Boys Adrift: Dr. Leonard Sax on the Secret Lives of Men Podcast

On the Secret Lives of Men podcast, Dr. Chris Blazina speaks with Dr. Leonard Sax, author of Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men (2009 edition), about the struggles young men face in this culture during this particular moment of history.

Sax is a controversial figure in gender studies. He advocates single sex schools, believes there are some serious physiological gender differences beyond the sex hormones (hearing, vision, and connections between emotions and language), and has been criticized for frequent use of stereotypes and over-generalizations.

Below is his own bio statement from Amazon - Wikipedia has a slightly different take.

Leonard Sax MD PhD graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and then went on to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned both a PhD in psychology, and an MD. He completed a 3-year residency in family practice at Lancaster General Hospital in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. From 1989 through 2008, he was a practicing family physician in Maryland, just outside Washington DC. In 2005, Doubleday published his first book Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex Differences. His second book, Boys Adrift, was published in 2007; an expanded softcover edition was published in 2009. His most recent book Girls on the Edge: The Four Factors Driving the New Crisis for Girls--Sexual Identity, the Cyberbubble, Obsessions, Environmental Toxins was published in 2010; an extensively-updated softcover edition was released in July 2011. Dr. Sax has spoken on issues of child and adolescent development not only in the United States but also in Australia, Bermuda, Canada, England, Germany, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Scotland, and Spain. He has appeared on the TODAY Show, CNN, National Public Radio, PBS, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, New Zealand Television, and many other national and international media.

The books linked to above are the most current, updated editions. Read an excerpt from Boys Adrift.

Boys Adrift: Dr. Leonard Sax

Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men

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Something scary is happening to boys today. From kindergarten to college, American boys are, on average, less resilient and less ambitious than they were a mere twenty years ago. The gender gap in college attendance and graduation rates has widened dramatically. While Emily is working hard at school and getting A’s, her brother Justin is goofing off. He’s more concerned about getting to the next level in his videogame than about finishing his homework. Now, Dr. Leonard Sax delves into the scientific literature and draws on more than twenty years of clinical experience to explain why boys and young men are failing in school and disengaged at home. He shows how social, cultural, and biological factors have created an environment that is literally toxic to boys. He also presents practical solutions, sharing strategies which educators have found effective in re-engaging these boys at school, as well as handy tips for parents about everything from homework, to videogames, to medication.