Book Description
A Novel of High-Stakes Romance and Betrayal, Set During the Race to Finish the World's Tallest Building
In Empire Rising, his extraordinary third book, Thomas Kelly tells a story of love and work, of intrigue and jealousy, with the narrative verve that led the Village Voice's reviewer to dub him "Dostoevsky with a hard hat and lead pipe."
As the novel opens, it is 1930-the Depression-and ground has just been broken for the Empire State Building. One of the thousands of men erecting the building high above the city is Michael Briody, an Irish immigrant torn between his desire to make a new life in America and his pledge to gather money and arms for the Irish republican cause. When he meets Grace Masterson, an alluring artist who is depicting the great skyscraper's ascent from her houseboat on the East River, Briody's life turns exhilarating-and dangerous, for Grace is also a paramour of Johnny Farrell, Mayor Jimmy Walker's liaison with Tammany Hall and the underworld.
Their heartbreaking love story-which takes place both in the immigrant neighborhoods of the Bronx and amid the swanky nightlife of the '21' Club--is also a chronicle of the city's rough passage from a working-class enclave to a world-class metropolis, and a vivid reimagining of the conflict that pitted the Tammany Hall political machine and its popular mayor against the boundlessly ambitious Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Colin Harrison, in The New York Times Book Review, called Kelly's The Rackets "A well-paced, violent thriller, [and] an elegy for the city's old Irish working class." In Empire Rising, Kelly takes his work to a new level: telling of the story of the people who built the "eighth wonder of the world," he makes old New York the setting for a rich and unforgettable story.
Customer Reviews:
When the Irish syndicate was king.......2007-08-12
Hop aboard as Thomas Kelly rolls out another Big Apple white-knuckler. Leading readers to the gaping Manhattan cavity left by the demolition of the old Waldorf Astoria, we meet Michael Briody, late of Cavan Town in Ireland, who drives the first rivet into the first steel column placed at the Empire State Building site. Cigars glow, flash bulbs pop, backs get slapped and Irish dandy Mayor Jimmy Walker smiles the smile of a man who gets a kickback, a commission he calls it, on every construction project in New York. Yet the winds of reform swirl. Its 1930 and the feds are on to miscreant Walker---Jimmy knows his time is short.
Walker runs New York under the guise of benefactor and patron to the city's immigrant poor and teeming masses. Behind his dapper, populist front lurks a man who controls Tammany Hall, arguably the most ruthless and corrupt political machine in American history. Walker's silky smile and engaging manner belie the pyramidal network of crooked cops, judges, assassins and thugs of every ilk who execute the misdeeds of the Tammany machine. American-born Irish like Walker and his right-hand `judges and jackhammers' man, Johnny Farrell, pull the strings while immigrant Irish like Briody fight to rise out of the gutter, keeping one foot in the aulde sod and one foot in their adopted America. Michael Briody served time in Curragh prison for anti-Free State, republican foot soldiering after Ireland's 1916 Rising. A man possessing knowledge of explosives, Briody curiously joins the British Army and fights in World War I before coming to America. He remains a staunch Irish republican.
Under Mayor Walker money talks and illegal liquor flows in the speakeasies, or speaks, as they're called. The Market crashed in 1929 and former big-time players peddle apples in the streets. A smart, tough Irishman can rise up in this environment and become wealthy if he knows who to pay homage and money to. He can also wind up in a grave if he backs the wrong horse. As the Empire State Building and city rise metaphorically in tandem, we find Briody as he connects with Bronx-born Tough Tommy Touhey, a homicidal brute who owns a few speaks and a piece of the Empire State project. He's a former childhood friend to Walker's Johnny Farrell, but takes umbrage as Farrell disdains his lower-class Bronx roots.
Tough Tommy coaxes Briody into entering a cops-only boxing match. That Briody is not a cop is no stumbling block to him beating his cop opponent to a pulp. In attendance at the match is our Johnny Farrell, who squires Grace Masterson, a fatally-flawed femme fatale. She takes a liking to Briody, and him to her, when they meet in a speakeasy after the fight. She's an artist and late of Cavan herself, having lost heart, two sons, a husband and her faith on the trail from Ireland to Spain to Cuba, to Florida and finally New York. She's also mistress to the married Farrell---infidelity's seemingly a requisite to Hall membership. Grace also performs as bag woman to Farrell, to wit, she makes money drops at banks around town. Ill advisedly, Grace occasionally siphons a little pre-deposit money off the top.
Clan Na Gael, the arm of the Irish republicanism in New York, hovers in the background. Michael Briody is a natural recruit for Clan Na Gael, having demonstrated his willingness to kill for a cause. As his relationship with Grace burgeons, Briody enlists and partners with Clan Na Gael, participating in gun and explosives running to Ireland----and worse.
Inching its way to the forefront is the Italian syndicate and the sadistic `Dago', of whom Tough Tommy Touhey says, "He wants what we got," meaning the rackets, speaks and protection payoffs. Observing a soft spot in the Tammany machine, the Dago glad hands and threatens Farrell into working with him to acquire a piece of the action. As the reform movement gathers steam in Albany and Washington, the world of our players turns upside down. A judge formerly on the take suffers an untimely demise after demonstrating reluctance to adhere to a machine directive. The philandering Farrell discovers that his pilfering girlfriend Grace is unfaithful. Touhey disappears and turns up dead. But is it really him? After a moment of epiphany, Briody decides that killing only begets more killing and suffers a dangerous falling out with Clan Na Gael. Hoohah! I just had my own moment of epiphany. It's best to turn the rest of the tale over to Thomas Kelly.
The author takes readers on a wonderful ride through the gritty urban landscape that was New York City during Prohibition. Tales of power, greed and corruption get mixed in with liberal doses of violence in Empire Rising. Along with his previous novels, Payback and The Rackets, Rising is a must for readers fascinated by crafty historical fiction.
A Fine Historical Novel And Thomas Kelly's Best.......2007-08-10
As a chronicler of the dark, gritty underworld of New York City's working-class labor, Thomas Kelly has definitely become its poet laureate in his novel "Empire Rising", among the finest novels I have read of Depression-Era New York City (It actually deserves 4.5 stars from me and I wish Amazon.com had the option of bestowing an additional half star.). This is a dramatic, vivid, and richly-textured, no-holds-bar examination of New York City in 1931, as seen through the eyes of recent Irish immigrant Michael Briody, who works by day building the Empire State Building, and then, by night as both a boxer and an unrepentant soldier of the Irish Republican Army. In New York City he soon meets another, more worldly, recent Irish immigrant, Grace Masterson, and falls in love with her, even though he knows that she is the "concubine" of powerful Tammany Hall leader Johnny Farrell. This is indeed far from a romantic look of the Empire State Building's construction, since Kelly depicts his characters being immersed in a dark, often bloody, underworld of Tammany Hall political intrigue, Irish-run organized crime, and Irish Republican Army strife. Without question, "Empire Rising" is not only Kelly's best work of fiction, but also among the finest I have seen from the latest generation of Irish-American writers residing here in New York City.
Very good historical novel.......2006-07-24
Combine Depression era Manhattan, Irish nationalism and the workings of Tammany Hall, all in the ever growing shadow of the construction of the Empire State Building - Add well portrayed real and fictional characters in a plot line that ties the above together and the result is an entertaining read and a very good novel. The only fault I found with this book is that the author, at times, steps into the story to "explain" his characters, which is not necessary. This may sound like a nit but the rest of the writing is so good that these "intrusions" were somewhat jarring. That being said this book is still highly recommended.
You Gotta Be Tough.......2006-01-19
This is not the type of book I have a reputation for reading. It's a hard-core, bare-knuckles, get-to-the-top kind of fictional tale, set in Depression-era New York City, and it features among its fine cast of characters a number of real life personas, including future President Franklin Roosevelt, and New York's irrepressible "born for office" governor, Al Smith.
Empire Rising tells the story of New York City at all levels of society during this tough time, and uses the construction of the Empire State Building as a backdrop and metaphor. As Kelly pulls no punches in stating, it is the Irish, those first, second, and third generation rough-souled immigrants who make New York City function. Not only is it the Irish who run the city at both the street level and into the halls of power, but it is Irish working men who provide the backbone of the labor force that is building New York's most prized showpiece, the Empire State Building. (Think it's a coincidence that construction on the project began on Saint Patrick's Day?)
The character of Michael Briody, who has gone from a terrorist group's hitman to a soul in love with the dream that is the skyscraper he's struggling to see completed, is Kelly's best figure in this novel. He seems a very realistic individual, leagues removed from the stick-figure stereotypes so many other authors would have employed here in this sort of situation.
I enjoyed this novel, even if it was definitely at times a little cold and lacking in human kindness. I think it shines light onto what is both a forgotten and mysterious period in American history, and it also gives a reader an excellent plot that never slows or grows tiresome, and which reaches masterful heights in its climactic moments.
Get it Read it Now.......2006-01-11
This is one of the most engrossing novels i have read in some time. in an era where the novel has become nothing more than a hodge podge pastiche of cleverness Kelly delivers good story, good characters and a great backdrop. Everything that makes a great novel is here. get it read it now!
Book Description
J. D. Stanton investigates the mysterious appearance of a sunken submarine that has returned fifty years after it was presumed lost in the Atlantic.
Customer Reviews:
A Nappaland.com Review.......2006-12-31
Let's say you're looking to kill about 15 minutes before you go to bed tonight. If that's the case, then Alton Gansky's gripping thriller, A Ship Possessed is definitely NOT what you want to pick up. On the other hand, if perhaps you want a reason to stay awake all night, Gansky's novel is a perfect choice. That's because once you start it, you won't be able to put this page-turner down.
The first in the "J.D. Stanton Mysteries" series, A Ship Possessed centers around one great mystery: a W.W.II Allied submarine that has inexplicably appeared on the beaches of San Diego. Looking in mint condition, yet seemingly empty, the puzzle of the sub is curious enough for the Navy to call Captain Stanton out of retirement to investigate.
That's when strange things start to happen. Wretched, inhuman groans emanate from inside the sub. The propellers unexpectedly come to life, then lock into position again. And Stanton's assistant, Lieutenant Donna Wilcox, seems to be losing her mind with wild hallucinations...Or is she? That's the question J.D. Stanton must solve--before it's too late.
Writing in the other-worldly style of Frank Peretti, and masterfully telling the tales of two different time periods, Gansky has taken the topic of spiritual activity in everyday matters and created a fresh, spine-tingling adventure for brave readers of Christian fiction everywhere. So next time you're scheduled for an all-nighter, take along A Ship Possessed to keep you awake...If you dare!
BOOKBLOG RATING: A
--MN
Couldn't put it down.......2006-03-27
My husband and I do not normally write reviews for books but this book is worth doing so. This has got to be one of the best books he and I both have ever read. In fact, we have read it more than once and have two copies so that we can lend to others to read. It has also been a great witnessing tool to macho men and not one has returned it without saying it was one of the best books they had read. I even lent it to a lady friend who always reads books in the style of Janette Oke and now she is hooked on Alton Gansky - & this is the book that got her interested in his writings.
If you are looking for a great read - the type you just do NOT want to put down, give this one a try. You WILL NOT be disappointed!
I couldn't put it down........2005-07-26
I read this book while I was traveling across country, and I literally couldn't put it down! I started and finished it in one day, not stoping to talk to my friend beside me, or do anything else! It is greatly writen, and very enjoyable! The plot is amazing, and the scenes are incredibly discribed. I love this book!
Gripping, powerful!.......2004-04-20
This was great! Alton Gansky is right up there with the greats, Ted Dekker, Frank Peretti, and so on. What made this a plus book for me was, I love submarine stuff! Right on, brother!
Join retired Naval Captain, J.D. Stanton as he is called to investigate what looks to be a ghost ship. And it is a WWII sub at that! I like the demeanor of Stanton throughout the entire book. He's cool, calm under pressure, and collected. And he is most certainly a leader.
On the other side of things is a German with his own agenda who believes in neo-nazism. This book is about a quest for power and a test of one's faith. Lt. Donna Wilcox plays a very important role in this work by Gansky, and you can tell he puts his heart and soul into his stuff.
On a closing note, I loved the verse that really hit home, it is an oldie, but goodie. "Greater is He that is in me, that him that is in the world!" AMEN! I can't wait to read more by Alton Gansky!! Atta-boy!
The first one.......2004-01-30
I didn't have a book to read-this is a bad thing-I bought this book because of the cover, I love submarines. I got it in the mail a few days later and then read the back. A Babtist Pastor wrote it hmmmm. I thought well, I bought it and will give it a try. WOW I thought the book was great! since after reading this book I have read many of his books and would buy more by the authors name only Thanks for the sleepless nights.
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A Ship Possessed
Alton Gansky
Manufacturer: Recorded Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 0788754742 |
Book Description
Tucked between the housing developments and golf courses of the Orange County coast lies a small settlement of rustic beach cottages seemingly frozen in time. Crystal Cove Cottages is the first history of this uniquely preserved beach spot that has lured travellers and campers since the 1920s. Deemed by the National Register of Historic Places to be "the last intact example of California beach vernacular architecture," it is now a registered state park whose cottages are newly available for public overnight visits. From silent-film location to rum-runners' hideout, scenic setting for a vibrant landscape painting community to 1950s luau-party headquarters, Crystal Cove has all the while remained a bohemian yet family-friendly village. Ten sidebars on notable individual cottages highlight the Cove's distinct and often amusing architectural evolution. Crystal Cove Cottages captures the nostalgic ambiance of seaside Americana.
Customer Reviews:
Crystal Cove Cottages: Islands in Time on the CA Coast.......2005-09-15
From the dust cover of this beautiful book to the last pages, readers are treated to beautiful photography, copies of lovely paintings, and a narrative about the history of this unique place on the CA coast. The book is divided into time frames starting in 1917 and continuing to 2001. Each segment gives the reader a glimpse into the recent past, of simplier times and the quest for life on the CA seashore. This book is very readable, a feast for the eyes and one that will join my permanent collection of very special books. Suitable for display as a prized coffee table book.
Customer Reviews:
great fantasy.......2007-08-23
i read this as an advanced review and i have to say i'm super glad they changed the cover! cousins Vic and Gwen are a little naive and not that believable as teens (especially city kids). i also felt that the mystery element with the parents was a little forced. however, this book has other very excellent qualities like the magical world of Elyanta and all of the strange and amazing creatures Vic and Gwen meet. it is fast paced and very interesting, the world and just come to life in a way that will grab teen readers and hook them (unlike that aweful first cover).
A Interesting Fantasy.......2007-06-20
I think this a great book!it had all the stuff i want in a book Magic,Imagination(on the part of the Authors),Some Fight scenes, And of course Suspense!I would certanly recommend this book.i think it probably for kids/teens around 10-13.the only problem i have with this book is the fact it's so short.Other than that i say bring it on!
Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2006-07-18
Fourteen-year old cousins Gwen and Vic Pierce are almost nothing alike. Where Gwen is serious, scientific, and analytical, Vic is fun-loving, spontaneous, and outgoing. Older by a mere five hours, Gwen likes to think of herself as the one in charge. Vic likes to use his love of fun to rile his cousin up. Since they both live with Carlton Arthur "Cap" Pierce, Vic's father and Gwen's uncle, things often times get interesting. Gwen's father, Reginald "Rip" Pierce, was Uncle Cap's twin brother. And her mother, Fyera, was the sister of Vic's mom, Kyara. The two brothers met the two sisters on a dig in the Yucatan Peninsula and were instantly smitten. They soon married, and Gwen and Vic arrived on the same day, only hours apart.
Now Gwen's parents are gone, victims of a mysterious car accident. Even Vic's mother, Kyara, is no longer in the picture, having vanished into thin air two years ago only one week after the death of Gwen's parents. Now it's just Cap and the cousins, and the three attempt to make the best life together that they can. Gwen and Vic are raised almost like brother and sister, with Cap as their father. Although Gwen sometimes feels guilty for this new "family," her dreams of one day being a marine biologist keep her reaching towards her goal.
After a nearly disastrous trip to Ocean Kingdoms, the kids are surprised by Cap's strange behavior. He informs them that their family will be leaving the very next day, to avoid danger. Having no idea what he's talking about, Gwen and Vic spend a night of fitful sleep wondering what's gotten into their uncle and father. They awake the next morning to a solarium full of mirrors, crystals, and prisms, and suddenly their world gets a whole lot stranger.
Gwen and Vic find themselves falling through the light that Cap has created, almost as if it were a door. And when they land, they're no longer in a place that they recognize. The kids have come through a crystal door and ended up on the island of Elantya, the center through which all crystal doors unite. Although both bewildered by this new place and uncertain as to how they'll return home, Gwen and Vic are both excited by the people they meet on Elantya--Lyssandra, an interpreter and a telepath; Ali el Sharif, a novice at the Citadel who comes from the flying city of Irrakesh; and Tiaret, a young warrior girl who came from Afrik to also study at the Citadel.
As Gwen and Vic learn that the Elantyans are in the midst of a war with the Merlons, vicious creatures of the sea, they realize that getting back to Earth may be the least of their problems. The two teens will have to work together with their three new friends to protect Elantya from its enemies--and one such enemy might just very well be someone within the Elantyan's own midst.
The first in a trilogy, CRYSTAL DOORS is a highly entertaining contemporary fantasy that readers of all ages will enjoy. I look forward to reading more about life in Elantya, and finding out the reason that Gwen and Vic were brought there. A great read that you'll definitely enjoy!
Crystal Doors was GREATo!.......2006-06-13
This book is just the first book in the trilogy. It starts off when Cousins Gwen and Vic fall through a mysterious crystal door to an island of magic, Elantya. From there many journeys start to open new doors for them. As the frantically try to get back to earth to there home and their father they get caught in a war with the hideous sea-dwelling Merlons. Only to find out that Elantya is the safest place for them as an evil magician Azric is trying to destroy their family and go through closed door that were said to be closed locking him away from his powerful army. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait until the next two books of the trilogy come out!
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Crystal Doors #2: Ocean Realm
Rebecca Moesta , and
Kevin J. Anderson
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0316010561 |
Book Description
Gwen and Vic are still celebrating their victory in the battle with the merlons when they learn that Vic's father has finally made it through the crystal doors to the magical island of Elantya.However, their victory is short-lived when they and their friends are kidnapped by their underwater enemies and taken beneath the sea. They soon learn of a scheme that could bring Elantya to ruins.Can they escape in time to save the island from destruction?
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In a Crystal Land: Canadian Explorers in Antarctica
Dean Beeby
Manufacturer: University of Toronto Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0802003621 |
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The Crystal Connection (Science Squad Adventure Series)
Tanya Lloyd Kyi
Manufacturer: Walrus Books
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Binding: Paperback
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Summer of Suspense (Science Squad Adventure Series)
ASIN: 1552855112 |
Book Description
The girls of the Science Squad are back, and they're in the middle of the biggest mystery yet! When Sue's Aunt Rose invites the three girls to visit her on Vancouver Island for the last week of summer vacation, it seems like the trip will be a nice break. Nicole, Gina, and Sue are eager to explore the old-growth forests near Tofino, go mountain biking, and maybe even try surfing. But Rose has just inherited 50 hectares of forested land from her uncle, a renowned smuggler and notorious practical joker. When Rose's new friend, Tyler, starts acting suspiciously, the girls begin to think there's more at stake than just an old cabin in the middle of the woods. Using their knowledge of science, the girls reveal a series of clues in the mysterious will. But can they solve the puzzle of the smuggler's secret before it's too late?
Tanya Lloyd Kyi and the Canadian Association of Girls in Science (CAGIS) team up to deliver the second book in the Science Squad Adventure series. This mystery contains non-fiction sidebars and experiments that can be done at home with everyday objects on such diverse topics as light refraction, and orienteering.
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Crystal Island
Anita Jewel Lemon
Manufacturer: 1st Books Library
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1414039468 |
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- I was pleasantly surprised!
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Crystal Island
Debra J. TerHark
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
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ASIN: 1413751989 |
Book Description
DJ is a young girl searching for an answer to a question. Bismark, a unicorn, will take her on a journey in search of that answer. Together they go to Crystal Island. They meet old friends and new as DJ journeys across the island and experiences things she has never seen before or heard of before. She runs into Dracknor, a great evil whose single goal is to stop DJ from reaching hers. Her struggle is great but her desire to reach the top of Truth Mountain is greater. She is determined that nothing will stop her. Except possibly the Dark Creature.
Customer Reviews:
I was pleasantly surprised!.......2006-02-11
When I first got the book, I thought this is not really my style of reading. It kind of has a "Chronicles of Narnia" or "Lord of the Rings" type feel ... and that's great ... just not the kind of book I would typically read.
But I really LOVED the book. It was sweet, thought provoking, deep and addictive. Once I started reading, I simply had to finish it.
This is a great book -- and I wish Ms. Terhark the very best in her writing career. I hope she writes more and more and more!
Recommend strongly!
Product Description
J.G. Ballard has been hailed as "one of the most sensitive and enigmatic novelists of the present day" (The Times Literary Supplement). In his novels he weaves together nature, technology, sexual fantasies, and isolationism to create dark visions of humanity that are by turns repulsive and compelling, haunting and strangely beautiful.... Whether they explor the murky depths of human emotions or the majestic outer reaches of the cosmos, these three books show J.G. Ballard at his unparalleled best.
Book Description
Helps parents reopen the lines of communication with "silent" teenage sons and stay emotionally connected with them
Adolescent boys are notoriously uncommunicative. Unfortunately, too many parents equate not talking with not feeling, and, as authors Susan Morris Shaffer and Linda Perlman Gordon explain in this groundbreaking guide, parents who make that assumption end up validating only the most superficial aspects of their sons. Recent bestsellers such as Real Boys and The Wonder of Boys have done a good job of sensitizing parents to the inner lives of boys and opening their eyes to how society shortchanges boys emotionally.
Now, Why Boys Don't Talk--and Why It Matters goes a step further. Coauthored by a nationally acclaimed expert on gender equity and a social worker--both of whom successfully raised teenagers of both sexes--it:
- Arms parents with proven techniques for communicating with their adolescent sons and reestablishing strong emotional bonds with them
- Draws upon focus groups as well as the authors' considerable experience in gender equity research and counseling, to analyze the subtle ways boys communicate connection
Download Description
"This wise and warm book encourages mothers not to let their sons become unemotional robots but instead to stay connected." --Michael Kimmel, professor of sociology, SUNY Stony Brook "Shaffer and Gordon shed light on the cultural reasons boys frequently don't talk and then show how to encourage conversation and when to respect the necessary silences." --Laura Sessions Stepp, author of Our Last Best Shot: Guiding Our Children Through Early Adolescence Whatever happened to that chatty little boy brimming with quirky facts and interminable accounts of his adventures? When did your son grow into the sullen stranger in your house who communicates through shrugs and one-word answers? Is this just part of growing up or is it a sign that something is wrong? In Why Boys Don't Talk--and Why It Matters, Susan Morris Shaffer and Linda Perlman Gordon draw on their professional and personal experiences to provide answers to those common questions. You'll discover why adolescent boys often feel the need to protect themselves behind a wall of silence and why it's important to your son's emotional health to break through that wall. Most important, you'll gain the knowledge and tools you need to: Recognize and understand the subtle ways boys communicate connection Reopen the lines of communication with your adolescent son Help him learn to express his feelings and experience a range of normal emotions Maintain strong emotional bonds with your son in order to support his positive growth and development
Customer Reviews:
Good premise gets lost in the shuffle.......2006-04-09
The authors have written a good book, if one were looking only at the technical aspects of writing, i.e., grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc., and there are many interesting pieces of information, but the book is also very flawed. Ironically, its flaw is its difficulty with communication its main premise, as the authors keep beating around the bush and going off on interesting tangents that are nonetheless barely relevant to their topic. The book is supposed to be about why boys have trouble communicating, and the negative ramifications of this problem. The book starts off heading in the right direction, gets lost, tries to re-find itself, gets lost again, and then makes a weak attempt to pull itself back together. An analysis of the chapters should clarify what I mean.
The first three chapters are "Why Boys Don't Talk and Why It Matters," "A New Vision: Individuation and Connection," and "New Challenges for Building Connections." In these chapters, the authors went about the task of setting the table for their premise, that our expectations and stereotypes about boys, boyhood, adolescence, masculinity, and growing up into men, are inadvertently discouraging boys from communicating about many topics, and leaving boys unnecessarily weak in their ability to talk about feelings, relationships, and anything related to those topics. They point out that many people incorrectly see only two outcomes for boys as they grow up: they stay too connected to and dependent upon their families and do not mature, or they cut themselves off from their families in order to attain independence, thus ending up alone in a vacuum of support. The authors begin discussing the concept of "interdependence" as a third, healthy option, as it allows boys to move into adulthood with relationships with their family that remain close, but have changed qualitatively. I was really beginning to like the book, at this point.
At this point, the authors veered away from their topic almost completed, and got lost in a miasma of statistics, unsupported statements, meaningless recitations of lists of studies, and unconnected semi-hypotheses, all involving the stereotypes of masculinity and the issues of racism and how boys are discriminated against at school, at home, in society, and in just about every arena of life. These are important topics, but the authors make only cursory attempts to connect all of these issues to "Why Boys Don't Talk - and Why It Matters." The chapters involved are: "The Veil of Masculinity," "What Statistics Tell Us," "Focus on Adolescent Males of Color," "A Work in Progress," and "Somewhere Between Superhero and Geek."
Just as I was about to throw in the towel, the authors again changed directions. However, it turned out to be just some new tangents. "The Debate About Nature Versus Nurture" is a synopsis of the historical debate regarding the respective roles of genetics and environment on determining personality and behavior, ending with the completely-not-novel conclusion that the two factors are inseparable and interwoven and the person must be viewed as a whole.
Next, we get "Historical Perspective: The Myth of 'the Good Old Days'" wherein the authors posit that we have idealized the 1950's and hold a nostalgia for an era that was not what we think it was. They proceed to make a case for the idea that the single-parent family is equal to, and might even be superior to, the two-parent family. How does this relate to the communication problems of today's boys? I think there might be some connection, but you won't find it in this book. Also, in my nineteen years as a therapist working with low-income families, I have met many single-parent families where the parent was struggling to avoid being overwhelmed, while simultaneously dealing children's common fantasies about how life would be better if they could live with their other parent.
In the last two chapters, "Strategies for Parents: A Baker's Dozen" and "The Power of Connection," the authors rediscover their topic. The first of these describes a set of very good but oft-stated common-sense ideas about building good family relationships and encouraging good communication. The last chapter serves as a good summary of the topic-relevant material in the book.
The authors then give us a set of appendices providing a lot of good resources and information, most of which are related to the middle chapters of the book that are not strongly connected to the premise of the book.
My advice: If you have to read this book, and improving parent-son communication is what you seek, read the first three chapters and the last two chapters.
I loved this book!.......2005-07-19
We heard the authors on a radio talk show and immediately bought the book. We needed help in communicating with our teenage son and the strategies and insights in this book profoundly altered our perspective. We have since bought the book for friends who also have teenage sons and everyone has had the same positive experience. This is a terrific book and it can really make a difference.
This book is very important for parents of boys.......2005-07-19
I really enjoyed the helpful suggestions and strategies that I read in Why Boys Don't Talk. The authors make it very clear, that boys don't need to be like girls in order to become more connected to family and friends. I agree that by focusing on boys, we are not forgetting girls. Teaching both boys and girls to be emotionally intelligent is a win win for both. I initially heard the authors being interviewed on the radio. I enjoyed hearing them talk about the subject and found that they write as well as they speak.I must admit that I have referred back to my copy many times since the first time I read it.
Misses key factors in the "boy crisis".......2005-07-04
One of the authors is "a nationally acclaimed gender equity specialist" and the other has a masters degree from an ed school. Yikes! Those credentials are enough to raise doubts as to whether the book will actually celebrate boys, or join in the popular boy-bashing trend. Indeed, goodly chunks of the book suggest how to get boys to "connect" emotionally, in other words, to be more like girls. But a major clue is the book's treatment of school. A handful of pages are devoted to reciting the now well-known litany of the facts concerning awful performance of boys in schools: poor reading records, grades below those of girls in every subject but math and science, worse graduate rates, the vanishing occurrence of boys on college campuses, and the massive amount of Ritalin dispensed to boys. The authors respond to this list with the usual groundless claims, things like boys are more active and therefore need more activity in schools. But as when delivered by many other authors as well, such "explanations" fail to note that the performance of boys has collapsed over time -- it did not used to be this bad! The clear implication is that we cannot simply suffice with explanations blaming supposed inherent defects in boys (as feminist die-hards would prefer). Instead, we must look for exogenous causes for what has happened to our boys -- in other words, what has changed in the environment that is hurting boys? The obvious nexis of the problem is schools, where in the last few decades progressivist/constructivist theories have devasted traditional instructional approaches. Instead of immersing children in a basis of a solid, fact-based understanding of the world, we now ask them for touchie-feelie essays on how they feel about obscure topics they've been taught nothing about. By emphasizing chattiness (a clear advantage for girls), we've sent our boys into a tailspin. You won't find a word about this in this book. For the real story, look for sources such as the Illinois Loop website, in discussing gender bias issues.
Books:
- First King of Shannara
- Flashman and the Redskins (Flashman)
- Flashman and the Tiger
- Flyy Girl
- God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
- Hammerhead Ranch Motel
- Havana Red
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- In the Shadow of the Law: A Novel
- Isle of Palms
Books Index
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