Boys Will Be Boys: Power, Patriarchy and Toxic Masculinity

by Clementine Ford

Overview

'The most important thing you'll read this year' Elle

The incendiary new book about toxic masculinity and misogyny from Clementine Ford, author of the bestselling feminist manifesto, Fight Like A Girl.

Boys Will Be Boys answers the question Clementine Ford is most often asked: 'How do I raise my son to respect women?’

With equal parts passion and humour, Ford reveals how patriarchal society is as destructive for men as it is for women, creating a dangerously limited idea of what it is to be a man. She traces the way gender norms creep into the home from early childhood, through popular culture or the division of housework and shines a light on what needs to change for equality to become a reality.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781786076649
Publisher:	Oneworld Publications
Publication date:	07/04/2019
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	997,156
File size:	990 KB

About the Author

CLEMENTINE FORD is a writer, broadcaster and troll agitator based in Melbourne, Australia. Regularly described as a 'flamethrower', she is part of the new wave of feminists unapologetically igniting the conversation around gender equality. Clementine is a columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald, and has written about feminism and equality for The Guardian, Cosmopolitan, The Telegraph, The Sunday Mail, The Big Issue and ABC's The Drum. Her TEDx talk on rape culture ('Your Vagina is Not a Car') has received almost 1,000,000 views. She is the author of Fight Like A Girl.

CLEMENTINE FORD is a writer, broadcaster and troll agitator based in Melbourne, Australia. Regularly described as a 'flamethrower', she is part of the new wave of feminists unapologetically igniting the conversation around gender equality. Clementine is a columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald, and has written about feminism and equality for The Guardian, Cosmopolitan, The Telegraph, The Sunday Mail, The Big Issue and ABC's The Drum. Her TEDx talk on rape culture ('Your Vagina is Not a Car') has received almost 1,000,000 views. She is the author of Fight Like A Girl.

Editorial Reviews

★ 08/01/2019

Ford follows up her powerful book Fight Like a Girl with a much-needed, unapologetic study of toxic masculinity that relentlessly excavates how complicit we all are in the creation, reinforcement, and perpetuation of a "boys will be boys" mind-set. As the author explains, this ideology may sound humorous but is, in fact, detrimental to society as a whole. This latest work begins with an analysis of Ford's experiences with her own son and ends with a catalog of men who have been accused of—and forgiven for—acts of sexual violence in a way that is simultaneously intimate and systemic. This will change the way readers think about seemingly innocuous habits that enable toxic masculinity. Although some readers may resist Ford's bold, brash tone, she writes with clarity about how "manhood is never seen as an identity marker, particularly when it comes to leadership," and with love for her son in a powerful epilog that few will be able not to feel her anger and wish to enact some kind of change. VERDICT A necessary read that compliments Ford's first book, but ultimately stands on its own.—Emily Bowles, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison

Library Journal

‘Clementine Ford reveals the fragility behind ‘toxic masculinity’ in Boys Will Be Boys.’

The Conversation

'Boys Will Be Boys highlights the need to refocus on how we’re raising our boys to be better men. The ingrained toxic masculinity within society does just as much damage to our boys as it does to our girls, and this book highlights how to change that.'

Fernwood Magazine

'With pithy jokes and witty commentary, this is an engrossing read, and Ford’s spirited tone evokes passion for change.'

Foreword

‘Ferocious, incisive, an effective treatise.’

Australian Book Review

‘Boys Will Be Boys is an impassioned call for societal change from a writer who has become a stand-out voice of her generation (and has the trolls to prove it) and an act of devotion from a mother to her son.’

Readings

'A truly vital piece of social commentary from Australia’s fiercest feminist, Boys Will Be Boys should be shoved into the hands of every person you know. Clementine Ford has done her research – despite what her angry detractors would have you believe – and spits truths about toxic masculinity and the dangers of the patriarchy with passion and a wonderfully wry sense of humour. Read it, learn from it, and share it – this book is absolute GOLD!'

16 Best Books of 2018 The AU Review

'An impassioned polemic highlighting the contrasting ways in which how boys and girls are raised harms them both.'

Herald

'A damning look at toxic masculinity. It's the most important thing you'll read this year.'

Elle

‘A timely cultural critic... Ford is intelligent, thoughtful, well-researched, and witty, but most importantly, she is hopeful for a future of justice and equality.’

starred review Booklist

'Fantastic...a well-crafted blend of passion, anger and humour.'

Right Now

‘Clementine Ford’s Boys Will Be Boys is a blazing exploration of the frightening damage the patriarchy does to us all.’

The AU Review

'A damning look at toxic masculinity. It's the most important thing you'll read this year.'

Australia Elle

'A truly vital piece of social commentary from Australia’s fiercest feminist, Boys Will Be Boys should be shoved into the hands of every person you know. Clementine Ford has done her research – despite what her angry detractors would have you believe – and spits truths about toxic masculinity and the dangers of the patriarchy with passion and a wonderfully wry sense of humour. Read it, learn from it, and share it – this book is absolute GOLD!'

The AU Review 16 Best Books of 2018

‘A timely cultural critic... Ford is intelligent, thoughtful, well-researched, and witty, but most importantly, she is hopeful for a future of justice and equality.’

Booklist Starred Review

'A damning look at toxic masculinity. It's the most important thing you'll read this year.'

Elle Australia