The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men

Dr. Leonard Sax offers competent advice for the parents of today's troubled boys. Troubled by a wrong education system, parenting style, living style etc. His book explains why your son is in trouble and how to get out of trouble.

I am a mental health professional, and found this book to present a refreshingly new view on ADHD and other factors that motivate boys and young men. For a long time I have been convinced (just like Dr. Sax) that simply medicating them is not a good solution. I now recommend this book to all of the parents I work with! It will open your eyes and give you some new ideas on how to help your sons.

For anyone who works with boys and has noticed the lack of motivation, failure to mature into manhood, and the general struggle of boys in this generation, this book is worth reading. Dr. Leonard Sax provides a very insightful assessment into what is driving, or in this case hindering boys and young men. His insight and perspective are informed from years of research and clinical practice, so even if you don't agree with him on every point, his point of view is worth strongly considering. I gave this book 5 stars because I feel it is so important. However, there is one critique I have....While Dr. Sax is excellent at diagnosing the problems, I was left unsatisfied by the solutions proposed. I would put this on the reading list of every parent, teacher, counselor, and concerned adult in the lives of boys.

This is an excellent and timely writing. I have purchased several of these books for family members which includes my children and their children. So very appropriate for todays young people. Girls can also learn a lot from this book. So happy I read an article in the newspaper regarding it.

I found the author to make some very good points. I am now more concerned about my son on his concerta meds but a little reassured by his progress in school and social development. This is a good read for all parents who may question what's going on with their son

This book was extremely well-written and full of solid facts and interesting anecdotes. As a mother of two boys, with three brothers of my own, I found it fascinating and SO true! In addition, the author argues for male differences in socialization without putting down women, which is rare. If you you have male children - of any age - READ THIS BOOK!!!

This book expresses well the important social issue we face in the U.S. of far too many young boys becoming unmotivated at a young age (5-10) years old and developing into underachieving young men. The information is well-researched and compelling. This book needs to be read by enough caring adults in our nation to compel several actions that will ameliorate the problem.

This book is so necessary for today's parents and teachers. After finishing it, my husband bought many more to give a presents to teachers and friends. It caused such beneficial discussion, we had a large discussion group so everyone could find practical ways to help our community. Thank you for this great tool.

Make no mistake about it: This book outlines one of the main ways our society has entered its decay phase: Boys are losing their place in society. It is happening for a huge array of reasons, which are clearly and at reasonable length addressed in the book, including feminization of education, video games, ADHD medication, the breakdown of the family and lack of male role models in boys' lives.

Boys are falling further behind in school and graduating at lower rates, especially compared to girls. Men of prime working age are leaving the labor force. Employers and trainers find US-born boys lethargic and without any work ethic and frequently look to immigrants to do (even well-paying) traditional male work. Boys are losing their interest in work, in socializing, in sex, in society more broadly.

The pervasiveness of theses problems is truly frightening. What can we do about it? We can work on a local level by both helping put our kids in the best possible home environment. And we can work in our communities--especially by trying to work with schools or by finding single-sex schools or classrooms--to provide education appropriate to boys' development.

I'll ask my wife to read it and then ask her what she thinks about our 8 and 12 year old sons' reading it. The only thing more frightening than the overall societal message of the book is its message for my own boys.

Lots of information and studies to back up his view. Interesting perspective. Good book. All parents, physicians, educators and policy makers should read this book before making anymore decisions concerning the academic, behavioral needs of children.

You won't be disappointed listening to this book. Parents of three boys it makes you realize the things that can affect them (plastics, video games, etc.) How to rechannel that energy and watch for signs.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It helped me understand some of the pitfalls in our education system for boys and value more what boys bring to the table. It also helped me to see the value in sports: hard work has its rewards, which boys may not be getting in other areas of their lives. A lot of food for thought-not and an increase in my awareness so I can consider how to parent my son more effectively. A good read even if you don't have boys and a MUST read for teachers, principals, and administrators, especially those looking at breaking away from what is now the traditional style of teaching.

An outstanding book for every parent to read, whether you have boys or girls. If you are the parents of boys, an astounding elucidation of the effect of out times, yet not impossible to overcome. if you are the parents of girls, this will guide your prayer for your child's future spouse!

Fascinating study of the growing challenges with raising boys in today's world, and some specific advice on how to overcome these challenges.

Main takeaway points:

1. Boys development is different than girls.
2. Most boys are not ready to sit all day and learn to read, write, and complete their assignments quietly at their desk at the kindergarten level. Waiting to start Kindergarden an extra year can make a world of difference.
3. Team sports and involvement are important to help build a sense of involvement, and a "bigger than myself" motivation.
4. ADHD is in the authors opinion, loosely and many times incorrectly diagnosed, and medications are all too often prescribed with serious long term consequenses.
5. Video games, especially the violent, solitary, and morally repugnant types (think Grand Theft Auto) are not healthy, and can cause serious developmental challenges for many boys.
6. Toxic chemicals in every day products (such as pthalates from clear plastic bottles) may be interfering with normal healthy brain and body development in both sexes.

The author is both a practicing physician and a licensed psychologist with many years of "feet on the ground" experience. His insights come from his own observations, not just theoretical ivory tower speculation.

As a parent of a 5 yr old energetic, hard to stay focused, fun loving, doesn't sit still in church, impulsive, wonderful boy, I am glad to have read this book. It gives some good specific advice for dealing with some challenges I will face ahead, and will also help me avoid many more.

This book should be read by all educators, parents and boys!!! The explanation of what is happening to our young men is articulated so well. The solutions are also well explained. The facts are presented with very little bias. Our society needs to address their needs and change the way we have been approaching them.

Saw Leonard Sax at a parent "education night" locally. This explains a lot as did his presentation which included demonstrating best teaching styles for boys and girls. Yes, I'm in CA and people try to paint this as sexist but the fact remains boys and girls are physiologically different and he explains what that means in their lives. All us adults can have opinions but Sax uses research to desribe how and why we can best impact the future of our boys.

This book offered wonderful insight to the problems facing many of our young men today. My son is 21 years old and I saw him over and over in this book. It also provided some great suggestions for parents currently struggling with their own middle school/high school aged boys.

Another eye-opening offering by the author of "Why Gender Matters", this book explains what exactly has happened to the males in our society and will continue to happen if we don't wake up and make some major changes.

Dr. Sax does a phenomenal job of examining the research of five factors that on the surface look unrelated. If you are wondering why we have a "Failure to Launch" generation of young men who lack motivation, this book spells it out pretty clearly with research to back it up.

The content of this book is highly relevant and at some point disturbing. EVERYONE should read this. Also his books Girls on the Edge: The Four Factors Driving the New Crisis for Girls-Sexual Identity, the Cyberbubble, Obsessions, Environmental Toxins and Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex Differences.
I feel a little scared of drinking from plastic bottles after reading this, but i guess its worth it. I wonder why this book and its subject hasn't seen more publicity. Scary how evil this society we live in is.

Dr. Sax provides a thorough account of the shift in consciousness in today's young men and our society as a whole. He provides clear evidence of very specific causes behind this change along with concrete steps on how to remedy this trend of slackerdom and other acts of self-destruction.

Excellent book and a highly recommended read for parents concerned about the lack of motivaton in young boys. Video games, plastic bottles, ADHD medications and lack of adult role models are all culprits. the store was outstanding the book arrived in two days.

Boys Adrift takes what many of us have been seeing and reporting anecdotaly, and puts it in the context of the most current research. Dr. Sax gives his prescription for the mental health of the next generation of boys in America and the world.

The information in this book is both objective and superbly, yet simply, articulated. I have since purchased copies for my "sun's" teachers. I'd definitely recommend this book as well as this seller. Shipping time was great and the book was in perfect condition.

Boys Adrift provided evidence-based data on why boys today lack motivation and disengage from the world. The author of Boys Adrift, Dr. Leonard Sax is a Family Practice Physician in Washington, D.C. Through his practice, he cared for hundreds of families with girls who were smart and driven and had boys who were laid back and unmotivated. He found that this phenomenon is spread across all races and socioeconomic classes. He spent seven years researching the following three questions: (1) “Why does one man succeed, while another man from the same neighborhood- or even the same household- drifts along unconcerned?” (p.9); (2) “Where is he headed?;” and (3) “Is there anything you can do about it?” (p.10). Dr. Sax’s research found that the following five factors attribute to our society of underachieving, disengaged boys: (1) changes at school; (2) video games; (3) medications for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); (4) endocrine disruptors; and (5) the revenge of the forsaken gods. As part of my requirements for my PH 2998- Seminar in Child and Adolescent Health course at UT School of Public Health, San Antonio Regional Campus, with Dr. Steve Kelder, I will briefly summarize Dr. Sax’s main points, what I found interesting about this book, how the book relates to child and adolescent health, and advice for parents and child health advocates.
Dr. Sax links how current school curriculums and structure have discouraged boys and promote apathy towards school and learning at a very young age. Kindergarten curriculum was once centered on activities like “finger painting and duck-duck-goose,” but now focuses on purely academic instruction such as reading and writing. He added that the problem with this change is that most five-year-old boys are not ready to sit down all day. He reported that the language areas in a boy’s brain at age five are similar to a three and a half year-old girl. This difference in language often results in classrooms being divided into those who are ready to learn and those who are not (the “dumb” group). Dr. Sax wrote that boys being placed in the “dumb” group can develop a lifelong disenchantment with formal education. Dr. Sax recommends delaying school until age six. Another recommendation Dr. Sax provided was incorporating competition into the school environment. He stated that boys enjoy competing against each other and it is a good way to motivate them to do better in school.
Dr. Sax examined the potential relationship between video games and boys disengaging from school. He stated that the average boy spends more than 13 hours each week playing video games. Video games provide these boys an outlet to gain power and control over the games they play. Dr. Sax challenged others ideas that video games make you smarter, concluding that video games do not prepare our boys for the real world and that American boys’ IQs have been on a steady decrease over the past 30 years.
Dr. Sax attributed ADHD stimulant drug use to loss of drive and apathy in adulthood. He stated that ADHD has been around for hundreds of years but over the past 20 years, ADHD prescription medications have increased dramatically. He attributed this rise in prescriptions to two main factors. The first factor is that our culture has shifted from “individual responsibility toward third-party explanations” (p. 85). He added that 30 years ago a disobedient child would be a “brat” in need of a good spanking. In today’s society, the boy may be diagnosed with a “conduct disorder” causing a shift in blame from the boy (or result of parenting) to the disorder. The second factor is the change to the elementary curriculum. If young boys aren’t ready to sit still in a chair for six hours each day, educators and parents often turn to medications. Dr. Sax wrote that ADHD medications have been shown to damage the nucleus accumbens which is the part of the brain that translate motivation into action.
Dr. Sax hypothesized that endocrine disruptors, specifically bisphenol A (BPA) or phthalates, have led to an increase in ADHD, obesity, and easily broken bones among boys. He stated that if boys are introduced to these chemicals early in life it can blunt or eliminate sex differences in behavior, as well as cause problems with memory and motivation. In Dr. Sax’s final factor “the revenge of the forsaken gods,” he identified in leading to a generation of unmotivated, disengaged boys and men. Boys need strong male remodels to emulate and look-up to. Dr. Sax stressing that gender does matter because “boys and girls differ with respect to risk factors for social pathology” (p. 178).
Dr. Sax’s offers excellent advice to parents, teachers and educators in the final of chapter of the book “Detox.” One of my favorite recommendations is that we should restore kindergarten as kindergarten. Also, children need to learn about things like “frogs and tadpoles” from actually playing with them, not just looking at them on a computer monitor. To address the video game problem, Dr. Sax recommended getting boys out doing the real thing; don’t play basketball on a screen play it outside. He also urged concerned parents to have their children formally assessed for ADHD by a non-biased qualified health professional and then decide if medications are necessary. Dr. Sax instructed parents to stay informed on endocrine disruptors. To address the revenge of the forsaken gods factor, Dr. Sax stated that boys need healthy male role-models, often do best in single gender schools, and bonds need to be restored between generations.
As a mother of a three-year-old boy, this book was eye-opening, causing me to change my way of thinking and my approach to raising my son. Prior to reading Boys Adrift, I was concerned that my son will miss the cut-off for kindergarten by two months. Now, I am excited because he will be almost six when he starts kindergarten and it will probably be the best thing for him. Also, I had never considered single gender education for my children but Dr. Sax presented a lot of good information on the benefits of a single gender curriculum, especially for boys. One example is that boys don’t have to “wear a mask” and can be themselves without having to worry about impressing girls. The boys in these schools are provided education in a boy-friendly environment, encouraging brotherhoods, and friendly competition leading to more motivated, successful boys. Also, my husband has ADHD and this book has made me more aware of the potential dangers of starting young children/boys on ADHD medications and the importance of a formal evaluation. If my son begins to exhibit ADHD behaviors, I will be more reserved in considering medications. I am not completely sold on the endocrine disruptors factor, however, I would like to conduct further research in this area. I am actually more concerned about some of the potential negative effects on girls based on Dr. Sax’s presented literature.
This book was directly related to child and adolescent health, specifically in boys for all of the reasons I have already discussed. Dr. Sax provided easy to read recommendations for teachers, parents, and child health advocates. I recommend that any parents with boys, teachers, and health care providers dealing with pediatrics and adolescents read this book and take some of Dr. Sax’s insights into consideration. I am very pleased with this book and will read it again.