The Importance of Having a Boy

Talking points: masculinity, men, death, porn, education

There's few things I like more than wide-ranging yet deep conversations. This is one of them. Grateful to Richard for his time, eloquence, and commitment to men. This is a great episode if you're curious about some of the challenges young men face. Reeves is data-driven, open-minded, personable, and thorough, so check the time stamps to see more of what we explore.

00:03:41.500 - Richard’s defining moment, and how he and his family handled the grief

00:10:11.100 - Living well means facing death

00:14:07.500 - “Death in one hand and gratitude in the other”

00:17:49.500 - Do men have a different perception of time?

00:22:18.500 - With how polarized everything is, how does Richard navigate modern culture?

00:28:01.000 - Fewer men are graduating college than ever before. Why? What are some of the implications?

00:36:44.500 - What are some biological differences between men and women, and what sort of caveats need to enter the discussion?

00:41:41.000 - Historically, feminine traits tend to get weaponized against women

00:44:45.000 - On porn and its effects

00:51:50.500 - How do I talk to my kids about porn?

Richard V. Reeves is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, where he directs the Future of the Middle Class Initiative and co-directs the Center on Children and Families. His Brookings research focuses on the middle class, inequality, and social mobility.

Richard’s publications for Brookings include his latest book Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It (2022) and 2017's Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That Is a Problem, and What to Do about It. He contributes to The Atlantic, National Affairs, Democracy Journal, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. Richard is also the author of John Stuart Mill – Victorian Firebrand, an intellectual biography of the British liberal philosopher and politician.

Dream Hoarders was named a Book of the Year by The Economist, a Political Book of the Year by The Observer, and was shortlisted for the Goddard Riverside Stephan Russo Book Prize for Social Justice. In September 2017, Politico magazine named Richard one of the top 50 thinkers in the U.S. for his work on class and inequality.

Connect with Richard

-Website: https://richardvreeves.com/

-Book: Of Boys And Men: https://amzn.to/3GKcRkY

-Substack: https://ofboysandmen.substack.com/

-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richardv.reeves

-Podcast: https://richardvreeves.com/podcast/

-The Art of Dying (book mention): https://amzn.to/3UEu1X6

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