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2.41 AVERAGE
2.41 AVERAGE
I may have given this a higher rating if I hadn't already read so many sociological/political type books. But I have, and Kathleen Parker repeats a great many of the arguments and research I have already read in other books. She organizes it all in the direction of one premise: our culture need to focus on "saving the males" by revising the reversed double-standard that has arisen in the wake of feminism, approaching the education of boys differently than the education of girls, treating men with less hostility and presumption of guilt, depicting men more positively in media, and civilizing men better by encouraging women to raise their expectations and revise their own behaviors.
I more or less agree with her arguments, although I think she sometimes overstates her case. The advantage of Save the Males over most sociological/political books I have read is that the author is quite humorous, and this makes the book entertaining. (There are occasions, however, when I think perhaps she approaches serious topics with a little too much levity, so that her remarks border on the offensive, but most of the time she made me laugh.) The humor seems to abate about half way through the book, so that the second half is not nearly as amusing as the first.
If you've never read a book about the disadvantages of being male in a post-feminist culture, or if you've never read a book that suggests that the affects of feminism were not 100% positive for women, this is probably a good place to start. If you've read plenty on the subject, it might still at least be amusing, but you won't learn anything new or discover any original arguments.
Two quotes to give you a taste of her style:
"Women have done great things, no doubt. Radium! Madame Cure, you rule! But when it comes to the kinds of inventions and events that dot history's timeline, men deserve most of the credit….Martha Washington was a great woman, to be sure, but she did not, in fact, lead the American Revolution….We have to try to deal with that."
"For those of you who skipped their women's studies classes, first-wave feminism got women the vote; second-wave got them employed and divorced; third-wave is busy making them porn stars. More or less."
I more or less agree with her arguments, although I think she sometimes overstates her case. The advantage of Save the Males over most sociological/political books I have read is that the author is quite humorous, and this makes the book entertaining. (There are occasions, however, when I think perhaps she approaches serious topics with a little too much levity, so that her remarks border on the offensive, but most of the time she made me laugh.) The humor seems to abate about half way through the book, so that the second half is not nearly as amusing as the first.
If you've never read a book about the disadvantages of being male in a post-feminist culture, or if you've never read a book that suggests that the affects of feminism were not 100% positive for women, this is probably a good place to start. If you've read plenty on the subject, it might still at least be amusing, but you won't learn anything new or discover any original arguments.
Two quotes to give you a taste of her style:
"Women have done great things, no doubt. Radium! Madame Cure, you rule! But when it comes to the kinds of inventions and events that dot history's timeline, men deserve most of the credit….Martha Washington was a great woman, to be sure, but she did not, in fact, lead the American Revolution….We have to try to deal with that."
"For those of you who skipped their women's studies classes, first-wave feminism got women the vote; second-wave got them employed and divorced; third-wave is busy making them porn stars. More or less."
An irritating morass of cliches and dubious claims. I fully believe men matter, but this book is irrelevant.
I agree with the premise, but her arguments and execution weaken any support that might already exist for it. Disappointed.
An irritating morass of cliches and dubious claims. I fully believe men matter, but this book is irrelevant.
The author may have had some good points, but she did a poor job of trying to convince a skeptic. It felt like the book was written solely for those who already agreed with her that feminists have ruined this country, not actually written to prove her point.
Five stars for content, but only three for execution.