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The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons From Falling Behind in School and Life Paperback – Illustrated, March 23, 2007

by Michael Gurian (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 131 ratings
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Michael Gurian's blockbuster bestseller The Wonder of Boys is the bible for mothers, fathers, and educators on how to understand and raise boys. It has sold over 400,000 copies, been translated into 17 languages, and sells over 25,000 every year, which is more than any other book on boys in history. To follow up on this first book, which launched the boy's movement, he has now written this revolutionary new book which confronts what he and a lot of other parents and teachers in this country truly believe to be a "boy's crisis".

Here are the facts:
  • Boys today are simply not learning as well as girls
  • Boys receive 70% of the Ds and Fs given all students
  • Boys cause 90% of classroom discipline problems
  • 80% of all high school dropouts are boys
  • Millions of American boys are on Ritalin and other mind-bending control drugs
  • Only 40% of college students are boys
  • And three out of four learning disabled students are boys
So what can we do?

Gurian has the answer in this enormously fascinating and practical book which shows parents and teachers how to help boys overcome their current classroom obstacles by helping to create the proper learning environment, understand how to help boys work with their unique natural gifts, nurture and expand every bit of their potential, and enabling them to succeed in life the way they ought to.

Gurian presents a whole new way of solving the problem based on the success of his program in schools across the country, the latest research and application of neuro-biological research on how boys' brains actually work and how they can learn very well if they're properly taught.

Anyone who cares about the future of our boys must read this book.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    368 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Jossey-Bass
  4. Publication date
    March 23, 2007
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.83 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0787995282
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0787995287
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Praise for The Minds of Boys

"Wonderfully readable, The Minds of Boys fills a great void for parents and educators by offering practical ways to change the developmental course for boys at risk. Gurian and Stevens show us that we don't have to surrender our boys to depression or school failure: an essential piece of school reform!"
—Robin Karr-Morse, author, Ghosts from the Nursery

"Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens pull the pieces together in The Minds of Boys, including the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive needs of boys. This is a must-read for educators from preschool through young adulthood and for any parent or grandparent who is raising a boy. This book is well researched, offering concrete ways to help our boys develop and flourish in and out of school."
—Dr. Paul D. Slocumb, author, Hear Our Cry: Boys in Crisis

"The Minds of Boys is an excellent read. I found it enlightening not only as a neuroscientist but also as the mother of a young boy. It has absolutely changed the way that I think about boys (and men) and the ways in which they express their enthusiasm for life."
—Tracey J. Shors, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University

From the Back Cover

Praise for The Minds of Boys

"Wonderfully readable, The Minds of Boys fills a great void for parents and educators by offering practical ways to change the developmental course for boys at risk. Gurian and Stevens show us that we don't have to surrender our boys to depression or school failure: an essential piece of school reform!"
—Robin Karr-Morse, author, Ghosts from the Nursery

"Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens pull the pieces together in The Minds of Boys, including the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive needs of boys. This is a must-read for educators from preschool through young adulthood and for any parent or grandparent who is raising a boy. This book is well researched, offering concrete ways to help our boys develop and flourish in and out of school."
—Dr. Paul D. Slocumb, author, Hear Our Cry: Boys in Crisis

"The Minds of Boys is an excellent read. I found it enlightening not only as a neuroscientist but also as the mother of a young boy. It has absolutely changed the way that I think about boys (and men) and the ways in which they express their enthusiasm for life."
—Tracey J. Shors, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Jossey-Bass; Reprint edition (March 23, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0787995282
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0787995287
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.83 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 131 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Michael Gurian

    Michael Gurian

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    Michael Gurian is a social philosopher, family therapist, corporate consultant, and the New York Times bestselling author of twenty books published in fifteen languages. The Gurian Institute, which he co-founded, conducts research internationally, launches pilot programs and trains professionals. Michael has been called "the people's philosopher" for his ability to bring together people's ordinary lives and scientific ideas.

    As a social philosopher, he has pioneered efforts to bring neuro-biology and brain research into homes, workplaces, schools and public policy. A number of his ground-breaking books in child development, including THE WONDER OF BOYS, BOYS AND GIRLS LEARN DIFFERENTLY! THE WONDER OF GIRLS and WHAT COULD HE BE THINKING? have sparked national debate. His newest work, THE MINDS OF BOYS (September 2005) provides a revolutionary new framework, based in neuro-biology, by which to understand and care for the educational needs of our sons.

    Michael has served as a consultant to families, corporations, therapists, physicians, school districts, community agencies, churches, criminal justice personnel and other professionals, traveling to approximately 20 cities a year to keynote at conferences. His training videos (also available as DVDs) for parents and volunteers are used by Big Brother and Big Sister agencies in the U.S. and Canada.

    As an educator, Michael previously taught at Gonzaga University, Eastern Washington University, and Ankara University. His speaking engagements include Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, Macalester College, University of Colorado, University of Missouri-Kansas City, and UCLA. His philosophy reflects the diverse cultures (European, Asian, Middle Eastern and American) in which he has lived, worked and studied.

    Michael's work has been featured in various media, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, Newsweek, Time, People, Reader's Digest, the Wall Street Journal, Parenting, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and on the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, PBS and National Public Radio.

    Michael can be reached on the worldwide web at

    www.michaelgurian.com

    See more on the author's page
  2. Kathy Stevens

    Kathy Stevens

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
131 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

A. Nahmias
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have Tool for Parents of Boys
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2006
Verified Purchase
I would highly recommend this book to any parent of a boy. I know that this is a broad, sweeping statement, and that not all parents will face the challenges, which this book highlights, however, I was relieved to discover in reading this book that I am not alone. I was heartbroken, when at three, my son was transitioned into a class of four and five-year-old children without any of his peers. There, a Pre-K teacher, told him that he was `stupid' and `didn't listen' because he could not sit still or write his letters, and that he had ADD. Her dissatisfaction with him eventually escalated until she physically hit my son. He was traumatized by this incident. I subsequently removed him from this school. However, when I saw the news program featuring the Michael Gurian Institute and this book, I tried to get it from Barnes & Nobles and Borders only to discover it was sold out. I then ordered it from Amazon and have not been able to put it down. It has given me the tools to mitigate successfully potential negative interactions with his current teachers and caregivers, and to build bridges that celebrate his uniqueness as a young boy entering the educational arena. A Must Have!!
10 people found this helpful
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Deborah G. Waldron
5.0 out of 5 stars If you have a son you need this book
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2006
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Many of our public schools are failing our boys. My son was an A student until middle school and he took a dive. I realized that many teachers were unsympathetic in how he was transitioning. It's almost as if everyone is so helpful and kind to the child until they go into middle school. All of a sudden he's lazy and disrespectful. I've meet more disrespectful teachers than students. Who is supposed to be the adult? You must be an advocate for your child. Finding extra help such as tutors or family members to encourage is helpful. Your son is still there. He's just changing and you must see him for who he is NOW! Get this book, it will really open your eyes.
8 people found this helpful
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The Old Philosopher
4.0 out of 5 stars A needed step forward for boys:
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2006
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I really sympathize with Michael Gurian. I felt much the same way about the failures of the industrialized education system in the 1950s that he described a couple of decades later. It's set up to fail boys, and has gotten worse over the past several decades as men teachers have been driven out.

The authors begin by describing the crisis in education of boys. In chapter 2 they tell us that the problems of boys in today's schools are the result of brain differences. Boys' brains are biologically and functionally different than those of girls. Since you can't change the brains of boys, the schools have to be changed to work with the brains of boys in order to teach boys. Good, I observed, the schools should focus on who their students are and orient their instruction of boys based on the minds and needs of boys. Unfortunately, the whole rest of the book seems to be focused on finding ways to better teach boys to be more like girls, using girls as the standards in education.

I was quite put off by the constant inclusion of girls in the book. If I read a book about girls I don't find boys talked about and praised on every page. Yet, these authors seem to feel that the average reader is female and wants to read about girls more than about boys even in a book about boys. One universal message repeated over and over is some variation of "girls are good," or "girls are better than boys at this." First mention of any physiological brain advantage of boys is on page 147. Until then it's all "girl's brains are better at this, girls are better at that. Boys can't do this or that as well." On page 147 they mention the greater much greater amount of white matter of male brains, a great advantage in logical thought, but avoid directly saying that boys and men are actually better at anything. One of the huge problems boys face in education today is the constant repetition of praise for girls and women while belittling achievements of boys and men, and it's continued in this book. It is possible to say something good about boys without reciting "girls too are good" or "girls are better" every time. The Gurian institute needs to learn how to change their own publications to male positive statements to and about boys before they are qualified to teach the teachers.

The data throughout the book often contradicts their recitation of misandrist dogma. For example, they repeat the old saw, "Boys...are structured to learn with less multitasking than girls, and boys tend to do better when focusing for long periods on one task..." (p-50) Yet, throughout the book they describe how boys need to move around and do physical activity WHILE reading or learning, but girls don't. It appears that tossing a baseball while reading is not "multitasking" because it doesn't praise girls at boys expense. Once again the lie is in the definitions. "Multitasking" is usually defined as "what girls do," so boys/men "aren't as good at multitasking." Several times in several ways the authors describe how boys not only do multitasking, but actually can't learn very well if they aren't doing physical and mental activity at the same time. This data is ignored in order to preserve the old dogma and affirm the prejudices of their female dominated teacher audience. The other stuff that boys need to do while learning is not "multitasking" by definition, the usual dogma.

The authors use numerous highlighted and bulleted "Did you Know" setoffs to included specific information. In the longest one, which goes on for 4 pages, is on the topic of "The Male Brain." Boys and men are mentioned 29 times, counting the grandfather fishing story, while girls and women are mentioned 24 times. Out of 10 bulleted points, one bullet talks about girls exclusively, but none talks about boys without mentioning girls. Some version of "girls are better" is described in 8 of the 10 bullets. Do I really need to read so much about girls and women to understand "The Male Brain"?

They suggest changing grading standards somewhat, but still say that an "A" paper should be based on how girls write, with lots of descriptive words and fluff. Boy write more succinctly and often get right to the point, and then stop writing, a failing paper by feminized grading standards. The author suggests that "good" writing can be determined by counting the number of words, or by counting the number of words describing feelings.

There is some good stuff: Schools are industrial factories with conveyor like production. Boys need to move while reading because it prevents brains from dropping into rest phase. Boys need to read relevant material, for example a reading class could use a book on motorcycle repair instead of a book on romance. Teach material with a lot of visual and spatial references, such as classic science fiction stories. Don't force boys to read books with boring, to a boy, focus on relationships or romance. Stop trying to make boys sit quietly in school, because boys need to be multitasking in order to listen or learn effectively.

I find the constant pandering to the female dominated educational system offensive. I wanted to read about boys, and not be constantly reading praise for girls. I understand the authors needs to be able to reach the huge majority of feminist women who dominate education systems, but I still find it offensive to men. I would not find such praise of boys and belittling of girls in a book about girl psychology and educational needs. I guess it's reality, education now is dominated by females and educational change for boys has to reach them. It's a book with a lot of good information and some good recommendations for improving the education of boys if you can stomach all the "girls are better" inclusions.
74 people found this helpful
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MTE
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy This Book
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2012
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I’ve plowed through a lot of literature on this topic and been fairly dissatisfied with the results. Either the book was a recitation of the problem without concrete solutions or the solutions presented amounted to, “Push harder, but with a boyish smile.”
This book, however, provides real, workable solutions to helping boys in school.
The biggest obstacle you will face after reading the book is getting the teacher(s) on board with the alternatives. I’ve found a good deal of resistance, but I haven’t given up.
8 people found this helpful
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Sarah lee
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! Fascinating read!
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2011
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My boys are just starting school this fall, so I wanted to read about how to best help them in their educational experience. The author does a great job in giving specific, practical advice in how to help your son succeed in school, starting from toddler years in the home, all the way through high school, and even college. This is definitely a worthwhile read for any parents who wish to help make school a positive experience for their sons.
2 people found this helpful
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Clayton Townley
5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource for parents, teachers, or anyone else who mentors boys.
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2015
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This is a great book that really does explain the minds of boys well. I read it when I was a teacher; our whole staff read it as a group and it really helped us understand how to help the boys in our classes succeed. Now that I am having a boy after two girls, I'm re-reading it as a refresher to help give him the support he needs to be awesome(and successful).
4 people found this helpful
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STEPHANIE
5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE IT
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2014
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THIS BOOK IS A GREAT BOOK IF YOU ARE A MOTHER OF A SON. I ONLY HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS AND THIS BOOK HAS HELPED ME ALOT AND OPENED MY EYES TO ALOT
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oneoneone
1.0 out of 5 stars mostly anecdotes not anything worth reading
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2013
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This book is mostly anecdotes and advertisments for authors clinic. Nothing new/noteworthy. If you have children and are not a child yourself this book will not tell you anything you don't already know. save you money.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Bing Q. Wang
5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for parents of boys
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 22, 2023
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A hugely important study over decades of research into brain science and anthropology… vital read for anyone who has or comes near children. This book has fundamentally changed how I parent and educate my son.
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Gordon William Marsden
5.0 out of 5 stars very informative
Reviewed in Canada on February 6, 2014
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good for all ages, from toddler to teen and a bit beyond. shows that the y chromosome boy is not an x girl
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Tania Mujica
5.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 7, 2013
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Exactly what I was expecting. Thanks... xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx
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