Lost Boys

Why Our Sons Turn Violent and How We Can Save Them

By: James Garbarino Ph.D. Ph.D.

Narrated by: Cotter Smith

In the first book to help parents truly understand youth violence and stop it before it explodes, national expert Dr. James Garbarino reveals how to identify children who are at risk and offers proven methods to prevent aggressive behavior.
After more than a decade of relentless increase in the urban war zones of large cities, violence by young boys and adolescents is on the rise in our suburbs, small towns, and rural communities. Twenty-five years as a psychologist working in the trenches with such children has convinced James Garbarino that boys everywhere really are angrier and more violent than ever before. In light of the recent school-based shootings, it's now clear that no matter where we live or how hard we try as parents, chances are our children are going to school with troubled boys capable of getting guns and pulling triggers. Beyond the deaths and debilitating injuries that result from this phenomenon are the staggering psychological costs -- children who are afraid to go to school, teachers who are afraid of their students, and parents who fear for their children's lives.
Building on his pioneering work, Garbarino shows why young men and boys have become increasingly vulnerable to violent crime and how lack of adult supervision and support poses a real and growing threat to our children's basic safety. For these vulnerable boys, violence can become normal, the "right thing to do." Terry, one of the boys Garbarino interviews, says "I just wasn't gonna take it anymore. I knew I would have to pay the price for what I did, but I didn't care." We've seen how the deadly combination of ignoring excessively bad behavior and allowing easy access to guns has destroyed families in Pennsylvania, Oregon, New York, Washington, Kentucky, and Arkansas. Fortunately, parents can spot troubled boys and take steps to protect their families from violence if they know what signs to look for -- lack of connection, masking emotions, withdrawal, silence, rage, trouble with friends, hypervigilance, cruelty toward other children and even animals -- all warning signs that every parent and peer can recognize and report.
Dr. Garbarino, whom Dr. Stanley Greenspan of the National Institute of Mental Health hails as "one of the true pioneers in our understanding of the inner life of our youth," addresses the wide range of issues that boys of every temperament and from every background may have to confront as they grow and develop. By outlining the steps parents, teachers, and public officials can take to keep all children safer, Dr. Garbarino holds out hope and solutions for turning our kids away from violence, before it is too late. This is one of the most important and original books ever written about boys.©1999 James Garbarino, All Rights Reserved; (P)1999 Simon & Schuster Inc., All Rights Reserved; AUDIOWORKS Is an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster Inc.

Wel written work on a tough topic

I highly recommend this work to anyone interested in the topic. Clear, easy to read, thorough!

Some of the audible file did not match my edition of the book, which I thought was the same. Minor issue

Worth it.

Very informative. Easy to listen to. This author does not drag it out. You get the info and then it's over.

Very informative and easy to read

I would recommend this book for anyone in the child development field working with boys or parents seeking resources and information. The book really touched on the fundamental theories in child development and why boys turn violent.

Light on a Dark Problem

If the solution to our nation's epidemic of youth violence lies in understanding, James Garbarino gives us the keys in his powerful book. I listened to it twice because it is so rich in perspective about a problem the causes for which -- as well as the solutions -- we ignore every day.

The worst of our boys all are products of their families, their schools, and the communities around them. They start out bad and receive worse. Dr. Garbarino uses his expert first- person insights to show us how these boys emerge from abusive, often life-threatening childhoods ready to give the world nothing but the same.

Can these boys be saved -- or can we keep more of them off the paths toward lethal violence to begin with? Dr. Garbarino believes so and he constructs a many-sided solution to shows us how.

Cotter Smith's tight narration lends gravity to a critical subject without ever making it sound heavy. I found "Lost Boys" an eye-opener well worth the 4-hour listen.

One of my faviorite reads

Thank you Dr. Garbarino for you hard work and insight. Your message is by far the best when it comes to youth violence and has inspired me as a teacher.