mentioned it in Bad Feminist, and she did talk about some of the issues she had with it so I knew I what I was in for a bit.
It was interesting to see a different perspective, but I did feel a lot like she picked specific issues that made women look like they were achieving far more than men, rather than looking at things overall to see the disparity that still occurs. And there's a lot of specific people used as examples, which I normally enjoy in this kind of non-fiction as a way to see the real impact on people, but these were used more as evidence, which ugh, no that's not good evidence.
I felt like it was trying to make me feel sorry for men in the few areas they are falling behind because they're being alienated by women, but the situation came across to me as they didn't know what to do when they weren't given automatic status and actually had to work to compete with the women.
The research itself, I'm pretty skeptical of. From personal experience studying women and crime at a university level, the chapter on that didn't match up with what I'd been learning in class. Out of curiousity, I followed up on one of the references that claimed men made up 40% of the victims of domestic violence. It linked to a powerpoint for a conference (for what seemed a bit like an MRA group) that was badly sourced and was comparing statistics from a variety of places that weren't comparable, or weren't specific enough to what it was claiming, and there were unpublished statistics from pilot studies (which aren't reliable and are unable to be checked up on) and it was a bit of a mess.
Like I said, there some perspectives on things, like women in Pharmacy and economic power and flexibility in the workplace, that was interesting to see, but I'm not sure I can trust it. I'd say it's not worth picking up.
I decided to pick up this book because Roxanne Gay mentioned it in Bad Feminist, and she did talk about some of the issues she had with it so I knew I what I was in for a bit.
It was interesting to see a different perspective, but I did feel a lot like she picked specific issues that made women look like they were achieving far more than men, rather than looking at things overall to see the disparity that still occurs. And there's a lot of specific people used as examples, which I normally enjoy in this kind of non-fiction as a way to see the real impact on people, but these were used more as evidence, which ugh, no that's not good evidence.
I felt like it was trying to make me feel sorry for men in the few areas they are falling behind because they're being alienated by women, but the situation came across to me as they didn't know what to do when they weren't given automatic status and actually had to work to compete with the women.
The research itself, I'm pretty skeptical of. From personal experience studying women and crime at a university level, the chapter on that didn't match up with what I'd been learning in class. Out of curiousity, I followed up on one of the references that claimed men made up 40% of the victims of domestic violence. It linked to a powerpoint for a conference (for what seemed a bit like an MRA group) that was badly sourced and was comparing statistics from a variety of places that weren't comparable, or weren't specific enough to what it was claiming, and there were unpublished statistics from pilot studies (which aren't reliable and are unable to be checked up on) and it was a bit of a mess.
Like I said, there some perspectives on things, like women in Pharmacy and economic power and flexibility in the workplace, that was interesting to see, but I'm not sure I can trust it. I'd say it's not worth picking up.
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
I can never decide if I should let a book's ideas simmer in my brain after I am finished or if I should write my review as soon as I can. Sometimes I like the book better as I think about it and sometimes I lose the thread very quickly.
Short time memory can be a problem as I age. In the case of this book, I might have been better off if I had reviewed it before I returned it to the library. Some of Rosin's ideas are slipping through my brain.
While I was reading this book, I bored my husband with facts and ideas that Rosin was presenting. My husband works at a small liberal arts college, so some of Rosin's concerns were not new to him. The college where he is was all men until about the 1970's and it now has slightly more women than men. The fact that more women go to college than men is one of the things Rosin talks about. However, there are other places where men seem to be disappearing from the landscape.
Rosin writes well and marshals her facts so that her points are reasonable. She documents her statistics which is a big help. I can see why she thinks men are having problems with our present economy and culture.
I don't know what to do with what I have learned, however. At the end of the book, Rosin indicates she is advocating for men, but I didn't see how.
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in cultural and economic trends, to folks to enjoy encountering new ideas and to those readers who like anecdotal stories about how life affects real people.
Short time memory can be a problem as I age. In the case of this book, I might have been better off if I had reviewed it before I returned it to the library. Some of Rosin's ideas are slipping through my brain.
While I was reading this book, I bored my husband with facts and ideas that Rosin was presenting. My husband works at a small liberal arts college, so some of Rosin's concerns were not new to him. The college where he is was all men until about the 1970's and it now has slightly more women than men. The fact that more women go to college than men is one of the things Rosin talks about. However, there are other places where men seem to be disappearing from the landscape.
Rosin writes well and marshals her facts so that her points are reasonable. She documents her statistics which is a big help. I can see why she thinks men are having problems with our present economy and culture.
I don't know what to do with what I have learned, however. At the end of the book, Rosin indicates she is advocating for men, but I didn't see how.
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in cultural and economic trends, to folks to enjoy encountering new ideas and to those readers who like anecdotal stories about how life affects real people.
deeparcher's review against another edition
4.0
She has interesting ideas about this shifting culture and I'm not sure I agree with all of her assertions, but they are definitely fascinating points of discussion.
kaylielongley's review against another edition
3.0
From Orange Is the New Black to my tiny midwestern alma mater, Hanna Rosin is everywhere, and rightfully so. The Atlantic editor and New York Times writer examined and reflected on years of research with fairly profound breadth, all while remaining hopeful and honest in her observations. What once started as a piece for the Atlantic has since transformed into a socioeconomic analysis of the dramatic, and sometimes systemic, shift of women in places of power: namely, professional vocations, in the home, and in relationships.
Rosin’s selected a variety of source materials, such as Korean women and their upward mobility in college and careers. Another chapter focuses on the surge of violence in teen girls and how women kill differently than men. The connections are a bit lose chapter to chapter, but one over-arching theme remains: the world is transitioning. Women are in the position to be more powerful than ever before, as they are more likely to succeed in school and in their jobs, as they learn to balance the plasticity of life, at work, at home, and elsewhere. Yet the world may not be ready for this shift.
Unfortunately, The End of Men has a limited scope, as Rosin often cherry-picks statistics and focuses on heterosexual individuals, ignoring developments and advancements in the LGBTQIA community. She writes little about the wage gap, suggesting it only widens as women are often less aggressive when asking for raises and/or leave for other obligations. The End of Men scratches the surface of how women are changing the cultural, social, and economic landscape, but it’s an easy read, in the hope of sparking debate and dialogue about modern feminism.
Rosin’s selected a variety of source materials, such as Korean women and their upward mobility in college and careers. Another chapter focuses on the surge of violence in teen girls and how women kill differently than men. The connections are a bit lose chapter to chapter, but one over-arching theme remains: the world is transitioning. Women are in the position to be more powerful than ever before, as they are more likely to succeed in school and in their jobs, as they learn to balance the plasticity of life, at work, at home, and elsewhere. Yet the world may not be ready for this shift.
Unfortunately, The End of Men has a limited scope, as Rosin often cherry-picks statistics and focuses on heterosexual individuals, ignoring developments and advancements in the LGBTQIA community. She writes little about the wage gap, suggesting it only widens as women are often less aggressive when asking for raises and/or leave for other obligations. The End of Men scratches the surface of how women are changing the cultural, social, and economic landscape, but it’s an easy read, in the hope of sparking debate and dialogue about modern feminism.
eowyns_helmet's review against another edition
2.0
I recognize and have experienced the shift in American society that Rosin writes about. There is a real question about how we construct our relationships and the role women can select, at any age. I am a divorced, 50-something mother of two who has a wonderful partner and a very fulfilling life (the ex immediately got remarried, as men do very quickly after claiming marriage "isn't right for them"). Truthfully, the marriage wasn't that great for me (career-wise and certainly emotionally, though I have two gorgeous children), and I see no point in the future when my new partner and I will marry. I have an almost visceral rejection of the "obligation" of caring for yet another human, as my children become independent (and the shadow of my mother's and other's care looms). I have to cook more, clean more, entertain more, curtail the "wearing of the comfy pants," etc.
Maybe it is dropping estrogen, but I feel newly empowered to choose -- what do I want -- what works for me? I know men need women more (see above about cooking, cleaning and entertaining). My relationship is not built on economic inequality -- my partner is stable, a great dad, etc. But do I really want to put on the old coat of "marriage," with all that implies? Not that he has brought it up -- but I know that if I said I wanted this, it would happen. I am the one in control (for a long while I ascribed this to the "not head over heels in love" issue, but I think this question goes much deeper).
That said, there is a core of this book which I think is deeply wrong -- sure, women have different skills than men, and perhaps we are more collaborative, intuitive, and can "sit still and focus," as Rosin puts it (5). BUT that is a very dangerous road and one that I am exploring in a YA trilogy I am writing. That doesn't lead to "women are more peaceful, ecofriendly, collaborative, "good." That means they are humans who use a different skill set, but can still end up in an awfully dangerous place. Rosin gets around to this eventually:
So, she cites zero evidence for a "new breed" or murderers (I think this has always been there). But the point is valid -- "traditional" roles has a place in space and time that has changed. So what works now?
Rosin quotes someone who foresaw a dystopia of mass-produced boys that would "lock women into second-class status." (12) My Trilogy has exactly the opposite scenario -- mass-produced girls who have locked men into containments and plan to eliminate them all together.
But there is lots of weird stuff in this book:
1. Feminist progress is largely dependent on hook-up culture" (21) Wha???? Not at Duke, where sexual assault is epidemic and retains the disgusting rot of male privilege and violence.
2. I don't buy that male privilege and abusive porn culture is something women just shrug at -- it is pervasive, determined and shapes what young women think sex looks like (or what they should expect from sex -- anal, cum on face, multiple simultaneous partners, etc.) See Make Love Not Porn .
3. Women may have "hearts of steel" (29) but they are still woefully underrepresented in the echelons of financial and political power Rosin writes about. Is having a heart of steel or an easy way with blow jobs really helping them or is it just another version of subservience?
It's a good topic, but I agree with other readers that too much of it is anecdotal or very superficial. As someone who teaches at one of the universities mentioned (Duke) I am horrified by what my students face (male and female, gay and straight, since the violent assault culture shapes all of their views of college and life). Times are changing but not fast enough; and a female-led society is no guarantee of fairness, sustainability or peace.
Maybe it is dropping estrogen, but I feel newly empowered to choose -- what do I want -- what works for me? I know men need women more (see above about cooking, cleaning and entertaining). My relationship is not built on economic inequality -- my partner is stable, a great dad, etc. But do I really want to put on the old coat of "marriage," with all that implies? Not that he has brought it up -- but I know that if I said I wanted this, it would happen. I am the one in control (for a long while I ascribed this to the "not head over heels in love" issue, but I think this question goes much deeper).
That said, there is a core of this book which I think is deeply wrong -- sure, women have different skills than men, and perhaps we are more collaborative, intuitive, and can "sit still and focus," as Rosin puts it (5). BUT that is a very dangerous road and one that I am exploring in a YA trilogy I am writing. That doesn't lead to "women are more peaceful, ecofriendly, collaborative, "good." That means they are humans who use a different skill set, but can still end up in an awfully dangerous place. Rosin gets around to this eventually:
A more female-dominated society does not necessarily translate into a soft feminine utopia. Women are becoming more aggressive and even violent in ways we once thought were exclusively reserved for men. This drive shows up in a new breed of female murderers, and also in a rising class of young female "killers" on Wall Street. Whether the shift can be attributed to women now being socialized differently, or whether it's simply an artifact of our having misunderstood how women are "hardwired" in the first place, is at this point unanswerable, and makes no difference. ... there is no "natural" order, only the way things are. (10)
So, she cites zero evidence for a "new breed" or murderers (I think this has always been there). But the point is valid -- "traditional" roles has a place in space and time that has changed. So what works now?
Rosin quotes someone who foresaw a dystopia of mass-produced boys that would "lock women into second-class status." (12) My Trilogy has exactly the opposite scenario -- mass-produced girls who have locked men into containments and plan to eliminate them all together.
But there is lots of weird stuff in this book:
1. Feminist progress is largely dependent on hook-up culture" (21) Wha???? Not at Duke, where sexual assault is epidemic and retains the disgusting rot of male privilege and violence.
2. I don't buy that male privilege and abusive porn culture is something women just shrug at -- it is pervasive, determined and shapes what young women think sex looks like (or what they should expect from sex -- anal, cum on face, multiple simultaneous partners, etc.) See Make Love Not Porn .
3. Women may have "hearts of steel" (29) but they are still woefully underrepresented in the echelons of financial and political power Rosin writes about. Is having a heart of steel or an easy way with blow jobs really helping them or is it just another version of subservience?
It's a good topic, but I agree with other readers that too much of it is anecdotal or very superficial. As someone who teaches at one of the universities mentioned (Duke) I am horrified by what my students face (male and female, gay and straight, since the violent assault culture shapes all of their views of college and life). Times are changing but not fast enough; and a female-led society is no guarantee of fairness, sustainability or peace.
kwough's review against another edition
4.0
I love Hanna Rosin's Double X podcast and was one of the early purchasers of her book. i was happy to find that it was written in the same voice and with the same intelligence and style that is characteristic of her Slate show and writing. I thought her chapter "The Top" was the best, and i will certainly be recommending it to our Women's Leadership Academy students. I was also fascinated by the final chapter focusing on Korean women in business, a culture I had not read about prior to this.
gimchi's review against another edition
12/10/13 - yea. not going to happen.
*****
having a hard time w/ this one because of the lack of citations or footnotes. it's all referenced in the back, but it's just driving me crazy making me feel like i need to double check every little thing she's saying.
*****
having a hard time w/ this one because of the lack of citations or footnotes. it's all referenced in the back, but it's just driving me crazy making me feel like i need to double check every little thing she's saying.