Cool Pose: The Dilemmas of Black Manhood in America [Hardcover]

Richard Majors (Author), Janet Mancini Billson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1992 | ISBN-10: 0669245232 | ISBN-13: 978-0669245233 | Edition: First Printing

Describes how black males have adopted and elaborated a style and attitude this text terms "cool pose", as a way of surviving in their restrictive society. This strategic style tips society's imbalanced scales in their favour, invigorating a life that would otherwise be degrading and empty.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass Inc Pub; First Printing edition (June 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0669245232
• ISBN-13: 978-0669245233
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,027,891 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Really Good Book, May 22, 2001

By 

L. Jackson "Veracity" (Oak Park,MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cool Pose : The Dilemmas of Black Manhood in America (Paperback)

Cool Pose is an excellent book. It addresses the word "cool" and how it plays a major part in the mind of afro-american men. I commend the authors for dealing with the issue of coolness because it is a term that has great relevance in the minds of young afro-american men( unfortunately older men too), yet no one has discussed it in great depth. Read this book...and it discusses other topics as well.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Annotation & From the Publisher, September 28, 2005

By 

Earl R. Sutton "earlsutton" (Detroit, MI, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cool Pose : The Dilemmas of Black Manhood in America (Paperback)

ANNOTATION

"Behind the mask of 'cool'--a clear-eyed look at how African American inner-city youths defend themselves against the indignities, inequities, and injuries of ghetto life--a pose that leads to the real alienation of these young men from both the white world and their own communities."--courtesy of Barnes & Noble

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Black men learned long ago that the classic American virtues of thrift, preserverance, and hard work did not give them the same tangible rewards that accured to white men. Yet they have defined manhood in similar terms: breadwinner, provider, procreator, protector. Without the means to adequately fulfill these roles, many have become frustrated, impatient, angry, embittered, and alienated.

"To combat these feelings of oppression, black males have adopted a 'cool pose.' This ritualized expression of masculinity, involving behaviour, speech, and physical and emotional posturing, suggests distance, irony, and superiority over outsiders, and delivers to others a clear message of strength and control. Unfortunately, this strategic style has created a chasm between black males who adopt it, and women and other men in their communities. By acting detached calm, fearless, aloof, and tough, they shield themselves from intimate, committed, and caring relationships."--courtesy of Barnes & Noble

1 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Ridiculous and Narrowminded view of the Black Race, May 14, 2006

By 

steVando (Atlanta) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cool Pose : The Dilemmas of Black Manhood in America (Paperback)

These authors must not be Black themselves nor had any real experience with any when they wrote their book. It is more of a lacking doctoral dissertation that sadly got out to the public. I do admit there was a point or two that made sense and I realized something more about black males, and this is why I rate it a 2. Otherwise, do not waste your time. Read Darwin's Athletes or Losing the Race if you really want it told like it is by real social scientist and academia.