Masterminds & wingmen : helping our boys cope with schoolyard power, locker-room tests, girlfriends, and the new rules of Boy World / Rosalind Wiseman.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 365-366) and index.

It's time to enter Boy World -- Why doesn't Batman ever smile? -- Popularity and groups -- Six-packing -- Breaking through the wall -- Lying and reconnaissance -- Rage against the machine -- Your parenting profile -- Social networking -- Video killed the radio star -- Friendly fire -- Frontal assault -- Redemption and reconciliation -- No man's land -- Field of play -- Outward bound -- Girl world -- Girl troubles -- The final word.

Reveals how boys think, showing parents, educators, and coaches how to reach out and help boys overcome their most common yet difficult challenges. Do you constantly struggle to pull information from your son, student, or athlete, only to encounter evasive assurances like "It's nothing"? Do you sense that the boy you care about is being bullied, but that he'll do anything to avoid your "help?" Have you watched with frustration as your boy flounders with girls? Welcome to Boy World: a place where asking for help or showing emotional pain often feels impossible. Where sports and video games can mean everything, but working hard in school frequently earns ridicule. Where hiding problems from adults is the ironclad rule. Boy World is governed by social hierarchies and a powerful set of unwritten rules that have huge implications for your boy's relationships, his interactions with you, and the man he'll become. If you want what's best for him, you need to know what these rules are and how to work with them effectively.