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inessova's review against another edition
2.0
I'm being very generous with this two stars. Comparing men suffering to racism, to the jews in Germany before the WWII... And that was the first 10% .
I was really eager to listen and hear from a male perspective. But this was such bullsh*t. He just compares stuff that have nothing to do with anything. The arguments are so weak, it actually is disservicing men not helping their case
I was really eager to listen and hear from a male perspective. But this was such bullsh*t. He just compares stuff that have nothing to do with anything. The arguments are so weak, it actually is disservicing men not helping their case
smallmac's review against another edition
5.0
While on the surface this book seems to be written from the perspective of the Men's Rights Activist, it's actually very fair when presenting its ideas. This is third wave feminism - no more blame games or excuses, just reasons men and women need to communicate and treat each other fairly and with respect.
vlionhardt's review against another edition
5.0
An eye-opening read. Farrell points out several areas in which contemporary feminists can improve society. The book discusses males' higher suicide rates, lower life spans, higher work-related deaths, and much more, while women received lighter sentences in comparison to their male counterparts (for equivalent crimes), an astronomically higher occurrence of child custody, and are generally treated like children with respect to the law and sexuality. He even discusses a few court cases that were thrown out due to 'PMS clauses', wherein female criminals were discharged simply for their time of the month.
In short, we have a lot to work on as a society, and it starts by taking men's rights seriously.
In short, we have a lot to work on as a society, and it starts by taking men's rights seriously.
jakej's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.5
He often overreaches on specific points of rhetoric and language (e.g 'men are the new "niggers"') but most of his points are fairly moderate, banal, and reasonable (the fact that men commit suicide at nearly four times the rate of women, and have a life expectancy 6 years less than women is an issue worthy of addressing).
gaiusgermanicus's review against another edition
1.0
I feel like I gave this book a fair shake by reading at least a third of it before dropping it.
It has a bunch of interesting ideas, but also some of the stupidest ones I had ever read. Made it up to "in arab countries women cover themselves to force men to guarantee providing before they get the goods". Then how come before a man (Mohammed) imposed his religion in the region, women didn't do that? How come if they want to step away from the "transaction" (which is in men's interest because they'd get the goods without paying the price), they are violently snuffed out?
It's like one of those guys who keep women in their basement wrote this. "I am an innocent powerless dude here and do you know who has the real power in this house? That chick in my basement."
So stupid.
It has a bunch of interesting ideas, but also some of the stupidest ones I had ever read. Made it up to "in arab countries women cover themselves to force men to guarantee providing before they get the goods". Then how come before a man (Mohammed) imposed his religion in the region, women didn't do that? How come if they want to step away from the "transaction" (which is in men's interest because they'd get the goods without paying the price), they are violently snuffed out?
It's like one of those guys who keep women in their basement wrote this. "I am an innocent powerless dude here and do you know who has the real power in this house? That chick in my basement."
So stupid.
norma_cenva's review against another edition
5.0
An amazing book, so happy to have the special edition!
bdwelle's review against another edition
5.0
A very cogent and powerful counterargument to the idea that men (or women) have, took, or created power over one another.
queefbeefs's review against another edition
3.0
This book is worth a read at the very least for it's influence on modern "men's rights" movements. While I disagree with many of the points Farrell makes, it does make some salient observations.
teelock's review
5.0
Academic Kenneth Clatterbaugh, in an overview of the literature of the men's movement, comments that "eventually, [Farrell's] arguments reach absurd heights, as when Farrell actually argues against sexual harassment laws and child molestation laws on the grounds that they give even more power (to abuse men) to (women) employees and children".
Social critic Camille Paglia, writing for The Washington Post, says The Myth of Male Power "attacks the unexamined assumptions of feminist discourse with shocking candour and forces us to see our everyday world from a fresh perspective", though she added that Farrell is sometimes guilty of "questionable selectiveness or credulity about historical sources". Paglia nevertheless concludes that the book "is the kind of original, abrasive, heretical text that is desperately needed to restore fairness and balance to the present ideology-sodden curriculum of women's studies courses."
Reviewer Robert Winder describes the book as "shock-horror hyperbole posing as scholarship" and goes on to write "...Farrell might be right to see the gender conflict as a war to which only one side has turned up, but this is only a sarcastic way of confessing to an authentic male worry: the twinge of jealousy men sometimes feel when confronted by feminine solidarity. Farrell, however, just like some of his female opposite numbers, prefers accusation to self-examination".
Linda Mealey notes that the book is recommended reading for educators in the social sciences, particularly gender studies; she does critique Farrell, for easily seeing causality in correlation.
Academic Margot Mifflin, writes that "most of Farrell’s tit-for-tat theories about man’s greater societal burden are slanted, self-serving, and absurdly simplistic."
Anthropologist Melvin Konner writes that, like Christina Hoff Sommers' Who Stole Feminism? (1994), The Myth of Male Power is a good antidote to the way in which "real knowledge about sex roles...tends to get buried in postmodernist rhetoric."
The Los Angeles Times notes that "...some critics say 'The Myth of Male Power' goes beyond the nurturing rituals of the male movement to mount an outright assault on the victories of the modern women's movement."
An article in Mother Jones notes that the book "...has spawned a network of activists and sites that take Farrell’s ideology in a disturbing direction."
The book includes several factual errors concerning murderer Laurie Dann, who is used as an example of violence against men by women. Farrell states that all of her victims were male, that she burned down a Young Men's Jewish Council, burned two boys in a basement, shot her own son, and alleged that she killed an eight-year-old rapist. Some men's rights activists, academics, and media figures have repeated Farrell's errors and conclusion. Farrell later issued a correction on his web site.
Social critic Camille Paglia, writing for The Washington Post, says The Myth of Male Power "attacks the unexamined assumptions of feminist discourse with shocking candour and forces us to see our everyday world from a fresh perspective", though she added that Farrell is sometimes guilty of "questionable selectiveness or credulity about historical sources". Paglia nevertheless concludes that the book "is the kind of original, abrasive, heretical text that is desperately needed to restore fairness and balance to the present ideology-sodden curriculum of women's studies courses."
Reviewer Robert Winder describes the book as "shock-horror hyperbole posing as scholarship" and goes on to write "...Farrell might be right to see the gender conflict as a war to which only one side has turned up, but this is only a sarcastic way of confessing to an authentic male worry: the twinge of jealousy men sometimes feel when confronted by feminine solidarity. Farrell, however, just like some of his female opposite numbers, prefers accusation to self-examination".
Linda Mealey notes that the book is recommended reading for educators in the social sciences, particularly gender studies; she does critique Farrell, for easily seeing causality in correlation.
Academic Margot Mifflin, writes that "most of Farrell’s tit-for-tat theories about man’s greater societal burden are slanted, self-serving, and absurdly simplistic."
Anthropologist Melvin Konner writes that, like Christina Hoff Sommers' Who Stole Feminism? (1994), The Myth of Male Power is a good antidote to the way in which "real knowledge about sex roles...tends to get buried in postmodernist rhetoric."
The Los Angeles Times notes that "...some critics say 'The Myth of Male Power' goes beyond the nurturing rituals of the male movement to mount an outright assault on the victories of the modern women's movement."
An article in Mother Jones notes that the book "...has spawned a network of activists and sites that take Farrell’s ideology in a disturbing direction."
The book includes several factual errors concerning murderer Laurie Dann, who is used as an example of violence against men by women. Farrell states that all of her victims were male, that she burned down a Young Men's Jewish Council, burned two boys in a basement, shot her own son, and alleged that she killed an eight-year-old rapist. Some men's rights activists, academics, and media figures have repeated Farrell's errors and conclusion. Farrell later issued a correction on his web site.
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