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Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Man Hardcover – September 22, 1999
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One of the most talked-about books of last year, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Backlash now explores the collapse of traditional masculinity that has left men feeling betrayed. With Backlash in 1991, Susan Faludi broke new ground when she put her finger directly on the problem bedeviling women, and the light of recognition dawned on millions of her readers: what's making women miserable isn't something they're doing to themselves in the name of independence. It's something our society is doing to women. The book was nothing less than a landmark. Now in Stiffed, the author turns her attention to the masculinity crisis plaguing our culture at the end of the '90s, an era of massive layoffs, "Angry White Male" politics, and Million Man marches. As much as the culture wants to proclaim that men are made miserable--or brutal or violent or irresponsible--by their inner nature and their hormones, Faludi finds that even in the world they supposedly own and run, men are at the mercy of cultural forces that disfigure their lives and destroy their chance at happiness. As traditional masculinity continues to collapse, the once-valued male attributes of craft, loyalty, and social utility are no longer honored, much less rewarded. Faludi's journey through the modern masculine landscape takes her into the lives of individual men whose accounts reveal the heart of the male dilemma. Stiffed brings us into the world of industrial workers, sports fans, combat veterans, evangelical husbands, militiamen, astronauts, and troubled "bad" boys--whose sense that they've lost their skills, jobs, civic roles, wives, teams, and a secure future is only one symptom of a larger and historic betrayal.
With Backlash in 1991, Susan Faludi broke new ground when she put her finger directly on the problem bedeviling women, and the light of recognition dawned on millions of her readers: what's making women miserable isn't something they're doing to themselves in the name of independence. It's something our society is doing to women. The book was nothing less than a landmark.Now in Stiffed, the author turns her attention to the masculinity crisis plaguing our culture at the end of the '90s, an era of massive layoffs, "Angry White Male" politics, and Million Man marches. As much as the culture wants to proclaim that men are made miserable--or brutal or violent or irresponsible--by their inner nature and their hormones, Faludi finds that even in the world they supposedly own and run, men are at the mercy of cultural forces that disfigure their lives and destroy their chance at happiness. As traditional masculinity continues to collapse, the once-valued male attributes of craft, loyalty, and social utility are no longer honored, much less rewarded.
Faludi's journey through the modern masculine landscape takes her into the lives of individual men whose accounts reveal the heart of the male dilemma. Stiffed brings us into the world of industrial workers, sports fans, combat veterans, evangelical husbands, militiamen, astronauts, and troubled "bad" boys--whose sense that they've lost their skills, jobs, civic roles, wives, teams, and a secure future is only one symptom of a larger and historic betrayal.With Backlash in 1991, Susan Faludi broke new ground when she put her finger directly on the problem bedeviling women, and the light of recognition dawned on millions of her readers: what's making women miserable isn't something they're doing to themselves in the name of independence. It's something our society is doing to women. The book was nothing less than a landmark.
Now in Stiffed, the author turns her attention to the masculinity crisis plaguing our culture at the end of the '90s, an era of massive layoffs, "Angry White Male" politics, and Million Man marches. As much as the culture wants to proclaim that men are made miserable--or brutal or violent or irresponsible--by their inner nature and their hormones, Faludi finds that even in the world they supposedly own and run, men are at the mercy of cultural forces that disfigure their lives and destroy their chance at happiness. As traditional masculinity continues to collapse, the once-valued male attributes of craft, loyalty, and social utility are no longer honored, much less rewarded.
Faludi's journey through the modern masculine landscape takes her into the lives of individual men whose accounts reveal the heart of the male dilemma. Stiffed brings us into the world of industrial workers, sports fans, combat veterans, evangelical husbands, militiamen, astronauts, and troubled "bad" boys--whose sense that they've lost their skills, jobs, civic roles, wives, teams, and a secure future is only one symptom of a larger and historic betrayal.
- Print length672 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherWilliam Morrow
- Publication dateSeptember 22, 1999
- Dimensions6.5 x 2.25 x 9.75 inches
- ISBN-10068812299X
- ISBN-13978-0688122997
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Customers find the book thought-provoking, inspiring, and well-documented. They also describe the writing style as precise, clear, and incisive.
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Customers find the book thought-provoking, inspiring, and well-documented. They say it offers profound insights and an eloquent analysis of where we are. Readers also mention the premise is ground-breaking and heart-wrenching.
"...This book is enlightening and surprisingly hilarious." Read more
"...of men, from construction workers to porn stars, and much of her analysis is thoughtful...." Read more
"Faludi provides an eloquent analysis of where we are (circa the turn to the 21st century) in terms of gender issues, with a particular focus on..." Read more
"Everybody should read this book. Hits home very heart rentching and real. Susan Faludi is an awesome person and researcher...." Read more
Customers find the writing style thorough, clear, and incisive. They also say the author is terrific.
"Faludi is a terrific writer. Considering the subject matter I find this book to be supremely funny...." Read more
"...is a well-renown feminist, and her take on the struggles men face is incisive and compassionate...." Read more
"...Faludi's writing style is thorough and well documented. Her notes at the end of her books are incredibly helpful." Read more
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This book made me think and appreciate all that men have done for our country and for the sake of family.
Like _Backlash_, _Stiffed_ says a lot of things that people don't want to hear. Unlike _Backlash_, the more recent book isn't afraid to put the blame on consumer culture. That fact is missed by virtually every negative reviewer -- yet having actually read the book, I find it hard to understand how. Reading _Backlash_ was sometimes maddening for her refusal (and it did smack of refusal) to name a culprit; that weakness is gone in _Stiffed_.
Yet still these negative reviews, most of them dismissive ("the most overrated journalist of the '90s...") in character, without any substantive criticism, proliferate. There's something here that people are afraid to hear. That makes it important for thinking people to read.
Random thoughts: 1) Faludi's conclusion is that most American men are unhappy (and resistant to feminism) because their fathers - those heroes of World War II and members of the "greatest generation" - were cold, distant, and silent parents, providing little or no guidance to boys growing up in a consumer culture that rewards image over true worth. I'm sure there is some truth to this theory. But what about all of the mothers - do they make no impact on their sons? Other than in passing, Faludi makes no mention of the mothers.
2) Feminism, like motherhood, gets a pass from Faludi as a contributing factor to modern male distress. Men who criticize any aspect of the women's movement are unreasonable, delusional, or scapegoating. Yet I was struck by this assessment of feminism by one of the men Faludi interviewed: "It doesn't seem to have made anyone very happy."
3) I'm not convinced that the average American male is quite as tormented as Faludi would have us believe. But a 600-page volume of interviews with men who are basically happy and content would be an awfully dull read.
4) Faludi's final words of advice to men who are unhappy or confused by our Brave New World? "Wage a battle against no enemy." Great. That helps.


