Male decline: Lost, isolated, and aimless. Sorry for being "male"? The struggles of men—what can we do?

     “A landmark book, one of the most important of the year.” — The New York Times
 
　　Loss, dissatisfaction, aimlessness.
　　Isolation, reclusiveness, disorientation.
　　What has happened to so many boys and men?
 
　　Economists lament the puzzling decline in male labor force participation.
　　A disproportionate number of men are "dying of despair" (suicide or overdose).
　　Parents watch their sons struggle, worried about what this means for their future.
 
　　As a father of three sons, a journalist, and a Brookings Institution scholar,
　　Richard V. Reeves has spent 25 years focusing on issues facing boys and men, both at home and at work.
　　This book examines the urgent crisis facing men and offers bold solutions.
 
　　▍ The unknown plight of men…
　　Boys struggle in school, men lose status in the labor market, and fathers lose connection with their children;
　　Today, most men earn less than they did in 1979;
　　1 in 5 fathers does not live with their children;
　　Men account for nearly three-quarters of those who die of despair…
 
　　▍ Is masculinity the original sin of being "male"?
　　The left tells men: "Be more like your sisters." The right says: "Be more like your fathers."
　　In reality, masculinity is more fragile than you think, because it must be earned and is easily lost.
　　This pain can be described as—
　　"A silent sense of despair, seemingly stemming from the torment caused by a feeling of aimlessness."
 
　　▍ We need a pro-social masculinity, and we need it now
　　As a policy expert, author Reeves provides practical and evidence-based solutions in three areas: education, the workplace, and family:
　　①. For the education system, boys must spend one more year in the classroom;
　　②. Utilize HEAL (Health, Education, Administration, and Literacy) to guide men into the future workforce;
　　③. Finally, shape fatherhood into an independent social institution.
 
　　Simone de Beauvoir wrote in 1949:
　　"Men have never thought of writing a book on the peculiar situation of the human male."
　　But now, the peculiar situation of the human male urgently requires our attention.