Swagger: 10 Urgent Rules for Raising Boys in an Era of Failing Schools, Mass Joblessness, and Thug Culture [Hardcover]

Lisa Bloom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2012

From Swagger:  "At this very moment, through no fault of their own, our boys are caught in the vortex of four powerful, insidious, often invisible forces which conspire to rob them of their future." We medicate, discipline, suspend and expel our boys from school at quadruple the rate of girls. We let double the number of boys drop out of high school than girls, and of those boys who do graduate, they are far more likely than their sisters to be illiterate, to fail to go to college, or to drop out of college if they do go.  Young American men are unemployed at the rate of their counterparts in Arab Spring countries.  Pop culture hammers our boys with the message that manhood equals emotional numbness, gun violence, rape, and drug use.  And we incarcerate more of our boys and men than any other country on earth, now or in human history.

 

SWAGGER is a wakeup call for parents about the real world our boys inhabit right now, but it offers solutions as well. From how to teach your boy humility (the swagger anti-venom), to "making your home a reading mecca," creating an expectation of college graduation, and how to teach your boy to be critical of the media onslaught in his life, this book is also packed with research-proven, parent-tested, teacher-approved practical solutions, delivered in the author's trademark no-nonsense, often humorous, take-charge voice.

Advance Praise for Swagger:

"A comprehensive and engaging piece of work. A must-read for today's parents." --Dr. Drew Pinsky

"Lisa Bloom always gives it to us straight. Swagger shows parents exactly how to keep their sons on the right track when the world our boys now inhabit so often lures them in the wrong direction. Packed with smart parenting tips that you can start using today, Swagger is both a passionate wake up call and a very useful handbook."  --DR. PHIL, television host and New York Times bestselling author

"As girls surpass boys in schools and universities around the country, this book could not come at a

better time. Lisa has long been a great attorney and with Swagger she is now a passionate advocate

for our boys."  --Dan Abrams, ABC News Legal Analyst and author of Man Down

"As the father of three sons (and sixdaughters), I am profoundly grateful to my friend Lisa Bloom for this timely and important wake up call. Every parent and anyone who cares about the next generation of boys should read this book, today!" --Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, New York Times bestselling author of 10 Conversations You Need to Have with Your Children

Editorial Reviews

Review

 "Swagger is essential guidance for any parent of boys. It's brutally honest, meticulously researched, and boldly impassioned. It reveals a truth that is hiding in plain sight all around us, calling for our wisdom and commitment and love. I couldn't put it down."-- Marianne Williamson, New York Times bestselling author of A Return to Love

“Lisa Bloom is a woman of brilliance, boldness, and beauty. One of the smartest and most erudite people in the American popular culture, you debate her on TV at your own risk. In her new book, Lisa deals with one of our nation's most pressing subjects: the need for women to use, and be appreciated for, their minds.  As the father of six daughters, I am immensely grateful to Lisa for this outstanding and riveting contribution.” --Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, New York Times bestselling author of 10 Conversations You Need to Have with Your Children

"SWAGGER empowers parents and anyone who cares about boys to get real about the culture we live in, and gives us the tools to do right by our sons." --Examiner.com

From the Inside Flap

 "There is a great deal we as parents can do at little or no cost to give our boys the advantages they need right now to jack up their odds of finishing high school, going to college, and leading a decent, free life in which they can not only support a family but also contribute to their communities. Because parenting can't wait. Our boys are growing up now, in conditions they did not create, and they deserve more than an adulthood defined by illiteracy, poverty, and reporting to a parole officer. Swagger will show you how." 
--From the Introduction 
IN HER FRESH and frank New York Times best-seller, THINK, Lisa Bloom issued a wake-up call to women all across the country, challenging them to push back against tabloid media and the beauty industry, and to reclaim their brains. Now, in her thought-provoking follow-up, Swagger, she turns her focus to her male counterparts, with a startling look at boys and the culture in which they are growing up, asking: 
* Why is your son struggling in school? 
* Why can't teenage boys find jobs? 
* How do our media get away with messages that being a man means being a thug? 
* Why are our prisons overflowing with young men? 
* And most importantly: how can we protect our boys, and give them the bright future they deserve? 
Acclaimed author, passionate advocate, TV host, attorney, and mother Lisa Bloom answers these questions -- and many more -- in her trademark hard-hitting, no-nonsense style. Swagger is a call to action for parents -- and anyone who cares about boys -- going in depth to reveal the forces aligned against our sons, then offering ten practical, inexpensive, proven solutions for raising healthy sons, starting today.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Vantage Point (May 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1936467690
• ISBN-13: 978-1936467693
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #394,657 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lisa Bloom is an award-winning journalist, legal analyst, trial attorney, and the daughter of renowned women's rights attorney, Gloria Allred.

A daily fixture on American television for the last decade, Lisa appears regularly on CBS, CNN, HLN and MSNBC shows such as Dr. Phil, Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell, Dr. Drew, Anderson Cooper 360, Politics Nation and The Situation Room. She has been featured on Oprah, Nightline, Today, Good Morning America, Rachael Ray, and many more, and she was a nightly panelist on The Insider throughout 2010. From 2001-2009, Lisa hosted her own daily, live, national show on Court TV, and she has guest-hosted Larry King Live, The Early Show, and Showbiz Tonight.

Lisa has written numerous popular and scholarly articles for the Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, the National Law Journal, CNN.com, the Daily Beast, and many more. She has also been profiled, featured, and quoted in hundreds of publications, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, Elle, Ladies' Home Journal, California Lawyer, Vegetarian Times, and Variety.

Lisa graduated early and Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA, where she was national college debate champion, and then from the Yale Law School, where she won the moot court competition. She currently lives in Los Angeles where she runs her law firm, The Bloom Firm. TheWrap.com recently named her one of the top five celebrity attorneys in Los Angeles.

Lisa's first book, the New York Times bestseller Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World, was voted one of the top ten best nonfiction books of 2011 by the readers of Goodreads.com. Lisa has spoken to groups all over the world about the decline in American media and education, the negative influence of the beauty industry, the dumbing down of America, and how to reclaim our brains from our anti-intellectual culture.

A passionate vegan and animal rights activist, Lisa is a frequent world traveler. She lives in Los Angeles with her fiance and two rescue dogs.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Wow, this books should be read by everyone!! May 2, 2012

By ndiva ndiva

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Saw her for the first time on Dr. Phil, today and bought the Kindle edition. I was floored. I had reasd "Boys Adrift" By Leonard Sax a few years ago, and this hit the same bell. Something is wrong with our boys/men. Sax listed several factors and did a better job in that area. Bloom excels in looking at the social/psychological/economics impact these trens lead to. This shoulsd be required reading for every politician, teacher and parent.

20 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for men who want to raise boys to be men! May 3, 2012

By In Vino Veritas

Format:Hardcover

After reading THINK, I was excited (as a father of two girls, and two boys), to get a hold of this book. I was amazed at the fact that, although I feel I am a good father, I am missing the opportunity in a lot of ways to educate my sons on the RIGHT things in life. I think every father should read this book, as it can be used much like a road map to raising a boy to grow to be a man...not a felon!

64 of 90 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Falls Short May 9, 2012

By Splorer

Format:Hardcover

I had high hopes for this book, perhaps too high. I applaud Ms. Bloom for helping sound the alarm. As often happens, we can agree on the problem. It's the solutions where we fall apart. I did not expect to see what amounts to Democratic Party talking points (pay teachers more, spend more on schools, stop "putting" so many people in jail). I could take apart each of these but I will hold off on that for now.

The book is not well-sourced. Secondary and tertiary sources were used when primary sources could be easily accessed. A campaign speech by a politician (in this instance Barack Obama) should never be used to validate a point about adult literacy. There is real research to support the point Ms. Bloom was attempting to make.

For some, Ms. Bloom's book will be a wake-up call. For those who are already aware of the problems, it will be consolation that others are taking notice. As more and more people face up to the problems, perhaps then we can begin to work toward solutions that will affect change.

At some point, we will realize that the federal government is not the answer. In fact, government cannot affect cultural change. The answer lies closer to the problem. Immediate families, extended families, local charities, local schools, local faith institutions, local citizens who want to see things change.

I expected more than a political piece. Sadly, it seems that some people cannot discuss issues without it.