boy book endorsement

For anyone who has a son, a husband, a boyfriend, brother or a dad, I want to recommend a book I'm currently reading. It's called The Wonder of Boys, by Michael Gurian. Lightbulbs are going off in my mind in every chapter. It's actually making sense of these rambunctious creatures I share my home with!

Since I haven't finished it yet, I'll just briefly sum up what I've learned so far:

Boys and men are "wired" differently. The male brain is actually structurally different from the female brain. It affects everything from how they communicate to how they process their emotions. Their behavior is not taught. It's innate. They are naturally more aggressive because way back in the old days, the survival of their civilizations depended on their ability to be hunters and warriors. In most cultures around the world, manhood and masculinity is celebrated and honored. Ours is the only one that has tried to say that boys are socialized to be the way they are and to say that they need to change their ways. It will never happen because it is biology, not socialization that drives their behavior. We need to recognize that fact and instead of trying to change them, strive to "guide boy culture to its best fruition."

"Once we remove our parental, mentorial, political and educational energy from changing boys, and put it back where it belongs- on helping boys be boys- we will be directing them, supervising them, structuring their lives, disciplining their energies, and loving their society and culture in the ways it needs."

Reading just the first few chapters has given me new insight into how my husband and sons tick and I think it will benefit us all. I need all the information I can get!