The End of Men

And the Rise of Women

By: Hanna Rosin

Narrated by: Laural Merlington

Length: 9 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Men have been the dominant sex since - well, the dawn of mankind. And yet, as journalist Hanna Rosin discovered, that long-held truth is no longer true. At this unprecedented moment, women are no longer merely gaining on men; they have pulled decisively ahead by almost every measure. Already "the end of men" - the phrase Rosin coined - has entered the lexicon as indelibly as Simone de Beauvoir’s "second sex", Betty Friedan’s "feminine mystique", Susan Faludi’s "backlash", and Naomi Wolf’s "beauty myth" have.

This landmark, once-in-a-generation book will take its place alongside the works of those authors, forever changing the way we talk about men and women and what happens between them. Rosin reveals how the new world order came to be, and how it is dramatically shifting dynamics in every arena and at every level of society, with profound implications for marriage, sex, children, work, and more. With wide-ranging curiosity and insight unhampered by assumptions or ideology, Rosin shows how the radically different ways men and women today earn, learn, spend, couple up - even kill - have turned the big picture upside down, not just in the United States but all over the world. And in The End of Men she helps us to see how both men and women can adapt to the new reality and channel it for a better future.

©2012 Hanna Rosin (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

I can’t with the wacky foreign accents

This audio book was fine until the chapter on Korean women. All of their quotes were read with a “foreign” (not Korean) accent. Why? So distracting!

Empowering, enlightening and cautionary

If you could sum up The End of Men in three words, what would they be?

Same as my title - Empowering, enlightening and cautionary

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The author used real data from a variety of sources to write a very compelling, thought provoking book that is told primarily via storytelling. It speaks to the changes in gender roles over the past several decades and where women are now and appear to be going in the future. It's not necessarily a cheer-leading book for women, or a dire prediction of the future of men, but it speaks to an exciting time full of opportunities for women now and in the future. As a working mother of three boys, the book has helped change my perspective and may change the way I'm raising my boys. So sorry my little princes.

What does Laural Merlington bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Laural did a great job of making the stories pop off the page and come to life! (I've read the actual book and am just about finished with the Audible version). She moves from data to stories to quotes easily and effectively.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book made me think, ponder and has prompted many a discussion with friends and colleagues.

Any additional comments?

Great book - very highly recommended. All women should read it. And men should too if they want to succeed in life and in business over the next few decades.

It's hard listening to the demise of Men

Really shocking story of young men who are slow to adapt to the world as it is. This is a great story of female empowerment and I do so hope men stop looking to the past. I found this depressing as the author didn't seem to me to provide any real prescription for moving forward. I also didn't get that she ever really understood the men in the story in the same way she understood the women. I do think this is worth a listen, just be prepared for some hard truths.

I wish Hanna Rosin had read it!

Any additional comments?

I listen to Hanna Rosin on her Slate podcast, and I am very disappointed she did not read this book. The narrator's choice to use different accents when reading quotes is mystifying. It really distracts from the quality of the author's research. I am having a hard time taking this book seriously even though I like and respect the author. My first Audible purchase, another non-fiction title, also had a narrator that put on different voices and I found it so annoying I had to return the title. I don't understand this need to embellish a non-fiction work.

Thoughtful

What did you love best about The End of Men?

The topics broached in this book made you change your perspective on how the real world works these days.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The author pointed out that the men are yet to adapt to their changing world

Which scene was your favorite?

The "super mom" who does everything and doesn't delegate tasks

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Any additional comments?

No

dated but interesting

Let me first say that I'm a fan of Hannah Rosin from other work in journalism such as Invisibilia, and her Slate and New republic articles. Her name is largely what brought me to this book as she is generally adept at presenting what research is telling us about sexual politics in the workplace and on greater culture and she does so mostly masterfully and without bias here. As a man reading this work I did unfortunately have the feeling that more than a little too often the text (probably not the author for reasons I explain later in the review) revels a bit too much in the loss in status and purpose that men seem to be undergoing. Some of the examples given are comical and a bit of Schadenfreude is to be expected from women on this subject but the text makes a misstep when it doesn't see the rise of female violence as a negative of the new paradigm we live in. I say the text also because I did some research (this didn't seem like the voice of Rosin that I'm familiar with) and I uncovered some details which seems like the editor for this collection probably made some of these changes to pitch itself more to a certain feminist audience than to the general republic. all those complaints aside though, it's an incredibly well researched book which points out how our social paradigm is changing rapidly and arguably for the better. the example from south Korea of the success of the rising class of business women is inspiring if difficult for a conservative culture coming to grips with the changes and to hear that some out the examples of feminists utopias in the work force were actually coming from my backyard in Alabama tickled me to my core. it's a worthwhile read and the final chapters cap the work perfectly.

Terrifying and good

I finally picked up this book after years of meaning to read it. Despite some of the assurances that things will get better for men, may even be getting better already, the picture it paints is bleak and convincing. One thing I am unsure about: she describes certain phenomena as being cross-cultural, but doesn't explain why very well. The rise of women in so many diverse societies and economies seems less simple than the US-centric story she tells here, though maybe I'm just thick.

Hanna you should have narrated yourself!

Not only is it sad to hear another woman's voice in this book, but her way of speaking is mechanical, her imitations of other's quotes bizarre, and makes your jokes and conversational writing fall flat. Please rerecord yourself!

Very Eye Opening

I thought this was a very interesting book. I felt compelled to read this book after reading several of the authors articles online. I found the author does a great job of capturing in the global rise of women and changing gender roles.

women lead men follow?

great book very thought-provoking read at your own risk thank you to the author.