The impact of the politics of masculinity on raising healthy boys is one of the most important issues of our time, and Sean Kullman, President, Global Initiative for Boys and Men and Dr. Michael Gurian (New York Times bestselling author) tackle the issue head on.

In their empowering new book, Boys, A Rescue Plan: Moving Beyond the Politics of Masculinity to Healthy Male Development Kullman and Gurian examine the consequence of ignoring male nature for over reliance on social constructs of masculinity and gender.

Recognizing sex-differences (particularly brain-sex difference) is critical when it comes to helping our boys and girls thrive. The authors are unafraid to talk openly about the policies and practices that ignore sex-difference as root causes of poor educational outcomes, addiction, suicide, and overdose deaths for our boys and young men. Understanding sex-differences, they argue, is the pathway to our greatest solutions.

Exploring data, neuroscience, psychology, genetics, and the politics around us, they provide counter narratives and practical solutions to the current ideologies in academia, media, and government that have largely ignored both sex-differences and the devastating outcomes to our sons for at least four decades. Readers from all ends of the political spectrum will feel awakened by this refreshing and informative book. The final section of the book highlights and features programs around the country that are working to help boys thrive.

Educators, policymakers, and journalists will turn to Boys, A Rescue Plan for its insights, and Kullman and Gurian know parents and grandparents need to be involved in politics if we are to rescue our boys from crisis and lead them to healthy adulthood.

Aspects of the Book

Politics: Policies and budgets at all levels of government have largely ignored male outcomes and the 2024 election was partly a referendum on ignoring our nation’s boys and men–not only by men voting against being ignored any longer, but their mothers, grandmothers, and wives voting that way as well. The authors argue that it is critical to adjust social policies to be boy-friendly. Both authors have been involved for decades in doing just that while also advocating for girls and women.

Nurture the Nature: The authors argue that the current problems boys face today–the boy crisis–revolves, in large part, around our society-wide abandonment of male development. Understanding the neuroscience of the male brain is essential so that we can align nature, nurture, and culture to include citizen science that empowers everyone to be part of the solution. Kullman and Gurian employ a male development theory approach that is replicable world-wide.

Cultural Constructs: Without a science-based understanding of males, our institutions have relied on social constructs to explain “male problems” and “masculinity.” By deploying a rescue plan that includes neuroscience and sex differences, the authors help boys and communities thrive across the racial, ethnic, and socio-economic spectrums.

Verifiable and Reliable Data: From data gained in various agencies, the numbers tell a very disturbing story. Young males account for 79% of youth suicide deaths and 71% of youth overdose deaths. Educational outcomes reveal that boys are behind in reading at all grade levels and that boys are far less likely to participate in college than their female counterparts.

Strong Praise for Boys, A Rescue Plan

Michael Gurian’s new book, Boys, A Rescue Plan, written with Sean Kullman, Director of the Global Initiative for Boys and Men, captures the crisis we see among many of our boys and provides solutions proven to work over the last three decades. As a neuroscientist and psychiatrist, I highly recommend this book from the mental health side of the aisle and the parenting and educating sides. This rescue plan is packed with practical neuroscience-based strategies everyone can use immediately. –Daniel Amen, M.D., New York Times Bestselling Author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Life and Founder of Amen Clinics.

In my book The War Against Boys, published nearly 25 years ago, I showed how boys were languishing academically and socially. Since then, their situation has worsened. I am heartened by this wonderful new book by Kullman and Gurian. Boys, A Rescue Plan moves past the politics of masculinity and provides practical, research-based, boy-friendly solutions. The authors speak unabashedly about the male brain, and offer a no-nonsense guide to helping our sons thrive. –Christina Hoff Sommers, Ph.D., New York Times Bestselling Author of The War Against Boys and Freedom Feminism.

I always look forward to the excellent resources that Dr. Gurian creates and the pages of this book, co-written with Sean Kullman, are filled with an abundance of ideas and practical tools we will be sure to use here at The Center, A Place of Hope. As you read, you will have many moments of insights and find yourself saying, “That is just what I needed!” With two sons of my own, I am passionate about reaching and saving our boys and this is the tool to do just that. –Dr. Gregory Jantz, Bestselling Author of The Anxiety Reset, Co-Author of Raising Boys by Design, and Founder of The Center, A Place of Hope.

I have been a supporter of Michael Gurian and the Gurian Institute’s work for the better part of twenty years, and I have served with Sean Kullman on the Advisory Board of The Boys Initiative. In Boys, A Rescue Plan, the authors have come together to create a rare combination of political call-to-action and practical guide to raising boys in a complex age. As the founding principal of a Christian school for boys, an educator of more than fifty years, and a former member of the Maryland State Board of Education, I highly recommend this book to anyone concerned with the health and welfare of our sons. –Vermelle Greene, Ph.D., Educational Consultant and Author of Please Teach Me Like I’m a Boy!

Michael Gurian has done it again! His new book with Sean Kullman, Boys, A Rescue Plan, provides us with a solid template for considering the nature of boys and young men today. Each chapter in the book identifies the target audience, but I would encourage every teacher and every school counselor to keep this treasure of a book at hand. This book makes short work of the negative stereotypes and returns the reader to an awareness and respect for the true nature of boys and men. –Patricia McGann, Bestselling Author of Steadfast Parenting

I believe Boys, A Rescue Plan is the book for our times. The research is clear – males are suffering from deaths of despair at rates higher than females. This is not only a tragedy for boys and men, but also for girls and women. Gurian and Kullman bring good science and practical data to help improve the lives of all. This book can help end the battle of the sexes now and forever. Male and female health are different sides of the same coin. As a father of six, grandfather of seventeen, and great grandfather of four, I believe this is a book everyone should read.”–Jed Diamond, Ph.D., Bestselling Author of The Irritable Male Syndrome and Male Menopause.

One of my favorite boy champions, Michael Gurian, has partnered with
Sean Kullman, Director of the Global Initiative for Boys and Men to write a book the world needs: Boys, A Rescue Plan. The authors take a deep dive into research, neuroscience, educational statistics, true stories and the blatant loss of boys and men’s lives to show why we cannot continue to ignore our boy crisis in the Western world. Michael and Sean don’t just explore the why, they offer practical solutions that will improve the health and well-being of future generations and will not diminish the health and well-being of girls. This book has the potential of changing our world for the better, and we sure need it. –Maggie Dent, Bestselling Author of Mothering Our Boys and From Boys to Men

Boys, A Rescue Plan emphasizes the unique needs of boys in an environment where their male difference is grossly underappreciated, suppressed, and ignored. Sean Kullman and Michael Gurian address this hole in our culture by focusing on the negative outcomes of boys which have too often and facilely been attributed to their socialization in the patriarchy and toxic masculinity. After showing us how the outcomes show up in families, schools, and other social institutions and in male mental health, the authors describe ways to help boys, emphasizing how their uniqueness can be used to raise them to nurture their health and wholeness for contributing to society. –Paul Golding, Ph.D., Founder, Santa Fe Boys Educational Foundation

In Boys, A Rescue Plan, Sean Kullman and Michael Gurian explore the myriad challenges facing today’s boys while offering practical strategies to address them. Informed by neuroscience, clinical methodology, and good educational practice, the authors expose the flaws of politically driven ideologies that erroneously downplay sex differences, acknowledge issues affecting males disproportionately, and offer workable solutions for parents, educators, and policymakers. Predicated upon compelling, data-driven evidence, Boys, A Rescue Plan counters cultural narratives that too often – whether naively or willfully – ignore the stark reality that boys and men are in crisis. –Paul Cumbo, Author of A Path to Manhood and Principal/Co-Founder of the Camino Institute.

Boys, A Rescue Plan could not have come at a more significant time in our history. Filling this book with science-based research, wisdom, compassion, and real-life stories, Kullman and Gurian peel back the confusion over masculinity and the current state of boyhood to offer a new vision for helping boys thrive. Read this book and discover hope for the boys you love. –Tim Wright, Lutheran Pastor and Bestselling Author of the Adventures of Toby Baxter series of young adult books.

Why do many boys and men fail to thrive in America? In their fascinating new book, Boys, A Rescue Plan, Michael Gurian and Sean Kullman help readers understand the crisis, its complex causes, and practical strategies for solving the problem. As a man, a father, and a soon-to-be grandfather of a boy, I found myself on a surprising journey of self-awareness as I turned each page. By the time I finished the book, I had tucked away a cache of tools, information, numerous resources (some for my son) and, most of all, hope for our boys. –J. E. Tobin, Ph.D., author of When We Were Wolves and Triple Divide

Boys, A Rescue Plan is an important work detailing the boy/male crisis with well-researched information in key areas of concern. The emphasis on science and brain sex differences is particularly compelling. Most importantly, the authors offer concrete solutions emphasizing steps that can be taken that have proven successful results. –Philip W. Cook, Author of Abused Men and former broadcast journalist.

Having lost a son to suicide, I understand the urgency of addressing the current crisis affecting our boys. Boys, A Rescue Plan offers essential guidance and hope for those striving to protect our young men. –Kimber Erickson, co-founder of The Kellen Cares Foundation.

Boys, A Rescue Plan is a tremendously important book in helping us better understand how we can help raise our boys while recognizing the key differences between the sexes and what specific needs boys have. Encouraging the reader to become a “citizen scientist,” authors Gurian and Kullman envision a culture of true understanding beyond the politicization that has encumbered our support of boys in recent decades. Boys, A Rescue Plan is a must-read for anyone involved in education, raising of boys, and policy. –Mark W. Sutton, author of How Democrats Can Win Back Men

Boys, A Rescue Plan is a captivating look at dimensions of male nature and nurture, illuminating endemic cultural bias, promulgated through public policy and funding choices, starkly highlighting reasons for many of the outcomes we see today. As a lawmaker working with colleagues to create a commission for boys and men, I have experienced the challenges our boys are facing in school and the devastating outcomes parents and grandparents are seeing in the addiction, overdose, and suicide deaths of our sons. Sean Kullman and Michael Gurian address male and female differences with compelling data points, beautifully written stories from their experiences in teaching and counseling, and practical solutions to help our boys in school and life. I highly recommend Boys, A Rescue Plan for any parent and policymaker who wants to help our communities heal, grow, and thrive. –Representative Mary Dye, Washington State sponsor of The Washington Commission on the Status of Boys and Men Bill

I have worked with Michael Gurian and the Gurian Institute for seven years to provide professional development and consulting on sex/gender and racial sensitivity. As I became an Administrative Coordinator of Instruction (ACI) for the Black Student Achievement Plan in the Los Angeles Unified School District, this work became even more relevant. Now it continues with increased vigor since I retired from the District. In developing and providing GI Equity training, I have found the work in Boys, A Rescue Plan crucial to issues facing children of color. GI isn’t just talking about boys in education but doing something to help all boys. As race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic factors are layered with sex and gender, our interventions can meet the full diversity of children where they are. I highly recommend this book and its fresh approach not just for general readers but also for people involved in the equity field. –Glynetta Fletcher, Ed.D., Retired Principal and ACI, Los Angeles Unified School District.

About the Authors

Michael Gurian is a marriage and family counselor in his thirty-fourth year of private practice and the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-six books. The Gurian Institute, which he co-founded in 1996, conducts research internationally, launches pilot programs, and trains professionals (gurianinstitute.com). Michael has been called “the people’s philosopher” for his ability to bring together people’s ordinary lives and scientific ideas. He previously taught at Gonzaga University and Ankara University. Michael’s work has been featured multiple times in nearly all the major media, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, Newsweek, Time, Psychology Today, AARP Magazine, People, Reader’s Digest, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, Parenting, Good Housekeeping, Family Therapy Magazine, Redbook, and many others. Gurian has also made multiple appearances on Today, Good Morning America, CNN, PBS, National Public Radio, Fox News, and many others.

Sean Kullman is the President of the Global Initiative for Boys and Men and has recently founded The American Institute for Responsible Research (airr.pro) to help parents, policymakers, educators, media, and other groups gather reliable data on education, physical and mental health, the court systems, fatherhood, family and relationships, careers, and the male narrative in the public discourse. He previously taught middle school, high school, and college English at different points of his teaching career.

Sean’s research and presentations help policymakers, writers, researchers, media, educators, parents, non-profits, and advocates to understand the challenges boys face and the steps needed for our boys to thrive. His writings have appeared in the New York Times, Kansas City Star, and others as well as InHisWords.us.

Sean has facilitated town halls in California and elsewhere, appeared on television and radio in various cities, and spoken at conferences and universities, most recently at the University of New Mexico to bring this important important information on boys’ development to the public.