An Important New Book on Gender Issues for Men ... And For Women Who Care About Men

"Fraternizing With The Enemy" takes a non-partisan, non-religious approach, with a MALE point of view

(Framingham, MA, 3/27/02) Have you ever wished there were a source of expertise on gender issues from a male point of view?

Sure, there are some male talking heads already -- Bill Bennett and others who speak from a Republican Party / Christian right perspective, opposing the Democratic Party / feminist left view.

"Fraternizing With The Enemy: A Book on Gender Issues For Men ... And for Women Who Care About Men" is a new book filling an important gap, analyzing gender issues in America from a non-partisan, non-religious male point of view.

"There are many things that men and women don't understand about each other, but almost all commentators on gender issues are women," says author John J. Xenakis. "We need more men expressing male opinions on gender issues. That's not to say that all men agree with each other, just as not all women agree with each other. But a male view is distinctly different from a female point of view, and both views need to be heard."

Not hearing a male point of view hurts women as well as men, according to Xenakis, and sexual harassment represents a good example.

"I worked with sexual harassment activist Cheryl Kondratow to develop a Model Harassment Policy," he says. "This is a great example of how men and women can work together to really help women solve an important problem."

Xenakis also indicates that men have to be extremely cautious today. "I've been truly astounded by the number of young women, even women who don't call themselves feminists, who have a contemptuous view of marriage," he says. "Many young women routinely describe marriage as 'serving the needs of some man' or 'being a slave of a man'. This fact is enormously important to men, but few of them are aware of it. Men have to learn to become much more careful about whom they marry."

These views of young women seem to be counterbalanced by a kind of "backlash" among older women, according to Xenakis. "I hear from a lot of grandmothers and second wives who are extremely upset and troubled about what's happening to their sons or husbands," he says. "In fact, these days I'm probably hearing more concerns from women than from men about what's happening to men today."

This 440-page book is based on 15 years of research, and hundreds of interviews with men, women, feminists, experts, as well as extensive literature research, and is packed with facts, figures and information that men -- and women who care about men -- need to know.