In the past 60 years, America and the rest of the developed world have witnessed dramatic and precedent-shattering changes in women’s status and in relations between men and women, and while most of the changes have benefited both sexes, not all have been positive. Boys and men have felt neglected in the march toward “girl power” and “woman power.” Schools have become less hospitable to boys’ natural energy. Cutting back on recess denies children not just an outlet for restless limbs but crucial social and emotional learning. Making up rules for games and resolving conflicts without adult intervention turns out to be crucial, especially for boys.

Girls are now outperforming boys at nearly every level of education. They earn 60 percent of bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and comprise 70 percent of high school valedictorians. Women are also dominating many workplaces. Women today hold a majority of the nation’s jobs, including 51.4 percent of managerial and professional jobs—up from 26.1 percent in 1980. They make up 54 percent of all accountants and hold about half of all banking and insurance jobs. As for men, they are dropping out at alarming rates. More prime age males are out of the labor force today than during the Great Depression.

The sexual and feminist revolutions of the 1960s delivered mixed signals to men. At first, the message was: “Women were just as randy as men and sex was a romp and a frolic.” Then it was: “No wait, failing to get consent for every caress and kiss was assault.” Masculinity itself was not a constitutive part of humanity, it was “toxic.” When the Nation magazine compiled a list of “Ten Things to End Rape Culture,” readers were encouraged to join organizations that “redefined masculinity.”