Boys & Sex
Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent, and Navigating the New Masculinity
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4.2 • 39 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Now in paperback—Peggy Orenstein, author of the groundbreaking New York Times bestseller Girls & Sex, turns her focus to the sexual lives of young men. “Eye-opening…. Every few pages, the boy world cracks open a little bit…. Even in the most anxiety-provoking moments of Boys & Sex, it’s clear that Orenstein believes in the goodness of boys and the men they can become, and she believes in us, as parents, to raise them” (New York Times Book Review).
Peggy Orenstein’s Girls & Sex broke ground, shattered taboos, and launched conversations about young women’s right to pleasure and agency in sexual encounters. It also had an unexpected effect on its author: Orenstein realized that talking about girls is only half the conversation. Boys are subject to the same cultural forces as girls—steeped in the same distorted media images and binary stereotypes of female sexiness and toxic masculinity—which equally affect how they navigate sexual and emotional relationships. In Boys & Sex, Peggy Orenstein dives back into the lives of young people to once again give voice to the unspoken, revealing how young men understand and negotiate the new rules of physical and emotional intimacy.
Drawing on comprehensive interviews with young men, psychologists, academics, and experts in the field, Boys & Sex dissects so-called locker room talk; how the word “hilarious” robs boys of empathy; pornography as the new sex education; boys’ understanding of hookup culture and consent; and their experience as both victims and perpetrators of sexual violence. By surfacing young men’s experience in all its complexity, Orenstein is able to unravel the hidden truths, hard lessons, and important realities of young male sexuality in today’s world. The result is a provocative and paradigm-shifting work that offers a much-needed vision of how boys can truly move forward as better men.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
New York Times journalist Peggy Orenstein takes a close look at how young men navigate masculinity, emotional intimacy, and sex in the era of Snapchat, #MeToo, and easily accessible pornography. Orenstein—who explored similar topics in 2016’s Girls & Sex—interviewed over 100 teen and college-age boys all across the U.S. to unearth candid insights into their sexual experiences and attitudes. Her conversations with psychologists and sociologists provide context for her discoveries. Her book is an engaging and insightful read that speaks to both parents and young people.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Journalist Orenstein (Girls & Sex) talks with high school and college-age boys and men about sex in this candid and fascinating portrait of young American masculinity. Conducting more than 100 interviews with males ages 16 22 throughout America, Orenstein shares a narrative of "toxic masculinity" exemplified by emotional suppression, casual homophobia, and bragging about sexual conquests and unveils a "historically unprecedented" availability and habitual watching of porn, with boys beginning to watch it as early as sixth grade. The damaging effects of this trend are reflected in misconceptions about women, and also result in boys who are unprepared for real-life relationships. Orenstein's scope is wide, as she delves into the lives of gay and transgender boys and men and interviews young black men at predominantly white schools who stringently follow the rules of "consent," wary of severe punishment for any hint of improper behavior. Among other conclusions, the author demands that parents "get over it" and talk openly with their kids about sex and intimacy. The #MeToo movement, she asserts, is not only a chance for girls to expose sexual misconduct, but also an opportunity to raise boys up to be compassionate, responsible men. Expertly written and sometimes disturbing, but always informative, Orenstein's latest is a valuable reference for parents of teenage boys and young men.
