$20.02 with 46 percent savings

List Price: $36.99

No Import Charges & $10.93 Shipping to Germany Details

$10.93 delivery

Temporarily out of stock.
Order now and we'll deliver when available. Details

Want it faster? The Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app.

$$20.02 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

FREE 30-day refund/replacement

Payment

Secure transaction

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

$15.47

FREE International Returns

Solid copy with some shelf, wear and/ or markings scattered throughout Solid copy with some shelf, wear and/ or markings scattered throughout See less

Delivery Wednesday, October 22. Order within 5 hrs 39 mins

Or fastest delivery Thursday, October 16

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

$$20.02 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Sold by MichaelMarotha and Fulfilled by Amazon.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (7) from $15.47

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Color:

To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

Roy F. Baumeister

Follow

Is There Anything Good About Men?: How Cultures Flourish by Exploiting Men 1st Edition

by Roy F. Baumeister (Author)

141 ratings

See all formats and editions

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$20.02","priceAmount":20.02,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"20","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"02","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"rg6eberBE5NfbRJvSMJII6nihytaNaHs75PdmoDTR5aWQIszorXPNEPfzReCaPLHK1EfpVuLp%2B6FnK%2FjfYwHhd4Zhv%2FOwxSBDD92SmvzL9VsnsahJMbdAzBwhUeCzIwjJ9urJmGyxKk%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$15.47","priceAmount":15.47,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"15","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"47","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"rg6eberBE5NfbRJvSMJII6nihytaNaHseYEvAeSLz2k8nYA59ll7s2XBE6qp6rvuxb2xJE5Gd6u1Z2mf4MuahI5D99DiXUvkcSvGbtOfomWaAydxoMAhyZG%2B9tjvMQnnfSG8CMBn76CLa77a%2FTZ%2FOVG%2FwhmpDevS9JQL3WFChgHnIIK7X1xmSjCBRZ78Famq","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Have men really been engaged in a centuries-old conspiracy to exploit and oppress women? Have the essential differences between men and women really been erased? Have men now become unnecessary? Are they good for anything at all?

In Is There Anything Good About Men?, Roy Baumeister offers provocative answers to these and many other questions about the current state of manhood in America. Baumeister argues that relations between men and women are now and have always been more cooperative than antagonistic, that men and women are different in basic ways, and that successful cultures capitalize on these differences to outperform rival cultures. Amongst our ancestors---as with many other species--only the alpha males were able to reproduce, leading them to take more risks and to exhibit more aggressive and protective behaviors than women, whose evolutionary strategies required a different set of behaviors. Whereas women favor and excel at one-to-one intimate relationships, men compete with one another and build larger organizations and social networks from which culture grows. But cultures in turn exploit men by insisting that their role is to achieve and produce, to provide for others, and if necessary to sacrifice themselves. Baumeister shows that while men have greatly benefited from the culture they have created, they have also suffered because of it. Men may dominate the upper echelons of business and politics, but far more men than women die in work-related accidents, are incarcerated, or are killed in battle--facts nearly always left out of current gender debates.

Engagingly written, brilliantly argued, and based on evidence from a wide range of disciplines, Is There Anything Good About Men? offers a new and far more balanced view of gender relations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Baumeister] does make the fascinating point that men operate at the extremes, socially and biologically." --Bitch

'Male readers may find some solace in Roy F. Baumeister's "Is There Anything Good About Men?" Mr. Baumeister is less concerned about the wimpification of modern man than about the degree to which men have been historically "exploited." The very cultures that men have built, he says, have considered males more expendable than women... But men, Mr. Baumeister says, are often taken for granted and denigrated as the bane of female existence, with some gender activist insisting that women would be better off without them. In a feisty rejoinder, Mr. Baumeister says that "'if women really would have been happier without men, they would have set up shop on their own long ago."
--Dave Shiflett, Wall Street Journal

"Read this if you're open to a thought-provoking take on so-called battle of the sexes. Packed with counterintuitive but convincing points, the book will reshape how you think about sexism, feminism, and gender differences." Andrea Bartz, Psychology Todayl

"There are some interesting arguments concerning marriage, procreation, and the creation of culture that students and professionals in the field of evolutionary psychology probably
would be interested in discussing further." -- Elin Weiss, Sex Roles

Book Description

A refreshing new look at gender suggests that there are good things about men and that cultures exploit those qualities for the benefit of all

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 12, 2010
Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 019537410X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195374100
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1.2 x 6.4 x 9.3 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #1,151,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #405 in Men's Gender Studies
- #1,197 in General Gender Studies
- #2,174 in Popular Social Psychology & Interactions
Customer Reviews:
141 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Roy F. Baumeister

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

Related books

Page 1 of 1Start Over

Customer reviews

141 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Customers say

Customers find the book well-written and easy to read, with excellent insights and a compelling narrative. They appreciate its gender perspective, with one customer noting it provides an evidence-based analysis of men. The book receives positive feedback for its readability and thought-provoking content, with one customer describing it as a fascinating journey into the world of men. The morality aspect receives mixed reactions from customers.

Select to learn more

Scholarly content Readability Gender perspective Writing style Ease of read Narrative quality Thought provoking Morality

16 customers mention "Scholarly content"14 positive2 negative

Customers appreciate the scholarly content of the book, praising its excellent insights and interesting material, with one customer noting its thorough analysis of research.

"This was one of the most interesting and insightful books I've ever read...." Read more

"...role the play in our society, with positions that are backed up by a great deal of research, done both by the author and others...." Read more

"...I must say I learned a lot about men and the information was helpful in understanding men in general...." Read more

"...However, this is not a book which is anti-female, if anything, it cleverly explains that we need both genders, and that we both serve different..." Read more

13 customers mention "Readability"12 positive1 negative

Customers find the book compelling and interesting, with one mentioning it's a must-read for young people.

"This was one of the most interesting and insightful books I've ever read...." Read more

"...Another enthralling section and another topic I don't remember previously encountering involves ancestry and starts with a deceptively simple..." Read more

"It is wonderful to read books which open radically new ideas about matters which concern everybody, both men and women...." Read more

"...Well worth a read." Read more

6 customers mention "Gender perspective"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's approach to gender dynamics, with one customer highlighting its evidence-based analysis and another noting its optimistic message for both men and women.

"...This book is an incisive, extended essay about gender differences and the role the play in our society, with positions that are backed up by a..." Read more

"This book is possibly one of the most important for men (and women) in the last 50 years of the so-called gender debate...." Read more

"...His views of masculinity and the social dynamics of gender views are objective and grounded...." Read more

"Unbelievably, amazingly good. He manages to talk about gender dynamics in America in such a thoughtful way that even the most ideologically opposed..." Read more

5 customers mention "Writing style"4 positive1 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as well written, with one customer noting it is a critical piece of writing on gender issues.

"...Baumeister is an exceptionally talented social psychologist and writer, and this book is one of his best...." Read more

"This well written, documented essay discusses the current view held by many that female humans are being subjugated and held back by male domination...." Read more

"Written in a light, entertaining style, this book analyzes the different contributions of men and women to culture and the advancement of..." Read more

"...Also, the writing style is condescending, and you get the impression that the book is written either for teenagers or mentally retarded people." Read more

4 customers mention "Ease of read"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read.

"...I couldn't agree more. And then we add to that a clear, simple and accessible style that made this a very easy, pleasant read...." Read more

"...It is a fascinating and easy to follow reveal of the misunderstandings and thinking errors that have led to today's sense of competition and..." Read more

"An easy read with lots of examples and scholarly references. But a little too much evolutionary psychology for my taste." Read more

"Easy and convenient read...." Read more

4 customers mention "Narrative quality"3 positive1 negative

Customers enjoy the narrative of the book, with one describing it as a fascinating journey into the world of men.

"...example of male disposability, Baumeister tells the chilling, utterly amazing story of how, after a long series of miraculous, nightmarish,..." Read more

"Easy and convenient read. Very informative and the author did a splendid job with his arguments and having the scientific data to back them up...." Read more

"...The discussion could easily fit fifty pages, at the most. The narrative goes in circles, and the author keeps repeating himself paragraph after..." Read more

"Fascinating Journey into the World of Men..." Read more

4 customers mention "Thought provoking"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking.

"...Roy F. Baumeister is great at independent thinking that goes against common misperceptions...." Read more

"...book in the gender space to be unbiased, evidence based, and thought provoking. Highly recommended." Read more

"...This book raises a number of interesting issues that are worth thinking about but I wouldn't take Baumeister's word on much of it without serious..." Read more

"...He manages to talk about gender dynamics in America in such a thoughtful way that even the most ideologically opposed might listen, and even those..." Read more

4 customers mention "Morality"2 positive2 negative

Customers have mixed views on the book's morality, with some finding it provocative, while others criticize its lack of discussion on male spirituality and overreliance on evolutionary psychology.

"...It is not misogynistic and not anti-feminist...." Read more

"...Just be careful because the authors views on morality are pretty nonexistent in this book...." Read more

"An interesting and provocative book..." Read more

"...But a little too much evolutionary psychology for my taste." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

James A. Wilson
Excellent Insights
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2014
Format: KindleVerified Purchase

This was one of the most interesting and insightful books I've ever read. One might expect that it would either reinforce my male prejudices or alter my perception of how men are valued in our present culture but it did neither. The effect of reading this book enhanced my appreciation for women throughout history. The ridiculous conspiracy theories peddled by real and imaginary feminists have always seemed too farcical to buy, yet I find I've imbibed a lot more of their Kool-aid than I had expected. Fact is women don't make very good men (and men make worse women), and Though I've always been suspicious of feminist claims about patriarchy and similar nonsense, I still expect women to be more like men, but even worse, to understand manly attributes and the reasons why things are the way they are. Yet how could they? With all the endless drivel, starting with the foolish theory of the superiority of men and then swinging to the opposite extreme today, how could anyone land on truth?

Well I reckon that's just what the good professor has done.

Both sexes ought to be able to appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of the other. And what is in this book? Analysis of the mounds of research that has already been done where the truth sat there waiting to be found, but because of obtuseness, or political correctness, or prejudice, or just plain stupidity, the correct conclusions were avoided like the plague. Yet the conclusions were all there waiting to be teased out. Some of it is so obvious I keep slapping my forehead in disgust that I never saw it before.

The final paragraphs are a plea for all of us to quit thinking of the other sex as the enemy and see that partnership is by far the best policy. I couldn't agree more.

And then we add to that a clear, simple and accessible style that made this a very easy, pleasant read.

I'd give it 6 stars if they'd let me. My mind is still in the process of rearranging a lot of old ideas, so I can't tell yet if this will be as worldview-changing as Adam Smith's "Theory of Moral Sentiments" but it very well could. I've got a lot more thinking to do.

Read more

14 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Amazon Customer
Is there anything good about this book?
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2010
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
That question is easy to answer: yes! This book is an incisive, extended essay about gender differences and the role the play in our society, with positions that are backed up by a great deal of research, done both by the author and others. It also serves as an essay on the perceptions of gender in our culture, particularly among well-educated people. Until reading this book, I never realized how much misinformation about gender is widely accepted. For instance, the fact that the average male sex drive is stronger than the average female sex drive is obvious to many people (and can be proved, as the author points out), and yet textbooks and scholarly writing on sexuality and gender assert that there is no difference at all (or that women have a stronger sex drive), and this mis-perception is commonly promoted and repeated.

The beautiful thing about this book is that it is, for the most part, remarkably unbiased. As a social scientist, the author knows how to interpret data and describe its implications while avoiding value judgments. He points out where implications are clear-cut but multifaceted, and also points out where there are multiple possible causes or effects. Nonetheless, this is destined to be a controversial book. Some of the points in this book support some out-of-fashion traditional beliefs on gender. Others novel beliefs that are at simply at odds with what educated people are supposed to think. And while the author himself steers away from advocating any specific course of action, it is easy to imagine people reading more into his analyses that is actually there, due the charged nature of the topic. I have many close, well-educated female friends, and I would be reluctant to bring up the information in this book in conversation with most of them -- the topic just seems too sensitive, regardless of how fascinating the information is or how open-minded my female friends claim to be.

Criticisms: Although this book is very unbiased, relative to popular writing on gender, there are a couple cases where the author could have gone even further out of his way to avoid potential claims of bias. Using the word "progress" in the context of culture is always a bit dangerous -- it's uses in this book could have been replaced by a less value-oriented description (although probably at the expense of being much more verbose). Also, the author's notion that cultures "want" things is a bit slippery -- it can have slightly different shades of meaning, some of which would allow the author to embed value judgments, although I did not feel it was abused for that purpose in this book. Some parts of this book were a bit redundant, but the number of insightful comments more than compensated for this fact.

I purchased the Kindle edition. There are a few typographical errors related to missing or extra spaces between letters, which is unfortunate. However, it does have a fully functioning index with links, which was a pleasant surprise.

Read more

39 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Frugal Dougal
This book is brilliant. I could be picky about the occasional typo ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 12, 2016
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This book is brilliant. I could be picky about the occasional typo here and there, but I was reading the kindle version, not sure if thy exist in print.

As a fifty something guy I found the argument put forward by the author excellent, though requiring some thinking on my part to plug gaps. For example, if marriage is a means by which society/culture transfers resources from men to women, how does the dowry system, prevalent in many cultures, tally with that? My guess is that it's a long term investment to produce grandchildren, but that's not explicit from the text.

However, this is a brilliant book and I would recommend it to any young man just embarking on life's rich journey, and would actually buy a copy for any youngsters I knew if they weren't already married with kids. If I knew when I was in my teens what I have had explained to me in this book, things that I vaguely, instinctively, knew to be the case, I just didn't have the research, intellect and insight of The author, my life might have turned out differently. But, I am where I am and not too dissatisfied with life, plus the book wasn't published until I was in my late forties.

Buy this book!

Read more
Report
Fernando Stefanelli Galucci
Indispensable these days
Reviewed in Brazil on May 1, 2020
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
In these dark times of politically correct fundamentalism, feminist zealotry and demonization of everything male, a book that demystifies the reasons behind the differences between the sexes is a fundamental read. I congratulate Oxford University Press and Prof. Baumeister for this fantastic book!

Read more
Report
José Luis
Balanced
Reviewed in Spain on April 6, 2014
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
A balanced book that will enrage the gender police. But nowadays, common sense is just offensive. Good work Roy, I hope for a version in Spanish.

Read more
Report
Christopher K Wallace
We've all likely seen fine examples of that in our own lives
Reviewed in Canada on November 23, 2014
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
This is a book fathers will share with their sons. More importantly, they will want their daughters to read it too. Indeed, together, parents might want to read this themselves and consider sharing this important point of view with all their children.

It's clear in his writing that Roy Baumeister has no agenda other than a search for truth.

Outside of biological imperatives, I very much appreciated his position that men and women have similar potential abilities, standing in for one another when circumstances call for it. We've all likely seen fine examples of that in our own lives; Mother Nature having made us as complimentary beings rather than opposites.

His careful arguments about how men built the culture around us, and the way that culture takes advantage of men's greater variability, oft times making them highly expendable, is a powerful observation. That the culture they built sometimes turns on them, rendering them vulnerable to their own expendability, also carries in it the answer to men's lowered status in the modern world.

This is another superb book from one of the best social commentators around.

Read more
Report
Carlos Vázquez
Altamente recomendado
Reviewed in Mexico on November 6, 2019
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Creo que el punto central del libro se puede resumir en que, debido a las diferencias entre hombres y mujeres, particularmente que las mujeres tienden a establecer relaciones cercanas y los hombres se relacionan mas en grupos grandes, las culturas fueron construidas por los hombres y, por consiguiente, siguiendo patrones de conducta masculinos. Después, cuando por diversas razones, se decide integrar a las mujeres en puestos clave, surgieron los malentendidos porque las mujeres no entendieron porqué la cultura funcionaba de determinada manera, dando origen en muchos casos a los mitos feministas de “opresión”. Cabe mencionar que la cultura construida por los hombres daba su lugar a la mujer, incluso con ciertos privilegios.

El mundo es un lugar hostil. Hay que trabajar y competir. El hombre también tiene estas características: es competitivo y duro, así que los hombres construyeron la cultura siguiendo este patrón. Se me ocurrió que así como la hostilidad de este mundo fue explicada por algunos hombres primitivos como los caprichos de seres divinos, así también, cuando las mujeres entraron en el hostil mundo de los hombres, algunas mujeres explicaron esta hostilidad como la “opresión” de los hombres hacia las mujeres.

Excelente libro con mucha información acerca del comportamiento masculino y femenino y cómo diversas culturas alrededor del mundo siguieron el modelo masculino para sobrevivir y florecer y, lo mejor, de paso desmentir muchos de los mitos que abundan hoy en día.

De los mejores libros que he leído este año, sin duda. Altamente recomendado.

Read more
Report
Translate review to English

See more reviews

Price		$20.02
AmazonGlobal Shipping		$10.93
Estimated Import Charges		$0.00

Total		$30.95

Shipping & Fee Details

Sorry, there was a problem.

Sorry, there was a problem.

Image Unavailable

Follow the author

Is There Anything Good About Men?: How Cultures Flourish by Exploiting Men 1st Edition

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Editorial Reviews

Review

Book Description

About the Author

Product details

Videos

About the author

Roy F. Baumeister

Related books

Customer reviews

Customers say

Select to learn more

Images in this review

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Insights

5.0 out of 5 stars Is there anything good about this book?

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is brilliant. I could be picky about the occasional typo ...

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable these days

5.0 out of 5 stars Balanced

5.0 out of 5 stars We've all likely seen fine examples of that in our own lives

5.0 out of 5 stars Altamente recomendado

Excellent Insights

Is there anything good about this book?

This book is brilliant. I could be picky about the occasional typo ...

Indispensable these days

Balanced

We've all likely seen fine examples of that in our own lives

Altamente recomendado