Our Boys Speak: Adolescent Boys Write About Their Inner Lives (Paperback)

by John Nikkah (Author), Leah Furman (Author) "MANY OF YOU are going to be shocked by what I'm about to say, just because it is an extremely uncommon sentiment, but here it..." (more)
Key Phrases: tock counts, New York, New Jersey, Eddy Seawell (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Just eight years out of high school, clinical psychology graduate student Nikkah knew from personal experience the falsehood of the clich? that young boys who do not willingly talk about themselves have very little going on in their minds and their lives. So he contacted 5000 schools across the country, asking boys to write down their thoughts and experiences, in poems, stories or autobiographical essays. He presents the results of his search in thematic chapters: "Sharing a Room" deals with siblings; "School Ties" concerns peer pressure and cliques; "Song of Sorrow" addresses depression; and "Toy Soldiers" looks at school violence. Nikkah opens each chapter with an essay in which he compares his own experiences to those of the young men who sent him their writings. Intriguingly, his subjects' pieces display both a silent adolescent maturity and the sort of vulnerability that can lurk beneath manly bravado. Felix Flores bares his grief at losing a friend; Chris Chambers-Jupo recalls hearing his best male friend admit that he'd been raped eight years earlier. Boys looking for a perfect romantic love confess to the heartbreak of being "dumped." And many contributors admit that they require a good cry from time to time. On display are boys who pay attention to and learn from their experiences. Not a how-to guide for raising adolescent boys, this is instead an extremely revealing look at the mind and matter of young men. Agent, Giles Anderson. (Aug.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Teenage boys find their voice in this collection of writings on socially relevant issues ranging from sex and sports to premature death, teenage "angst," and drug/alcohol use. The author, a graduate student in clinical psychology (New Sch. for Social Research), chose a sample from 600 responses to 5000 letters he wrote asking for submissions. Each chapter begins with the author's recollections of a topic, which slide seamlessly into the boys' own prose and poetry. The selections are fairly short, predictably uneven in quality, and skewed to the middle-class experience. However, most suggest a wider emotional range and depth than is typically ascribed to young men barely out of their "wonder years." Though not as policy-oriented or authoritative as James Garbarino's Lost Boys: Why Our Sons Turn Violent and How We Can Save Them (Free Pr., 1999), this book could be valuable in public and school libraries for stimulating discussion among teenage boys as well as a tool for understanding the mindset of this demographic group, which has been responsible for remarkable acts of violence in recent years.DAntoinette Brinkman, SW Indiana Mental Health Ctr. Lib., Evansville
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (June 12, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312262809
• ISBN-13: 978-0312262808
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #381,883 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for parents, June 10, 2000

By A Customer

As a father to two teenage boys, I got this book to help me understand them. And it did. I read the book in less than a week and was very moved by the letters I read. It also helped open up communication with my kids. I gave it to them after I read and we talked about it afterward. I strongly recommend it to parents.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Read, June 13, 2000

By A Customer

This was incredibly pentetrating look into the minds and soul of young men. Putting this book down was almost impossible. Reading it, I was on the verge of tears many times. This book really shed light on what growing up must feel like in this day and age. I have to say that my heart goes out to all of the boys featured in the book. I applaud the young men for having the courage to speak out.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, May 17, 2000

By A Customer

A refreshing alternative to the oft-sloppy, pop-psychological scrutiny our country's young men have been subject to in the past few years.