The Decline of Men by Guy Garcia

I’ve just finished reading Guy Garcia’s “The Decline of Men” and here’s what I thought.

Some notes on style:

1) If your a stat-wonk, this book will appeal a great deal to you. Garcia cites multiple studies and books, quotes a myriad of other writers/thinkers, and notes a colossal number of stats that detail the decline of men. If you are interested in that, then dive right in - you’ll love this book.

2) No stories (er, rather, very few stories). I had hoped for a great deal more stories, anecdotes and examples of men “behaving badly” (er, rather, “declining”), but there were very few. Instead, Garcia reverts to numbers to support his hypothesis. The consequence is a rather dry read, without a lot of substance.

I found the support for the thesis pretty interesting, and informative. Garcia notes how boys are less and less likely to be admitted into prestigious universities (”less likely”, that is, than before). He also cites number and stat that point out the imbalance forming in the workplace.

As for dating and relationships, his subject matter was rather thin and disappointing.

John Perry Barlow

I appreciated one contributor a lot, however. That would be one John Perry Barlow. Barlow has made a career in fashioning policy on the internet akin to the “manifest destiny” values of centuries before. He’s a classic cowboy, having been raised in Cora, Wyoming. Here are some of his words, that I found strong and useful - particularly to visitors of this site (and is a great example of what I was hoping for more of from Garcia’s book):

“The difference is, for one thing, it’s a kind of gravitas. For another, it’s character - knowing this is someone you can trust. It’s intuition that this other person is somebody whose word is extremely important to him. Integrity it huge.”

My ears always perked up when I saw Barlow mentioned on the page, as I find the thoughts demonstrated above to be invaluable in these times.

Is Garcia’s book a waste? Certainly not. There is growing discontent amongst men (and women) regarding their role in culture and society. Writing about it is inherently good as not many are.

But, overall, it was a disappointment. Where were the examples of men truly climbing to reverse these trends, and live in differing ways? Where were the modern day cowboys (figuratively), who were abandoning society’s rules, finding and living on the new range?

And where were some representatives who had a suggestion or two for a struggling, wearied guy?

Not to be found in this book, unfortunately. The problem is clearly outlined, but no thought of a solution. I think most men are smart enough to have found some individuals out there seeking to remedy this challenge.

Garcia’s book, albeit interesting, fails to deliver what many of us are discovering already - there is a way up and out. But, it takes some courage and integrity to find it.

Stephen Nash