Reviews

The Descent of Man by Grayson Perry

javinki_'s review against another edition

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3.0

Not gonna lie, it's been so long since I finished reading this that I can't actually remember what I wanted to say in this review. I'm pretty sure some / all / a few of these are correct, though:

1. I was surprised that Grayson Perry was straight

2. The book seems pretty aimed at straight men
(Javi, some people are straight. Get over it. -Ed.)

3. The division of his arguments into the four categories seemed like a great idea in theory but felt quite muddled in practice - I literally cannot remember what any of the categories were because of how much overlap there was between each section

4. As someone who uses Capital Letters in Everyday Writing for Emphasis, I wasn't always the biggest fan of the Names he gave different categories of men (this is purely from a poetic point of view though lol)

5. That said, I did enjoy reading it, and I liked how focused it was on moving forwards / towards the future - it was less 'this is how X problem has existed in the past' and more 'this is how X problem might be solved in the future'

6. Haha funny doodle drawings :) art!

Apologies for the absolute state of a review - if you made it this far, you're a real fan, I see you, and I love you <3

reality_x's review against another edition

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4.0

This book's most intriguing idea is the contradiction between what one wants from a partner in the bedroom and daily chores. This problem occurred to me early during my love relationship. I'm just glad that I'm not alone in coping with this problem which I haven't got the answer to. But there's definitely some pondering to do with this aspect of relationship and masculinity. We should reflect more on what we need and want instead of going merely with our guts as it probably is ingrained by the society of masculinity.

imrg's review against another edition

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inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

juuce's review against another edition

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informative lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

treborc29's review against another edition

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4.0

This book isn't just food for thought, it's an entire buffet.

I'd fully recommend that every male reads this book, then goes back and reads it again. It's made me realise a lot about myself and where some of my past mistakes have come from. The book is written from a place of experience rather than pure academic facts, but the stats that the book contains really make you think.

I'll definitely be returning to this book regularly and seeking out similar books.

P.s. My reason for giving it 4 stars was because it was too short for my liking. I would've happily read a 300/400-page version.

ghsr's review against another edition

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informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.75

katieloves2reademmasbooks's review

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challenging funny informative reflective fast-paced

4.5

alinagander's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

athenium's review

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informative lighthearted reflective fast-paced

5.0

technicolour's review against another edition

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medium-paced

2.5