Michael Thompson (2) (1947–)

“What do boys need that they’re not getting?” In a compelling success, Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson effectively tackle the toughest issues facing adolescent boys today: identity, self-expression, and “emotional intelligence.” In their book, the two psychologists candidly discuss the ways in which society has systematically suppressed the emotional needs of boys and compressed masculinity into stereotypical ideals, impossible for any boy to meet. By using specific case studies show more from their combined 35 years experience in the field of child psychology, the authors succeed in describing the emotional pitfalls of boyhood from birth through the college years. Their refreshingly frank analysis of adolescent boys is key in understanding the emotional as well as the educational needs of this important group. In openly discussing issues, such as depression, suicide, substance abuse, and sexuality, Kindlon and Thompson reveal many boys’ underlying yearning to be accepted by their parents and peers, while struggling to maintain an emotionally engaged persona in an emotionally barren masculine world. Although a bit generalizing in its analysis of father/son relationships and sparse in its coverage of homosexuality, the book offers valuable insight into the world of boys and guides their loved ones to understand the reasoning behind some of their perplexing behaviors. As relevant for educators as it is for parents, Raising Cain is essential reading for anyone who cares about the emotional and educational successes of adolescent boys. show less

I didn't order this book to read about kids' summer camps, per se. I ordered this book because I know I have a tendency to be an overprotective parent who wants to shelter my child from everything bad. I hoped it would be a good "counter viewpoint" for me, and it was. Definitely food for thought...

We may want to protect our children from everything and keep them close to us. However, this book - through the author's extensive study of children at summer camp - helps parents to see that there show more is a balance to be struck. When children are away from their parents, even when they are homesick, they grow and learn in ways that they can never do under their parents watchful eye.

The book provides a list of skills that children can only learn when they are away from home - skills parents alone cannot teach them. There are many case studies of children at camp and their personal experiences. There are suggestions for helping children conquer homesickness, and tips for parents who are missing their children when they are apart.

This was an interesting book, and a good reminder for parents who have to strike a difficult balance - between holding their children close and learning how to let go at the right times.

(I received this book via Amazon's Vine Program.) show less

Every so often, I come across a book that I want to press into the hands of everyone I know -- in this case, into the hands of everyone I know who is the parent of a boy. This book on the development of boys is easy to read and very accessible, and would be a wonderful title to own and refer to frequently.

Raising Cain is one of a number of books that address the challenges of raising boys, but it stands out among them by eschewing both the glib Gender War rhetoric and the underlying political or theological agendas that often characterize other books on this topic. Instead, it is both deeply insightful and full of compassion for the emotional lives of boys and men. Rather than offering a point-by-point program, the authors focus on various goals for raising boys, and make some suggestions on show more how we can accomplish them. It devotes an entire chapter to the relationship between fathers and sons, and a recurrent theme of the book is finding ways to effectively close the emotional distance between ourselves and our sons.

This book addresses issues for boys of all ages, and also discusses difficult topics such as depression, drug use and violence among boys. Finally, all fathers were sons at one time, and Raising Cain is a book that can help us better understand not only our sons but ourselves as well. Review by Book Dads show less