Why Boys Don't Talk - and Why it Matters

Helps parents reopen the lines of communication with "silent" teenage sons and stay emotionally connected with them

Adolescent boys are notoriously uncommunicative. Unfortunately, too many parents equate not talking with not feeling, and, as authors Susan Morris Shaffer and Linda Perlman Gordon explain in this groundbreaking guide, parents who make that assumption end up validating only the most superficial aspects of their sons. Recent bestsellers such as Real Boys and The Wonder of Boys have done a good job of sensitizing parents to the inner lives of boys and opening their eyes to how society shortchanges boys emotionally.

Now, Why Boys Don't Talk--and Why It Matters goes a step further. Coauthored by a nationally acclaimed expert on gender equity and a social worker--both of whom successfully raised teenagers of both sexes--it:

• Arms parents with proven techniques for communicating with their adolescent sons and reestablishing strong emotional bonds with them
• Draws upon focus groups as well as the authors' considerable experience in gender equity research and counseling, to analyze the subtle ways boys communicate connection

Susan Morris Shaffer is a parenting expert, a nationally acclaimed gender equity specialist, and an educator with more than thirty years of experience.

Linda Perlman Gordon, M.S.W., M.Ed., is a clinical social worker, trained mediator, and a graduate of the prestigious Family Therapy Practice Center. They are coauthors of Why Girls Talk--and What They're Really Saying.