Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by bell hooks

7 reviews

bashsbooks's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

The Will To Change is an important introduction to the place of men in feminist and gender equity movements. hooks' sympathy for the male experience under patriarchy is critical to the fight against it, as the obvious statement that men suffer under rigid and chaffing expectations and that men need support is a radical one in some supposedly feminist spaces. Additionally, hooks' writing style is very accessible; she expounds on complex topics in plain and straightforward language, which is a breath of fresh air when it comes to reading theory. That said, not all of her ideas still resonate (as this came out in 2004) - specifically, her conceptualization of gender and sexuality is a little too binary for my tastes, but overall, it was a good read, and extremely worthwhile. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexism, Domestic abuse, and Misogyny

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Physical abuse

Minor: Classism, Sexual violence, and Racism

fairylibrary's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Incest

itszosia's review against another edition

challenging inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual violence, Child abuse, Addiction, Sexism, Classism, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, War, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, and Alcoholism

tessjx's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, and Rape

Minor: Rape and Racism

numerous_bees's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

A good, if dated, introduction to the problems patriarchal societies cause men. Other reviewers have suggested that hooks' compassion towards men excuses male violence, but I think this is a book directed at men who need help identifying the source of their suffering and reassurance that making a change that sets them at odds with the world will be worth it. 

The author paints an attractive picture of a supportive and authentic masculinity and her criticism towards feminists who actively exclude men from the work of reimaginging a non-patriarchal society is an effort to put to bed the notion that feminism and man-hating are inextricably interwoven.

I think this is a good introduction to feminism for men, and a call for men to start the work of liberating ourselves from a system that sets us up to fail - though it would have benefited from a bibliography to aid with further reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Child abuse

Moderate: Violence

ingabbjarna's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Sexual violence

mads_jpg's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

It can be very easy to feel like men are a lost cause when it comes to educating them on feminism, and why it's needed for both women and men. But this book was really informative about just how much men are affected by the patriarchy, and how much we need them in the feminist movement. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Sexism