Raising Cain

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Through moving case studies and cutting-edge research, this “enormously compelling” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) guide from two leading child psychologists explores the societal influences failing our country’s boys and presents a thoughtful path to nurturing a generation of happy, fulfilled young men.

“Brilliant . . . This affectionate, encouraging book should be required reading for anyone raising—or educating—a boy.”—The Washington Post

“Raising Cain gives a long-needed insight into that mysterious, magical land, the psyches of boys. Every parent, teacher—or anyone who wants boys to flourish—should read this book.”—Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence

In Raising Cain, Dan Kindlon, Ph.D., and Michael Thompson, Ph.D., two of the country’s leading child psychologists, share what they have learned in more than thirty-five years of combined experience working with boys and their families. They reveal a nation of boys who are hurting—sad, afraid, angry, and silent. Kindlon and Thompson set out to answer this basic, crucial question: What do boys need that they’re not getting? They illuminate the forces that threaten our boys, teaching them to believe that “cool” equals macho strength and stoicism. Cutting through outdated theories of “mother blame,” “boy biology,” and “testosterone,” the authors shed light on the destructive emotional training our boys receive—the emotional miseducation of boys.

Kindlon and Thompson make a compelling case that emotional literacy is the most valuable gift we can offer our sons, urging parents to recognize the price boys pay when we hold them to an impossible standard of manhood. They identify the social and emotional challenges that boys encounter in school and show how parents can help boys cultivate emotional awareness and empathy—giving them the vital connections and support they need to navigate the social pressures of youth.