Reinventing Masculinity: The Liberating Power of Compassion and Connection

'A wonderful book for thinking about how to release ourselves from crippling processes. It's time for men-and for all of us-to stand up and say, 'Give us back our full humanity, give us back our dignity.''
-Paul Gilbert, PhD, author of The Compassionate Mind


In a recent FiveThirtyEight poll, 60 percent of men surveyed said society puts pressure on men to behave in a way that is unhealthy or bad. Men account for 80 percent of suicide deaths in the United States and twice as many opioid overdose deaths as women. It's clear we urgently need new a model for a masculinity that works for both men and women.

As an antidote to 'toxic masculinity, which the authors reframe as Confined Masculinity, Ed Adams and Ed Frauenheim propose a new male paradigm: Expanded Masculinity. It replaces negative traits like hypercompetitiveness, anger, violence, misogyny, and extreme self-interest with compassion for others, a strong collaborative spirit, emotional expressivity, respect for cultural diversity and gender equality, and protection of the earth. Through hopeful stories, interviews with both thought leaders and everyday men, and practical exercises, this book shows the liberating power of a masculinity defined by the five Cs of Expanded Masculinity: Curiosity, Courage, Compassion, Connection, and Commitment. This way of being a man fosters healthy, harmonious relationships at every level.