Why Men Are the Way They Are: The Male-Female Dynamic [Hardcover]

Warren Farrell Ph.D. (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In analyzing the nature and attitudes of men, psychologist-sociologist Farrell (The Liberated Man, etc.) airs women's grievances against men and sets out to explain men to both women and to men themselves. Taking into account that feminism has altered the dynamic between the sexes, Farrell claims that in their relationships both sexes would like to "have it all," but that their realities and fantasies diverge widelyfantasies that, he contends, are exploited by advertising, magazines, romance novels, movies and TV, working at both conscious and unconscious levels. These media intensify men's compulsion to perform in sports, at sex and on the job, often masking deep insecurity and vulnerability, the author maintains. To achieve intimacy and balance in a relationship, he counsels, both men and women must not only share risks but learn to promote growth in the other, rather than nurture deficiencies. Major ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Another book for women about men, this attempt at psychological/sociological exploration generalizes about relations between white, urban, middle-class men and women. Blaming socialization and stereotypic sex roles for the inability of men to relate to women, the author maintains that "only when a woman shares male risks can she really begin to understand men." Farrell uses cartoons, advertisements, personal and fictional anecdotes, references to movies, but few hard facts to substantiate his simplistic hypotheses. Often appealing, occasionally insightful, sometimes misguided, this sincere attempt to deescalate the war between the sexes has relatively little to offer.James E. Van Buskirk, Acad. of Art Coll. Lib., San Francisco
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 403 pages
• Publisher: Mcgraw-Hill; First Edition edition (September 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070199744
• ISBN-13: 978-0070199743
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,386,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Warren Farrell began his research on gender issues in the '60s. His first book, The Liberated Man, was published in 1974. It was from the women's perspective and the feminist perspective. By the '80s, he began noticing that men were feeling misrepresented, and his award-winning national best-seller, Why Men Are The Way They Are, was written to answer women's questions about men in a way that rings true for men. The New York Post calls it "the most important book ever written about love, sex, and intimacy."

By the '90s, Dr. Farrell felt the misunderstandings about men had deepened and become dangerous to the survival of families and love. He confronted the misunderstandings head-on with the award-winning The Myth of Male Power, a book the The Library Journal ranked as "better than Robert Bly's Iron John or any of Betty Freidan's works." (His books are published in over 50 countries in 15 languages.)

By the turn of the century Dr. Farrell wanted to provide the sexes with the tools to communicate-- in particular to hear personal criticism from a loved one, especially when given badly. That was the take-off point for Women Can't Hear What Men Don't Say, a selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club. By 2001 Dr. Farrell completed research he had been working on for 13 years on the conditions under which children of divorce are most likely to be raised successfully. That book, Father and Child Reunion, has renewed the commitment of many dads to be with their children, and its research has helped judges understand the importance of dads.

Dr. Farrell's most recent research is published as Why Men Earn More: The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap -- and What Women Can Do About It. It documents the 25 differences between men and women's work-life decisions. It was chosen by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top four "great career books to be read in 2006."

Warren has appeared on over 1000 TV and radio shows, and been interviewed frequently by Oprah and Barbara, and by Larry King and Peter Jennings. He has been featured repeatedly on 20/20 and in The New York Times, in People and on Real People, in men's journals and The Wall Street Journal, and on the Today Show, the Tomorrow Show, and even To Tell The Truth.

Warren Farrell's understanding of both sexes is symbolized by his being, on the one hand, on the boards of four national men's organizations, and on the other hand, being the only man in the US to be elected three times to the Board of Directors of the National Organization for Women in New York City. Similarly, he has started over 600 men's and women's groups, and over 200,000 women and men have attended his workshops worldwide. He is the only person chosen to speak at both of former California Governor Wilson's 1995 conferences - his Conference on Men and his Conference on Women.

President Johnson chose Dr. Farrell as one of the outstanding young educators in the United States. (The man's been around for awhile!) He has taught political science, psychology, women's studies and sociology, and most recently taught at the School of Medicine at the University of California at San Diego. Dr. Farrell has been chosen by the International Biographic Centre of London as one of the World's 2000 Outstanding Scholars of the 20th Century and, in quite a different take, chosen by the Financial Times as one of the worlds top 100 Thought Leaders. He has also been selected by the Center for World Spirituality as one of the world's spiritual leaders.

Dr. Farrell is in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World, but his best moments are at home. He has two daughters and lives with his wife in Mill Valley, California, and virtually at www.warrenfarrell.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, November 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Why Men Are the Way They Are: The Male-Female Dynamic (Hardcover)

Astute, empathetic observations from a former board member of NOW who has observed women's liberation and seen men's issues go unrecognized.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why Men Are The Way They Are, January 6, 2012

By 

Leigh Colby - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Why Men Are the Way They Are: The Male-Female Dynamic (Hardcover)

This is the most 'to the point' and honest book on the dating game ever written. Men and women have a hard time with it because it spot-on how men treat women as sex objects...but that wome reciprocate and treat men as success objects. The first 100 pages are must reading and will have you laughing...but mostly at yourself. Leigh