Why people recommend it
Of Boys and Men by Richard Reeves is a non-fiction book that explores the modern social, educational, and economic struggles facing boys and men. Chris Williamson brought up Richard Reeves's book on Modern Wisdom to recommend it to David Geary, praising its concise length of around 150 to 200 pages and its focus on structural issues affecting males. Williamson also referenced the book on multiple other episodes, noting a stark statistic he learned from the text regarding male college dropouts during the COVID-19 pandemic, where males dropped out at seven times the rate of females, creating a massive imbalance. Additionally, Williamson discussed the educational and employment outcomes for boys raised by single mothers as outlined in the work. Ezra Klein frequently featured the book on The Ezra Klein Show, using it to frame discussions around how boys and men are falling behind in contemporary society. Klein highlighted that the book presents a counterintuitive and intersectional argument, particularly regarding schooling, race, and the way society codes these conversations without devolving into a simple backlash. Throughout these podcast appearances, hosts and guests analyzed how shifting economic and educational landscapes have uniquely disadvantaged males, using Reeves's research as a central pillar for understanding these widening gender disparities.
Who recommended it
- Chris Williamson Recommended
- Ezra Klein Discussed
Chris Williamson — 6 mentions
“Do you know Richard Reeves? He does the American Institute for Boys and Men policy. I have heard of it. I don't Yeah, he wrote of boys and men.”
“yeah one of the interesting stats I learned from Richard Reeves last year with his book of boys and men was that seven times more males than females dropped out of college during covet and you know you've got this massive Retreat this huge imbalance”
“so first one um Richard Reeves book of boys and men were you familiar with that did you get to read that last year I don't think I I've read that you would it's very short super short read only about 150 200 pages”
“this is in Richard Reeves book of boys and men which came out this year which it sounds like you're familiar with”
“I know that you spoke to Richard Reeves a little while ago yeah and uh Richard was recently on the show and I absolutely adored his approach structural problems for of boys and men”
“disaffected only men that feel like um Society kind of doesn't want to talk to them anymore because they're toxic or they're horrible or they're abusers or they're rapists or you know it's an interesting blend of cultural and structural problems of this guy in the show called Richard Reeves he's written a book called of boys and men and”
Ezra Klein — 4 mentions
“and this is a point you make in the book which I think is a little counterintuitive because there's a way of coding this conversation as an almost backlashing conversation”
“that's the argument of Richard Reeves new book of boys and men”
“so I want to have reads on the show to take a closer look at these numbers”
“and something your book gets at very clearly is that this is very much an intersectional argument”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (4: passing, ad reads, own books)
“that's the argument of Richard Reeves new book of boys and men or maybe I shouldn't say it's the argument”
“would I have written the book if I'd had three daughters or have written a different book as opposed to having three sons”
“and Richard Reeves your book is of boys and men thank you very much”
“and Richard Reeves your book is of boys and men”