Why Boys Fail: Saving Our Sons from an Educational System That's Leaving Them Behind

Across schools in many countries, boys are slipping behind, and Richard Whitmire argues that the usual explanations, such as video games, popular culture, or classrooms that favor girls, miss the real cause. In his account, boys are placed in an academic setting that asks for advanced reading and writing before many of them are ready, so they fall further behind with each year. The gap follows them into college, where most graduates are now women, at a time when many skilled jobs require a degree beyond high school. The book traces how this came about, why it has grown, and why debates about it so often turn into blame and partisan fights. It also looks at schools that have found workable ways to help every student, male or female, succeed, and it urges educators and parents not only to demand change but to help build it.