Despite vehement protestations from various men's movements, "Boys Will Be Boys" by Clementine Ford, is not a man-bashing manifesto, but more an in-depth examination into how our current cultural practices and ideals of manhood  are failing our boys (and in turn our girls). The book is well-researched and contains many (scary) real world examples. A must for all.

The author takes a look at how many boys are raised in toxic masculinity and the serious consequences this has, not just for them, but for the girls in their lives too. She argues that it's not enough (or fair) to raise girls to do all the 'gatekeeping' and that we need to be raising our sons right too. From the initial way adults treat boys differently to girls from birth, to the rites of male bonding which seem to involve objectifying and dehumanising girls/women, and through the rise of #MeToo, the author holds a mirror up to the society we currently live in. Please be warned, there are some harrowing descriptions of sexual assault in the book.  

It's a good job I didn't take my blood pressure whilst reading this book, especially the last third. It was both infuriating and heartbreaking to read about the many cases where women have been demonised for wanting to hold their attacker(s) to account. One thing that wasn't covered in this book but which has seen a worrying rise lately, is the amount of women who are being killed under the guise of 'rough sex'. Is this an excuse or a consequence of the rise of violent and misogynistic porn genres? Overall, the book was definitely a thought-provoking read, if upsetting in parts. 

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Oneworld Publications, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

A good overview of the problems caused by toxic masculinity. Very readable and engaging without a lot of off putting language or jargon. I really liked her focus early on towards our treatment of gender in regards to babies. With things like gender reveal parties, I have long since bulked at the immediate push towards violence for boys (guns or glitter, etc). I have also wondered why the push towards gender norms with babies? As Ford addresses, there’s really not a difference in the interests of an infant male and an infant girl. I don’t know that I’ll be using this text immediately, but I would like to use in my classes in the near future as a way to discuss gender with my students.

Boys Will Be Boys is an exploration of the rise of toxic masculinity and Ford's infuriation at the fact that it is not being addressed as an issue in modern society. Her words are literally FIRE and you can see how passionate she feels about this topic. It's incredibly thorough and well researched but can be a little dry in places, so if you don't have a deep interest in the subject it may not be for you. That said, I was engrossed throughout and thought the discussion and points made were solid and credible. Sadly, we see examples of inequality of the sexes everywhere; males often get paid more than women despite doing the same job and societal standards are different based on whether you are male or female. Rape culture, rampant homophobia and the #metoo movement are also part of toxic masculinity.

The author uses case studies from all around the world to back up her words, which I found fascinating, and it's an engaging and very intriguing read. I loved that Ms Ford uses plenty of sarcastic humour to break up the heavy topic, and it worked very well. This is an important book that everyone should read as it approaches toxic masculinity by discussing a broad set of issues and is the best book I've picked up on the subject so far. I also appreciated the glossary at the beginning as it introduces the reader to words that will recur throughout and allows those who have no previous knowledge of the subject to immerse themselves fully within its pages. It's high time boys were brought up to be better and for society to treat men and women as equals. Many thanks to Oneworld Publications for an ARC.

An imminently disturbing and frightening look at the politics of race and gender in the world today. Ford lays out a blistering critique of the way the expectations of male power are destroying human potential. There are moments that will make you shake your head with the sheer idiocy of the nonsensical way (*not all*) men frame their defense of the war on women (and anyone else they perceive as weaker than they are). This isn't just a disease that attacks women, but one that also drags men down into the depths of a most bizarre sickness. By shining a light on the way western culture sets out to keep women in "their place" Ford gives us a starting place for raising our boys to be better.

This book approaches deep topics which are not always easy to read but they are important topics that need to be recognised and discussed (homophobia, rape, assault). I particularly like how the book starts by explaining some of the terms that will be used within the book as it sets a level playing field for this who are reading it and may not be familiar with them. It enables the reader to feel engaged and welcomed into the discussion which is an incredibly powerful thing. This is a really interesting, powerful which I think it important for everyone to read.

"Entire organizations are built on the appeal of rewarding men for just showing up, festooning them with white ribbons & bending over backwards to call them champions, ambassadors, heroes, or any other celebratory title you can think of that effectively heralds men for being basically okay humans some of the time."
"Boys are defined by how impressive they are while girls are defined by how impressive they look."
"Making child care the emotional and financial responsibility of the partnered mother alone doesn't just further distance men from the responsibility of raising children, it fundamentally disadvantages women by keeping them out of the workforce, threatening their super annuation payments later on and denying them the ability to live a life beyond their identity as a mother."
This is the new norm!
Sadly this has got to stop.
Women's rights matter. Women's voices matter. Women deserve to be free.
Can you believe we live in a world where the rights of women are being threatened daily?
This is not a third world country this is the United States of America!
"To engage is to willingly open oneself up to a discussion devoid of facts or any real arguments...."
aka "Angry White Men" .
"Gone are the days when you would be required to convince an audience of your argument by using conventional methods that involve an actual critical understanding of your topic."
I for one miss intellectual debates rather than constant put downs, one liner zingers, and small town politics.
"Women are often told to 'just ignore it' as if this will magically make it disappear."
I'll never forget leaving my exhusband an abusive malignant narcissist; becoming homeless, bankrupt, LT unemployed, without safety nets such as credit, savings, or employment and being told he was 'stuffy' and needed a break.
Poor him! As his family lived in poverty he plead poverty all the way to the bank. As we struggled for basics including food insecurities he went out to wine and dine the next unsuspecting target.
While we lived without income including 15k arrears for child support he fled into hiding, quit his job, and told everyone he refused to pay outrageous support and didn't therefore a warrant was issued for his arrest.
I bring this up because my family of four received $100 as our first support payment this after living a year and a half on credit. 
Is this the way we treat women and children? Is this what's left after devoting time to an 11 yr marriage with 3 children all of which were high risk pregnancies?
I ask this of those reading this because boys are taught to be strong while girls are taught to surrender!
We are not taught to be forceful, to ask for what we need, to go after all that we can obtain.
This back seat driving has got to stop as the glass ceiling ladies is ours for the taking! We have to decide we want it bad enough.
Remember the days when we played sports and the coach would ask, "How bad do you want to win."
I often think that we want to win badly but it's a game of "The Big Boys Network" is in charge and "No Girls Allowed."
We need to rewrite the rules of this game. We need to stand up and be heard. We need to keep telling our stories. We need to challenge every rule of law. We need to not be silenced.
Women's unpaid labor is something I've struggled with since the mid 20's when I gave up my career to raise my family with one disabled child (my oldest son with vater syndrome disabled for life).
I mutually agreed it was more financially feasible for my spouse to work while I stayed home.
The agreement was to get a job upon my youngest going to school full time.
The deal fell through when my spouse had an affair, I filed for protection, he filed for divorce, and away we all went to the curb (me and my 3 kids) or stay and be threatened with no utilities and removal of my kids or have a constable remove me with threats of nonpayment of mortgage and property taxes.
So not much choice folks!
You see the family courts don't care about women and kids. They will question your educational level from high school, your ability to earn income, your ages of your kids, everything but reality will be taken into effect.
It's all geared up for the man as it continues to be a man's world run exclusively by men! 
While I had to produce my income/expense statements. My narc did not.
While I had to appear in timely manner for court (30min) ahead. My narc did not.
While I had to enter through the front door, check in at front desk, register and sign in. My narc did not?
While I had to produce legal documents that went ignored. My narc produced a quicken spreadsheet he created at home and it was more believable and credible than my legal documents such as federal/state/local taxes; bank accounts/bank statements; credit card statements; property taxes etc.
This is why when I filed 15 exceptions they were denied...exceptions arguing against my narcs false accusations. 
You see the world is hostile, angered, disillusioned, and being gaslighted daily with a malignant narc in the highest office of the land.
We are being stripped of our rights one by one...
It's disgusting, it's disheartening, it's an injustice and I which something was being done to correct the wrongs!
To date I'm on my 4th attorney to fight this evil monster.
I've not yet given up even as I head to major surgery on my back as If I quit I'm a quitter and my girls need to know they should never bow down to any man!
This I hope is the wake up call that we as a nation need to come together join hands and fight for justice for all.
God bless!
Thank you Clementine as your voice is heard and I stand with HER!
Stand up against injustices! Never give up! You're never alone! Nor to Blame!

I didn’t finish this book. I love the authors articles and follow her on social media but didn’t find the book very engaging.

A diatribe on toxic masculinity. The tone here didn’t work for me. I’m already enraged by masculine behavior every day as a woman walking in the world. This one just stressed me out.

This was just what I expected it to be which is great.  I wanted a feminist to talk about toxic masculinity and what is happening with rape culture.  Even though this writer is from Australia, she does a great job of including cases from other places through the US and Europe.  I especially liked her sarcasm.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am the queen of sarcasm and Clementine Ford has got skills.

Clementine Ford's book, Boys Will Be Boys, is a total travesty! Ms. Ford gives "long winded" a whole new meaning. In fact Ford gives the word "gasbag" new essence. 
Moreover, I came to believe that Ms. Ford is in desperate need of serious mental health intervention. The woman is a complete loon. Reading her dopey book makes one think that her marriage and family are really just two room mates living together with benefits. 
In my opinion, Clementine Ford faces a very sad and unfulfilling life.. I sincerely believe that she has zero concept of love and a deeply shared relationship. This is very rueful. 
If I could give it no stars I would do so.

An exploration of how society has different expectations and standards for men and for women and how prevalent toxic masculinity is.

I received an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review. 
Very thorough exploration and breakdown of toxic masculinity , inspired by the feminist author's baby boy. Very moving to read as about boy mom myself . I don't worry that my son's will face false accusations- I worry that toxic masculinity will sweep them up and turn them into men that lack empathy for women in pain . We need more books like this. Should be required reading for all parents of boys