'Exhilarating . . . a work of scholarship but also inspiration. . . Go and read Jablonka and
change the world' Christina Patterson Sunday Times 'An unexpected bestseller in France. . .
it has sparked conversations' Challenges A highly acclaimed bestselling work from one of
France's preeminent historians What does it mean to be a good man? To be a good father or a
good partner? A good brother or a good friend? In this insightful analysis social
historian Ivan Jablonka offers a re-examination of the patriarchy and its impact on men.
Ranging widely across cultures from Mesopotamia to Confucianism to Christianity to the
revolutions of the eighteenth century Jablonka uncovers the origins of our patriarchal
societies. He then offers an updated model of masculinity based on a theory of gender justice
which aims for a redistribution of gender just as social justice demands the redistribution of
wealth. Arguing that it is high time for men to be as involved in gender justice as women
Jablonka shows that in order to build a more equal and respectful society we must gain a
deeper understanding of the structure of patriarchy - and reframe the conversation so that men
define themselves by the rights of women. Widely acclaimed in France this is an important work
from a major thinker.
