The Myth of Male Power by Warren Farrell, Ph.D.

This work is a must read for both sexes.  One of Farrell's central themes is that men risk becoming emotionally isolated in part due to the socio-cultural forces that train men to protect women and family.  Insuring survival involves developing a violent and angry nature.  Whether men kill at war or "make a killing" on Wall Street, their underlying purpose is to protect and to nurture the best way they are taught how - by being killed, emotionally, spiritually, or literally, by fire, by a bullet, or by overwork.  Men become the "disposable" gender to protect women, not to hurt them.

On the way to supporting this thesis, Dr. Farrell uses cold statistics (supported by hundreds of references) that uncover the true powerlessness of men and the secret that women, just like men, fear annihilation and are primarily interested in survival; that women would prefer strong aggressive warriors (soldiers, football players, men of wealth) that can protect them and support them, to gentle, sensitive men who show any weakness that makes it look like they would not make good protectors (even though gentle men can in fact successfully protect).

The evidence he presents is not sugarcoated.  It is meant to grab your attention.  Men readers will be spellbound, many women will want to look away.  Courageous women will read through it.  They will accept Farrell's contention that he wrote this book for both men and women; that the way things are keep all of us from reaching our emotional potential.  I know of what he speaks.