Location:Home » Caribbean » Action & Adventure » A Fine Young Man: What Parents, Mentors, and Educators Can Do to Shape Adolescent Boys into Exceptional Men
Avg. Customer Rating:(based on 15 reviews) Sales Rank: 200212 Category: Book
Author:Michael Gurian Publisher:Tarcher Studio:Tarcher Manufacturer:Tarcher Label:Tarcher Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published) Media: Paperback Edition: 1st Trade Pbk. Ed Number Of Items: 1 Pages: 320 Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9 Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.9
Product Description The author explores the unseen problems and marvels of maile adolescents, showing parents, teachers, and mentors how to shepherd boys through the challenging ages of ten to twenty.
Amazon.com Review Building on the success of his guide to raising healthy young boys (The Wonder of Boys, Michael Gurian has written the next chapter--a book focusing on the much-maligned adolescent male. Gurian asserts, "We do not understand adolescent-male development, and therefore are unable to give our adolescent males the kind of love they need to become fully responsible, loving, and wise men." Adolescent boys may appear to be self-sufficient, but Gurian asserts that they actually need their parents and elders desperately. The author carefully illustrates what we--as parents, mentors, and educators--need to know about male adolescents, and what we can do to aid them on their journey to adulthood.
In the face of many sociologists and scholars who strongly declare the contrary, Gurian claims a biological basis for many male behavioral traits. In A Fine Young Man, he employs convincing data from scientific studies on neurological development to assert that female and male brains have significant differences, and that testosterone plays an important role in male development and behavior.
But A Fine Young Man offers far more than theory. Gurian's arguments are firmly rooted in reality, and he offers specific suggestions for typical family dilemmas. He breaks down the stages of development into preadolescence, early, middle, and late adolescence; discusses education and the role of the media; and suggests ways to keep aggression (caused in part by the testosterone flooding the adolescent male brain) from becoming violence. In a social sense, Gurian says, adolescent boys are our most undernourished population, and A Fine Young Man encapsulates his hope that our neglected young men receive the nurturing they need. --Ericka Lutz
A tool that parents, teachers, and community members can utalize December 12, 2006 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book was written not only for youth but as a tool that parents, teachers, and community members can use to engage in the difficult task of guiding youth, especially young men. The author states that "Adolescent boys may appear to be self-sufficient, but they actually need their parents and elders desperately." This profound statement by the author summarizes the book in the fact that without mentor's youth can not survive. Besides providing information for family and community members the book also addresses many male behavior traits by describing biological reasons behind them. Scientific studies conducted on neurological development have asserted that female and make brains have significant differences. Within males testosterone plays a much more profound role in male development and behavior which sheds some light into the aggressive actions of male youth. However, the author doesn't simply focus on neurological development as a means to scapegoat the fact that males tend to be more aggressive then females thus their behavior should be excused, but rather suggest that this theory might explain in more depth the reasoning behind typical family dilemmas.
The book outlines ways that parents, mentors, and community members can keep aggression from becoming violence, such as focusing on education and how the media effects aggression in young men through development from preadolescence to late adolescence. The author states that adolescent boys are society's most undernourished population in regards to mentoring and that focusing a little bit of time and effort is going to pay of immensely for these young men and how they ultimately affect society.
This book was clearly written for individuals who want to broaden their knowledge surrounding at risk male youth. It has clear goals which are outlined throughout the book and it provided a solid basis for understanding what needs to be done in ones home, community, and elsewhere to aid in the development of at risk youth.
Even though at times I did not agree with the physiological causes for assertive male behavior I was able to understand that extensive research within this area has been completed and this book is based on that research. Although the neurological development of males is drastically different then females, I believe that it does not excuse aggressive behavior. Overall I thought this book was well written and had some excellent alternative view points. I would definitely recommend it to another mentor.
Makes Boys Sound Like Wreckless Hormone Driven Monsters, January 17, 2005 1 out of 28 found this review helpful
Basically to make a long story short he gives boys *bunk" all the traits of monstes which have to be controlled by channeling boys even further into this behavior by saying it's "normal".In REAL life there are plenty of quiet,well mannered boys and sex crazed rocus girls.This book has nothing to do with reality,and is based on Gurian's subjective beliefs about boys or as he puts it "male brains".Brains are brains and they vary from person to person,once more he doesn't seem to understand their is more to a ^BEING^ than mere biology. People can teach their children,both boys and girls that they have self controll and will to succeed.Both girls as well as boys need information which will lead them toward success in life,not just boys.Much weight to succeed is put on boys in his realm.This ideal of 'masculine' *gag* perfection is not good for boys,because it's a ONE SIZE FITS ALL type of mentality. What he's doing to kids and also adults is criminal.
A Clinical Psychologist's View April 6, 2002 18 out of 18 found this review helpful
I find Gurian's cross-cultural perspective fascinating, and he does a better job in this book than in "The Wonder of Boys" of suggesting actions that can be taken and changes that can be made to help our young men. As a mentor and a clinical psychologist who works with children and their families, I see far too many boys trying to figure out how to become men with little or no input from men. Growing up just happens as boys grow older, but maturing is another matter; maturing or developing into adulthood requires guidance and/or examples to follow. Mothers do all they can, but boys need men they respect who will teach them how to become men, or at least lead by example. This is highly recommended for mentors, educators, and parents.
Good but left me longing for more July 21, 2001 I have 2 boys 12 and 14. I hunger for books on this subject. I liked this book better than others. I chaff at the sterotypes necessary in this sort of book although Gurian handled this issue gracefully. The book is dense on theory and philosophy and more articulate and complete and thought provoking than most. I liked his list of characteristics and attributes of the fine young man. The sections on practical hints, while much more complete than most other books on the subject could certainly bear some fleshing out especially for parents who not are well connected with adequate male models. It made me grateful I have a great husband and a circle of good friends.
A practical book substantiated through scientific research August 17, 2000 24 out of 24 found this review helpful
One of the best features of this book is the fact that Michael Gurian. having lived in other cultures, researches his material through the scientific process aas well as by investigating other cultures in how they relate to boys. In so doing Gurian discovers some common elements and some differences. Some of these differences are surprising and offer our own culture something to thnink about. It is hard to focus on what is good about this book because one would have to summarize all its chapters. Perhaps a strong element of "A Fine Young Man" is the structure of those chapters. Guriam presents the thesis of the chapter. He presents cross-cultural references, scientific reseach and personal histories. He then offers some practical "how-to's". For those of us who work with boys, especially adolescents, this practical aspect is quite important. While Gurian's style makes this "easy" reading, one finds oneself pausing numerous times and talking to oneself about what one has just read. Gurian inspires the reader to bring "his" own life to the process. I thought this book would be a releif from the spiritual and theological reading I have been doing. Yet I found myself reflecting frequently on Gurian's insights, the implications of the research he discovered and the stories he presents. I found myself journaling about these times.
This book has solid practical value, but it also has a deep spiritual challenge to those of us to want to help our young men grow into healthy and faithful adults.
All rights reserved. Amazon.com is a trademark of Amazon.com Information about prices, products, services and merchants is provided by third parties and is for informational purposes only. Caribbean Travel Books does not represent or warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information, and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use.
