★★★★★ 5
Timely and Highly Important Must-Read Book
Format: Hardcover
I had the wonderful opportunity of reading an advanced copy of this book over the past month, and of course also pre-ordered it here on Amazon. I read this book thinking it would be an analysis of the modern attack on masculinity and its impact on men and boys. As a Sociology professor of over 35 years who writes and teaches extensively on marriage and family issues, of course I also (a) try to keep up on new material relevant to my studies, and (b) am in a pretty good position to evaluate the author's handling of the research.
This is so much more than I thought it would be. I never fully appreciated the long-term history and roots of the attack on masculinity until I read this. Pearcy's handing of diverse historical sources from across the ideological spectrum is masterful. I learned new things, and also perhaps even more loved her application of things I already knew to understanding the contemporary dilemma. She also uses incredible analogies. I especially liked comparing what masculinity was created to be and naturally is, versus what it has often been twisted into, to perfectly good software that has been attacked by a virus. We mistake the virus for the software.
I also enjoyed the way she wove her own biography into the beginning and end of the book judiciously.
Her analysis of the contemporary issues in the church, particularly the mishandling of Scripture and of abuse cases by pastors and elders, is valuable. I am very familiar with a church that went through a split over precisely this kind of thing -- elders protecting an elder who had been abusing his wife for years while gaslighting the wife and even family members who affirmed this woman's complaints, treating a problem with the elder as if it was a marital issue with "two sides," and so on. This is a too-familiar story.
I recommend this book without hesitation. I am already personally recommending it to others to buy and read. I will consider making this required reading in my next Family class. And this would be a fantastic choice of a book to do a Sunday School class or church bible study around. The length makes it perfect for a semester of reading, and Pearcy writes incredibly well, free of jargon, beautiful flow.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2023

