Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Angry White Men: American Masculinity at the End of an Era” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Angry White Men: American Masculinity at the End of an Era

Michael S. Kimmel

3.78 · Rating details · 1,049 ratings · 138 reviews

"[W]e can't come off as a bunch of angry white men.”
Robert Bennett, chairman of the Ohio Republican Party

One of the enduring legacies of the 2012 Presidential campaign was the demise of the white American male voter as a dominant force in the political landscape. On election night, after Obama was announced the winner, a distressed Bill O’Reilly lamented that he didn’t liv "[W]e can't come off as a bunch of angry white men.”
Robert Bennett, chairman of the Ohio Republican Party

One of the enduring legacies of the 2012 Presidential campaign was the demise of the white American male voter as a dominant force in the political landscape. On election night, after Obama was announced the winner, a distressed Bill O’Reilly lamented that he didn’t live in "a traditional America anymore.” He was joined by others who bellowed their grief on the talk radio airwaves, the traditional redoubt of angry white men. Why were they so angry? Sociologist Michael Kimmel, one of the leading writers on men and masculinity in the world today, has spent hundreds of hours in the company of America’s angry white men from white supremacists to men's rights activists to young students in pursuit of an answer. Angry White Men presents a comprehensive diagnosis of their fears, anxieties, and rage.

Kimmel locates this increase in anger in the seismic economic, social and political shifts that have so transformed the American landscape. Downward mobility, increased racial and gender equality, and a tenacious clinging to an anachronistic ideology of masculinity has left many men feeling betrayed and bewildered. Raised to expect unparalleled social and economic privilege, white men are suffering today from what Kimmel calls "aggrieved entitlement": a sense that those benefits that white men believed were their due have been snatched away from them.

Angry White Men discusses, among others, the sons of small town America, scarred by underemployment and wage stagnation. When America’s white men feel they’ve lived their lives the 'right' way, worked hard and stayed out of trouble, and still do not get economic rewards, then they have to blame somebody else. Even more terrifying is the phenomenon of angry young boys. School shootings in the United States are not just the work of "misguided youth" or "troubled teens"—they’re all committed by boys. These alienated young men are transformed into mass murderers by a sense that using violence against others is their right.

The future of America is more inclusive and diverse. The choice for angry white men is not whether or not they can stem the tide of history: they cannot. Their choice is whether or not they will be dragged kicking and screaming into that inevitable future, or whether they will walk openly and honorably—far happier and healthier, incidentally—alongside those they’ve spent so long trying to exclude. ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published November 5th 2013 by Nation Books (first published 2013)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Angry White Men, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about Angry White Men

Lists with This Book

Men and Masculinity

287 books — 76 voters

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

#CharlestonSyllabus

186 books — 83 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.78 ·

Rating details

· 1,049 ratings · 138 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Angry White Men: American Masculinity at the End of an Era

Aug 17, 2013 Jarrah rated it really liked it

Shelves: feminist, non-fiction, culture-social-science, race-colonialism

White men are angry. Some of them are angry at the government, some at minorities, some at their ex-wives or feminists or even just women in general. Some are angry at all of the above.

This won’t be news to feminist bloggers and activists dealing with ad hominem attacks or victim-blaming postering campaigns from men’s rights activists (MRAs). It won’t shock the people who read or saw the news story yesterday about Jim Andre, the Alberta School Trustee who is refusing to resign after tweeting and White men are angry. Some of them are angry at the government, some at minorities, some at their ex-wives or feminists or even just women in general. Some are angry at all of the above.

This won’t be news to feminist bloggers and activists dealing with ad hominem attacks or victim-blaming postering campaigns from men’s rights activists (MRAs). It won’t shock the people who read or saw the news story yesterday about Jim Andre, the Alberta School Trustee who is refusing to resign after tweeting and retweeting jokes calling Miley Cyrus a prostitute, black people monkeys, and making light of the Holocaust.

But where is this anger coming from? Why are white men so angry and why is that anger being targeted at people with less power?

Michael Kimmel attempts to answer these questions in his new book Angry White Men: American Masculinity at the End of an Era. The book draws on interviews Kimmel has undertaken across the country, as well as a great deal of non-interview research.

His main argument is that white men in America are suffering from a sense of aggrieved entitlement. That is, even though “white men are the beneficiaries of the single greatest affirmative action program in world history. It’s called world history,” they still feel powerless. In the introduction, Kimmel explains:

“White men’s anger is ‘real’ – that is, it is experienced deeply and sincerely. But it is not ‘true’ – that is, it doesn’t provide an accurate analysis of their situation. The ‘enemies’ of white American men are not really women and men of color. Our enemy is an ideology of masculinity that we inherited from our fathers … that promises unparalleled acquisition coupled with a tragically impoverished emotional intelligence.”

When white men do masculinity the way they’re told but still don’t get the rewards they feel they’re entitled to (a decent job, a compliant woman), they feel they have to blame somebody else.

Angry White Men does an admirable job drawing links between different groups of angry white men in America and showing how their anger is related to experiencing a sense of aggrieved entitlement. It’s chock-full of research to help you gain understanding about what’s really going on behind the Tea Party rallies, school shootings, anti-immigrant demonstrations and MRA poster campaigns you see in the news. However, the intended audience isn’t totally clear and one or two sections might be uncomfortable for feminist women readers.

Here's the link for my full review of Michael Kimmel's Angry White Men with more details about the book's strengths and weaknesses. ...more

flag 40 likes · Like · see review

Jul 31, 2013 Hannah rated it liked it

It's an important book, but at times I did feel like I was being pressured to empathize instead of simply understand. "Aggrieved entitlement" does not justify the harm that is done, and while I'm sure that's not what Kimmel was trying to say, I sometimes felt like I was being told, "Hey don't hold it against them, they're inevitable."

Kimmel seems to think very highly of his readers, because he often doesn't explain why a certain point of view is problematic (e.g., men saying "ladies night" is s ...more

flag 31 likes · Like · see review

Jan 25, 2014 Hester rated it it was ok

this was not as good as it should have been. it read like a sloppy rush job. many editorial oversights ("depravation" instead of "deprivation" more than once), many inconsistencies on behalf of the author--why point out the difference between correlation and causation when you want to argue spurious correlations, but leave the topic undiscussed when you like the implication? why the seemingly haphazard use of footnotes? so many questionable statements, too. just one example (p. 238): "perhaps as ...more

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

Aug 07, 2020 May 舞 rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction

A comprehensive and detailed analysis of the mindset, arguments, and attitudes of the racist, sexist, homophobic, and anti-semetic alt-right, including the so-called men's rights activists. In my opinion Michael Kimmel was more than fair to these groups, explaining the sources of the anguish and how it is misdirected at the wrong targets through active manipulation. I would sympathize with them myself, if not for their hateful speech and violent conduct. In any case, it is incredibly useful to u ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Nov 28, 2013 Jon-Erik rated it liked it

Shelves: politics

This book starts strong and ends weak. In a nutshell, Kimmel's thesis is that some of the more extreme right-wing politics comprised of white men stem from their sense of entitlement. They feel not just downtrodden, but ripped off. The direction of the anger is at minorities, feminists, sometimes Jews, nd gays. Kimmel points out that this rage is misdirected at these groups when it should properly be aimed at the economic system that has caused skyrocketing inequality since the late 70s.

That's t This book starts strong and ends weak. In a nutshell, Kimmel's thesis is that some of the more extreme right-wing politics comprised of white men stem from their sense of entitlement. They feel not just downtrodden, but ripped off. The direction of the anger is at minorities, feminists, sometimes Jews, nd gays. Kimmel points out that this rage is misdirected at these groups when it should properly be aimed at the economic system that has caused skyrocketing inequality since the late 70s.

That's true but hardly revealing and in a broad sense this work is highly duplicative of Thomas Frank's What's The Matter With Kansas except that it attempts to apply gender-studies models to the issues and examines, for the most part, groups that are further to the right on the political fringe. Frank's book was written before the Great Recession and reached largely the same conclusion.

It's a decently written, if repetitive work. (You will know the lyrics to many Springsteen songs well by the end.) Some of the sampling of Internet comments might be taken too seriously for some groups, but not used at all for others. For example, while I have no doubt that the "Men's Rights Advocates" spew such filth in their ranks, comparing them to the polished statements of feminist academics is hardly a fair comparison. Kimmel might point his browser to Reddit to see angry white women doing similar things. This is not to say that "both sides do it" and that feminists are equally wrong. It's simply to say that when pointing out that that is not the case, it is helpful to enter evidence from parallel sources.

In the Epilogue, Kimmel's solution seems to be simply to let demographic destiny take control. That may be a fine answer for a sociologist, but for someone interested in politics or even in citizenship, it seems like no solution at all. I've thought for a long time that a new kind of voting-based labor movement that took no positions on social issues and that was unconnected to any unions would be a great idea, if the college boys among us would be willing to go organize in deep red areas and stfu about cultural issues for a while. (They won't, so it's not really a solution, is it?)

...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Aug 21, 2017 Hannah rated it did not like it

This was certainly a challenging read, in that I couldn't stand all of the contradictory logic, the racism, the sexism, the hateful scapegoating, and the overall absurdity of angry white men presented in this book. I could only read a little at a time before I hit my threshold for BS. There are so many different kinds of angry white men, and it was nauseating to read about them. Honestly. The author has compassion (too much, if you ask me) for the very few angry white men who have something appr This was certainly a challenging read, in that I couldn't stand all of the contradictory logic, the racism, the sexism, the hateful scapegoating, and the overall absurdity of angry white men presented in this book. I could only read a little at a time before I hit my threshold for BS. There are so many different kinds of angry white men, and it was nauseating to read about them. Honestly. The author has compassion (too much, if you ask me) for the very few angry white men who have something approaching a legitimate complaint, but I have to say that I struggled to access any compassionate feelings within myself. As Kimmel says in his epilogue: "To some of these groups, one wants to simply say get over it."

I'm giving this three stars because Kimmel's writing style was a bit irksome to me, and that made wading through all of this unpleasantness that much more difficult. There were multiple instances of redundancy and an over-reliance on Bruce Springsteen lyrics. That being said, I enjoyed the few places where his sense of humor was in evidence. I also admire the fortitude he had when, as a Jewish New Yorker, he approached some of these dangerous chuckleheads (white supremacists, to be precise.)

Update: Ta-Nehisi Coates's recent article entitled "The First White President" articulates how the focus on angry white working-class men is erroneous: "When David Duke, the former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, shocked the country in 1990 by almost winning one of Louisiana’s seats in the U.S. Senate, the apologists came out once again. They elided the obvious—that Duke had appealed to the racist instincts of a state whose schools are, at this very moment, still desegregating—and instead decided that something else was afoot. 'There is a tremendous amount of anger and frustration among working-class whites, particularly where there is an economic downturn,' a researcher told the Los Angeles Times. 'These people feel left out; they feel government is not responsive to them.' By this logic, postwar America—with its booming economy and low unemployment—should have been an egalitarian utopia and not the violently segregated country it actually was."

Update: The more I think about it, the more I dislike this book and don't want to give racist, sexist white men any more time or any more of the spotlight. One star. ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Nov 20, 2019 Mehrsa rated it really liked it

I cannot believe this book was written before the election! It is a really good review of all the strains of anger and resentment that led to Trump being the redeemer of Angry White Men. It's a really good book and it made me really angry. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Feb 12, 2014 Miri rated it really liked it

Shelves: gender-studies

I thought I already knew everything there is to know about masculine entitlement, but I was clearly wrong. Kimmel delves into the minds of men who feel like they are the new oppressed minority and provides a lot of insight about why they think and feel that way. Coming from a feminist perspective, I hadn't really gotten a good look at this anywhere else because feminist scholarship (reasonably) does not focus much on the feelings of entitled white men.

While Kimmel discusses race at various point I thought I already knew everything there is to know about masculine entitlement, but I was clearly wrong. Kimmel delves into the minds of men who feel like they are the new oppressed minority and provides a lot of insight about why they think and feel that way. Coming from a feminist perspective, I hadn't really gotten a good look at this anywhere else because feminist scholarship (reasonably) does not focus much on the feelings of entitled white men.

While Kimmel discusses race at various points in the book, I wish he had focused on it a little more. He does a great job of explaining why people with these views tend to be men, but not necessarily why they tend to be white.

Also, this book would've benefitted from some better editing. It gets VERY repetitive at times, both in terms of specific phrases and ideas. There are sections where Kimmel basically says the exact same thing several times with ~slightly~ different wording. Some of the things he discusses don't get tied into the thesis very well; for instance, I still don't understand the main point of the chapter about mass shooters. Are they entitled white males, or are they responding to the bullying of entitled white males, or both?

(The fact that Kimmel uncritically parrots the talking point that mass shooters are all "insane" really does not help here.)

Further, while I generally enjoy snark and informal writing, Kimmel overdoes it at times when describing these men. While I agree that they're worthy of ridicule to some extent, he makes it seem like he NEEDS to be sarcastic in order to get the reader to see how ridiculous white male entitlement is. That's really not necessary. His interview subjects speak perfectly well for themselves, and I think a more objective tone from the author would actually enhance that.

Anyway, I'd still recommend this to feminists who are used to reading women's perspectives (which are, obviously, really important) but not so used to hearing men like these speak on their own, rather as part of an argument with a feminist. And the ultimate point--that angry white men has misdirected their anger from the accurate targets, like Wall Street and corporatism, and toward inaccurate targets, like women, LGBT people, immigrants, and people of color--is really important. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Aug 28, 2014 Sho rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, politics-current-events, social-science, politics, social-comment, sociology

When I started reading this I sort of knew what was coming (because I don't live on mars) but I really wanted to see what a bona fide professor of sociology has to say about the phenomenon that is Angry White Men.

What is depressing about the Angry White Men is that they just seem incapable of understanding any other point of view. (and of course, I do have another point of view, because I'm not one of them). The good news is that sociologists (and others) like Kimmel are trying to understand, an ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

May 19, 2020 Travis rated it it was ok · review of another edition

The book is too long and too poorly edited, and Kimmel is too impressed with himself. Definitely not as woke as he wants to be about gender and sexuality. Like your boomer dad trying to tell you how progressive his neighborhood association meetings are.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Mar 04, 2017 Bob Duke rated it it was amazing

A worrying analysis of raging white males in the age of Trump. The world has changed depriving these men of their concept of masculinity. The seek to return to an idealized past. Trump will fail them as the world has changed and I expect them to be more violent. The people who need to read this are those white males in America who feel cheated of their birthright. However these are the people who will be the least likely to read this book. They live in the old American economy which voted for Tr ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jun 06, 2017 Rob Melich rated it it was ok

Interesting, but not very useful in understanding how to we make things better in our country. I get that there are a lot of men who don't respect women, don't like their lives, feel totally victimized, and in turn do dangerous and hurtful things to friends, family, community, and themselves.
The one point Kimmel made about entitlement deserves more study. Where does it come from? "Hillbilly Elegy" suggests it was the New Deal but that's a cop out and implies way too much connection. I would arg ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jun 07, 2017 Lisa rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, sociology

I wish all the American angry white men (and the women that love/enable them) would read this book and learn something. They won't though, and the rest of us will continue to suffer for it. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 22, 2016 Matthew Lloyd rated it it was amazing

Shelves: oxford-county-library, academic, non-fiction, feminism, masculinity, do-not-own-but-would-like

Three years after its original publication, Angry White Men seems at first glance to be half more relevant than ever, half completely outdated. The promised End of an Era of the subtitle seems not to have come to pass; arguably, we are in an era of Angry White Male ascendancy. But perhaps not. Perhaps this moment is the last, white-hot burst of anger before the futility of that anger dawns on those who express it; or before those against whom it is mistakenly directed become powerful enough to r Three years after its original publication, Angry White Men seems at first glance to be half more relevant than ever, half completely outdated. The promised End of an Era of the subtitle seems not to have come to pass; arguably, we are in an era of Angry White Male ascendancy. But perhaps not. Perhaps this moment is the last, white-hot burst of anger before the futility of that anger dawns on those who express it; or before those against whom it is mistakenly directed become powerful enough to restrain it until it burns out. Nonetheless, Kimmel's study of white male anger remains relevant as that anger becomes the defining political force of the United States of America. But that current political climate means that Kimmel's book can be quite devastating reading at times, because these men have genuinely no clue about what forces do damage to their lives, because of the terrible opinions that they hold, because of the way they consider treating other people with respect as such a horrific inconvenience. It is only the second book I can recall that gave me nightmares (the first was A Pale View of Hills by Kazou Ishiguro, for different reasons). But it still feels like essential reading for white men, angry or otherwise, which can perhaps help us figure out our place in a better future.

Kimmel might be described as too sympathetic to these angry white men - although perhaps his own choice of words, compassionate and empathetic, are better. On the other hand, he's often condescending (and admits it, when discussing MRAs), which makes me suspect that this book is more for the choir than for the unconverted. But I think it would be better to characterise his approach as a hunt for a reason why these men behave the way they do, a way that is clearly contrary to logic and their own best interests. His approach is not biographical, although he does examine their particular circumstances, but rather looking at the wider picture and the social structures and cultural conditions that lead men to behave in the way they do. And, while his focus (particularly the biographical elements) is often on the extremes, those extremes are related back to the broader picture in which other men do not chose to make the extreme decisions - but do contribute to a social setting in which those decisions can seem like rational actions. The picture Kimmel paints is one of men who feel ignored and abandoned, with genuine concerns (although they may not be as concerning as issues facing other groups) to which the (far) Right and other extremist groups appear to offer solutions, although those solutions serve the far Right's interests rather than the men themselves. Kimmel argues that the forces of the Right are mobilised and ready to recruit these men who are more aware of their racial identity than their class identity (which might have lured them left) and that other forces need to pay attention so that there are alternate routes for these men. This book makes me realise why so many people thought (and still think) that Bernie Sanders had a better chance of beating Donald Trump than Hillary Clinton, although I'm unconvinced that the mechanisms of Left Wing politics in the US have the infrastructure and mobilisation to match those of the far Right. Kimmel details the organizations, the radio shows, the internet forums, all ready to turn white male anguish into white male anger.

Much of what I read here was not new to me, because I follow feminist men and women on Twitter, read what they have to say, and have examined my own life history in its light. But it was good to get it laid out in front of me, as a pattern. But Kimmel's conclusions seem too late. An inevitable egalitarian future now seems decidedly evitable, and the decreasing anger of those white men seems to have been misinterpreted. But perhaps in the text of the book we can see the hope; we can offer alternatives to anger, resentment, and reactionary politics; we can show these white men that there is a place for them in a better future. The greatest flaw in this book is to view the future optimistically, to assume a positive outcome and an upwards trajectory to history; rather, one should view the future hopefully, to know that there are good possible outcomes and that the only way to achieve them is through positive action. Angry White Men lays out the problem, a problem that has only gotten worse, and offers some pointers to the solution. Now we have to work to make sure that the positive future is the future we get. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 30, 2013 David rated it really liked it

This is an important book. As Kimmel writes, the phenomenon of angry white men is so visible and widespread "that were it happening with any other group (say, black men or Asian women), it would be discussed incessantly." Kimmel covers topics such as school rampage shootings, men's and fathers' rights groups, men who commit violence against women, workplace violence, and white supremacist groups. He draws out the sense of aggrieved entitlement that each of these men feel. The world is changing a ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 22, 2016 Cindywue rated it really liked it

A look at a group of people who are trying to hold onto "their America" - where white men were supreme and did not have to share. Written in 2013, it is relevant in 2016. Ignored for so long, they believed that Donald Trump listened to them. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 22, 2017 Julia Marie rated it it was ok

Shelves: non-fiction, book-club-books, 2017

Really qualitative, anecdotal, unacademic, doesn’t tell us anything we don’t know, doesn’t propose solutions and doesn’t describe the economic reality of these men although it constantly refers to it

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 07, 2015 Richard marked it as to-read

Recommended to Richard by: http://weeklysift.com/2014/01/06/the-...

Shelves: nonfiction, conservative-thought, social-political

I want to read this book because of this blog post: The Sifted Bookshelf: Angry White Men . ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 01, 2019 Andrea rated it liked it

Shelves: dnf, nf-feminism, nonfiction

DNF at p. 168. There's a lot of good stuff in here, but for me it's the wrong book at the wrong time. Had I read it when it was first published in 2013, I probably would have found it eye-opening, or at the very least thought-provoking. The through-line Kimmel traces from school shooters to MRAs to domestic abusers and more is certainly important, and he (rightfully) keeps coming back to the idea that, while many of these men have legitimate things to be angry about, they are, critically, direct ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 21, 2018 Bea Zoer rated it really liked it

Although I almost never read anything other than novels, this book is well written and kept me interested to the last page. Very interesting analysis of what makes white males so angry in the USA. It helps me in my analysis of possible reasons why some churches still do not like women to take on leadership-positions and education tasks, while often they enpicture females and males in 'typical' roles. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 08, 2015 Michelle rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, ebooks

"Angry White Men" authored by Michael Kimmel PhD is a well researched, solid, yet sometimes shocking look at the new minority of white men. These angry men feel entitled, a loss of power and male privilege, are quick to blame minorities, feminists, corporatists for their grievances. This book is recommended for anyone interested in understanding these men, and the root cause of their rage, which can spill out into personal and community life. Kimmel has authored many notable books, publications, "Angry White Men" authored by Michael Kimmel PhD is a well researched, solid, yet sometimes shocking look at the new minority of white men. These angry men feel entitled, a loss of power and male privilege, are quick to blame minorities, feminists, corporatists for their grievances. This book is recommended for anyone interested in understanding these men, and the root cause of their rage, which can spill out into personal and community life. Kimmel has authored many notable books, publications, and articles specializing in men's studies. He is a distinguished professor of sociology at Stony Brook University, N.Y.

Kimmel interviewed middle-class men whom he called "Joe Lunchbox"/"Joe the Plumber": ordinary, average, men who he met mainly at gun shows and men's rights meetings. This seemed a bit of a challenge. Some men were suspicious and mistrustful of his motives, though Kimmel portrayed them fairly. Many of these men listened to Rush Limbaugh "rage radio" labeling some women as "Femi-Nazi's". The book: "Naked at the Gender Gap" Asa Baber (1992), declared that feminism was out of control, and an attack on masculinity. White supremacists, heavily tattooed, not officially organized, some listen to "Hate Rock", their rage on occasion, targeted on individuals and community with deadly results.
Fathers 4 Justice on August 20, 2007: two British father's met at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. costumed as Captain America and Batman to advocate for increased paternal custodial/visitation rights. Only 50% of father's visit and remain involved in their children's lives following divorce. 70% of all juveniles in state care are from fatherless homes. David Blankenhorn Jr. author of "Fatherless America" (1995) declared fatherlessness our most urgent social problem. More must be done beginning in our families extending into our communities and judicial system to preserve and strengthen the paternal bond, especially after family break-up/divorce.

Kimmel's additional observations are equally chilling: the US has the highest spousal homicide rates in the world, 85% victims of domestic assault are women, largely by male perpetrators. Another key highlight of the book is that he majority of the overall focused rage of these men is often misguided, off target, and not directed at the forces actually responsible. The suggestions for insight/change are a possibility; raising awareness of the direction of adversity, attitudes, family and cultural issues confronting many men today. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 30, 2014 Bonnie McDaniel rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, current-events, sociology, masculinity

This book was a bit of a non-fictional break, given all the young adult fiction I've been reading lately. Sometimes it's hard to get into these kinds of books, with their dense and nuanced subjects, but that wasn't the case with this one. It's written in an easy-to-read, accessible manner, for all it's covering some deep and complicated topics.

The gist of this book is that American culture is changing from a patriarchal one to an egalitarian one, and white men in particular are having a hard ti ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 18, 2016 SKBrody rated it did not like it

Shelves: book-club

Who is really angry here? It’s the author. I just can’t get through this book. I’m quitting on page 112. I did jump ahead a few pages and to the epilogue to see if there were any changes in style, temperament, any answers or suggestions in how to move forward other than blaming everyone and everything but yourself on where you are in life, there is none.

Kimmel’s repetitive writing style is annoying and frustrating to read through.
His bio says he is a Sociology Professor yet his writing reminds ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 10, 2017 Paul rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A well-researched look at what the author calls the middle- and lower-class white men's "aggrieved entitlement" movement. Basically, these men believe they are entitled to a standard of living as good as their fathers and grandfathers, but because of automation and global capitalism, they believe they're not getting it (and they're not). Instead of blaming capitalism and neoliberalism, however, the men look for closer targets and ones that seem most obvious to them: feminist women, metrosexuals, ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

May 03, 2018 Arash rated it really liked it

Wow. Before I read the book, I read some reviews (especially the critical ones, as I always do) and they just proved to me how misinformed people can be. Contrary to many readers' opinions, this book IS based in fact, studies, and empirical knowledge. The author talks repeatedly about his interviews and research informing his conclusions but that seems to bother some people. The main point the author brings up: that there is so much anger from a combination of a disappearing white privilege, a c ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 18, 2013 Ryan Mishap rated it really liked it

Shelves: modern-essay, political-category, feminism

A diligent survey of of the various classes of men expressing their "aggrieved entitlement" to use the perfect phrase Kimmel employs. Cogently strips away the balderdash and blather of anti-feminist men, racists, right-wingers, and men who hate women. More than this, though, he attempts to understand where this anger arises and offers ideas for men to get over it (as it were) and embrace progress towards a more equal and equitable society.

One criticism I had for this was the references to pop c ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Aug 08, 2018 Paul rated it liked it

Angry White Men is a prescient non-fiction exposé of society's masculine anger, describing the aggrieved entitlement experienced by white, middle-class men in America. The book aptly defines the attitudes and beliefs of Donald Trump's base more than three years prior to his election.

Kimmel uses the term "aggrieved entitlement" to explain the anger felt by white men in America towards women, minorities, and immigrants during a period of increasing economic disenfranchisement of the US working cla Angry White Men is a prescient non-fiction exposé of society's masculine anger, describing the aggrieved entitlement experienced by white, middle-class men in America. The book aptly defines the attitudes and beliefs of Donald Trump's base more than three years prior to his election.

Kimmel uses the term "aggrieved entitlement" to explain the anger felt by white men in America towards women, minorities, and immigrants during a period of increasing economic disenfranchisement of the US working class. Especially afflicted are males - men who expected more, received less, and are angrier than ever before. Over the past few decades, real wages for America's historically important middle class - mostly-male farmers, laborers, and factory workers - have declined as more rewards are reaped by those at the very top. All the while, socioeconomic opportunity for minorities is expanding like no other time in history. As America's white men are growing up to realize less power and prosperity than their fathers and grandfathers (an oft cited mantra is that they gave 'our' jobs to blacks and women), male discontent across the country is at an all-time high, largely directed at long-discriminated against groups who now possess a seat at the table. Kimmel suggests they are better served pointing their frustration at the political economic establishment of policy makers and big businesses responsible for their plight. Many have little chance at achieving the same success enjoyed by their fathers as jobs are lost to cheaper labor overseas and domestically, while a manufacturing economy underpinning the country's boom during the twentieth century slips inevitably further into decay.

Adding insult to injury, men are navigating new gender roles at home marked by greater female autonomy at a time when feminists are successfully chipping away at male hegemony across society. Masculine tropes of patriarchal breadwinners are abruptly replaced by more egalitarian male-female relations in workplaces and homes. Men assume a larger role in child-raising today than any previous era. In many families, women earn as much or more than their male counterparts - Long gone are the days of benevolent patriarchs dutifully earning a respectable living to support subservient wives and children, a well-worn theme of male virtue for generations.

Although men (and primarily white men) continue to wield the most economic and political power of any group by a large margin, males today feel less powerful now than ever before, even if it is only slightly so, and they are not happy to see a playing field that is tilted increasingly less in their direction.

Angry White Men devotes a portion to mass shootings and other acts of domestic terror in which the author extrapolates a frustrated male-entitlement complex to explain motivations behind inexplicable violence. The preponderance of these tragedies is rooted in an aggrieved entitlement experienced by predominantly white males, which manifests in violent attempts to reclaim lost power and personal agency, hallmarks of traditional masculinity. In Columbine, the gunmen were mercilessly tormented by the "jock-racy" of small-town Littleton, CO. For Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, shooting fellow students was a way of getting even and a means to reclaim their manhood through violent revenge, appealing to time-honored masculine attributes of strength and control. Several fatal attacks on US soil including the Postal Service shootings (incidentally, source for the term "going postal"), Timothy McVeigh's Oklahoma City bombing, and Joseph Stack's IRS-aimed suicide plane crash can be closely tied to an encroached upon masculinity belonging to deeply frustrated men who achieved less than they expected. Believing they have been wronged, someone has to pay for their financial shortcomings. Not lost here is the glaring contradiction between self victimization among resentful, violent men and the masculine ideals to which they subscribe. In another section of Angry White Men, Kimmel dives further into the darkest depths of aggrieved entitlement in uncovering commonalities among domestic batterers - namely, a perceived lack of power that underlies violent crime against women.

Kimmel travels across the country to interview members of various white supremacist groups, the alt-right, and Men's Rights Activists (MRAs) in a topical profile of a politically boisterous sect of American society. Thought to be found primarily in the Rust Belt and American Heartland, one need not travel outside of NY to discover vocal men afflicted with aggrieved entitlement. In the Northeast, swaths of angry white men make up white-collar professionals struggling to find meaning in modern life, veterans from Vietnam and the Gulf War who returned home to a feminized America only to see benefits slashed, and the economic downturn's unemployed staring at shrinking economic prospects in an age of outsourcing and cheap immigrant labor.

Angry White Men is worth a read for those interested in a detailed view of the underpinnings of the alt-right and America's decaying masculinity. Kimmel provides an inside, first-hand look at the men behind Trump, upset at lost jobs and decreasing social capital in a very different America than the one their fathers knew. In many ways, these men are right to feel that they are getting less; quite simply, they are. The American pie continues to divide into an increasing number of slices. But importantly, the vitriolic response to diminishing means and power that were all-but assured by past generations of men have come to define an indignant and vengeful group whose anger motivates the most tragic crimes against America. ...more

flag Like · see review

Oct 05, 2018 Ali Juhdi rated it really liked it

Good book but I feel the "white" in the title is mostly inaccurate since the description is basically for the universal toxic masculinity which transcends race and nationality. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 20, 2018 Jess rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018-books

There were two reoccurring themes in this book. I'll do my best to repeat the author's language:

1. White men are right to be angry, but they're mailing their anger to the wrong address.
2. White men's feelings are real, but they're not true.

This book was written before Donald Trump was elected President. Which... is important. Because if I had read this book before the election I probably would have been a lot more scared about the outcome of the vote. Kimmel has since gone back and written a ne ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 29, 2020 Danika Libertine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: gender-studies

A dear friend recommended this book to me. I first purchased the book in eBook format but ended up listening to it in audible so I could listen to it while doing other things due to a pretty tight schedule lately.

I thought I was pretty aware of this kind of white male entitlement but some of the information in this book put a different perspective on what I thought I knew and introduced some other types and groups I was not aware of. I found a lot of it quite frightening. I live in the suburbs A dear friend recommended this book to me. I first purchased the book in eBook format but ended up listening to it in audible so I could listen to it while doing other things due to a pretty tight schedule lately.

I thought I was pretty aware of this kind of white male entitlement but some of the information in this book put a different perspective on what I thought I knew and introduced some other types and groups I was not aware of. I found a lot of it quite frightening. I live in the suburbs of New York, and while I like to think this type of toxic masculinity is not prevalent here, I know there is lots of it everywhere. One example of a murder even took place in a town nearby me.

It would be nice if some of these groups like the male rights movement groups could be laughably dismissed as they are so absurd. Unfortunately, these types of groups sound like they are quite dangerous and vocal and gain numbers through the internet. Although this book was written pre-Trump, it seems these types of men have found validation and seem to have become more aggressive in their distorted preaching.

I felt a little too much time was spent on some things that could have been short side notes, such as the authors apparent obsession with the show Two and a Half Men. I never watched the show and wasn't really looking for a thorough analysis of it in this book. A paragraph or two on it would have sufficed. He seems to like to discuss Bruce Springsteen quite a but too. Not being a Bruce Springsteen fan I can not relate.

I agree with some other reviewers that he is at time too sympathetic to these angry white men. I understand that he is trying to remain objective, but these are hate groups. I get he was buddying up with them to gain access to their minds while interviewing them. That kind of attitude did not have to translate into the book. It's OK to be appalled by hatred.

Overall, this book was very informative and engaging. I did learn a lot about the ways these angry white men are inappropriately channeling their anger. Although I do not relate to this kind of male anger and aggression, I tried to turn some of the lessons learned inwards as a reflection on myself. I am a pretty self-confident, happy white guy but I try to find a lesson in everything if I can. I suppose the one main personal take away for me was the section on men feeling entitled to things from women. Not that I ever felt that way and do not objectify women as something I am entitled to. I just took that information and used it to greater realize that I am not entitled to any person's time or thoughts just because I want to get to know them or spend time with them. I know that was not the purpose of the writing on the topic, but that's the direction my mind went while reading it. I may have been mildly guilty of such behavior in the past in my thoughts, while getting to know people, particularly women I have been interested in. So that's where I found personal growth in the book.

The audible recording was over 12 hours and I listened it over the course of under a week. I was doing some actual reading on the side in my spare time as well. It's hard to sit through 12 anger of vitriol.

I do think this is an important book in the analysis and exposure of this kind of "masculinity." I recommend it to anyone who is not just going to violently lash out against it (aka angry white men). ...more

flag Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Goodreads Librari...: Combine authors and edition	3	8	Nov 04, 2020 01:05PM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Nonfiction

130 users

Feminism

75 users

Politics

49 users

Sociology

48 users

Gender

28 users

Race

24 users

Social Movements > Social Justice

10 users

Social Issues

9 users

Cultural

9 users

Gender > Gender Studies

8 users

See top shelves…

About Michael S. Kimmel

Michael S. Kimmel

152 followers

Michael Scott Kimmel is an American sociologist, specializing in gender studies. He is among the leading researchers and writers on men and masculinity in the world today. The author or editor of more than twenty volumes, his books include The Politics of Manhood, and The History of Men (2005).

His documentary history, "Against the Tide: Pro-Feminist Men in the United States, 1776-1990" (Beacon, 19 ...more

Books by Michael S. Kimmel

Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men

More…

News & Interviews

Power, Sister! 20 New Books on Women’s History

Happy Women's History Month! One of the undisputedly good things about modern scholarship is that women’s history is finally getting its due....

Trivia About Angry White Men: ...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Angry White Men: ...

“Take a little thought experiment. Imagine all the rampage school shooters in Littleton, Colorado; Pearl, Mississippi; Paducah, Kentucky; Springfield, Oregon; and Jonesboro, Arkansas; now imagine they were black girls from poor families who lived instead in Chicago, New Haven, Newark, Philadelphia, or Providence. Can you picture the national debate, the headlines, the hand-wringing? There is no doubt we’d be having a national debate about inner-city poor black girls. The entire focus would be on race, class, and gender. The media would doubtless invent a new term for their behavior, as with wilding two decades ago. We’d hear about the culture of poverty, about how living in the city breeds crime and violence. We’d hear some pundits proclaim some putative natural tendency among blacks toward violence. Someone would likely even blame feminism for causing girls to become violent in a vain imitation of boys.

Yet the obvious fact that virtually all the rampage school shooters were middle-class white boys barely broke a ripple in the torrent of public discussion. This uniformity cut across all other differences among the shooters: some came from intact families, others from single-parent homes; some boys had acted violently in the past, and others were quiet and unassuming; some boys also expressed rage at their parents (two killed their parents the same morning), and others seemed to live in happy families.” — 15 likes

“In our families, we are finding that abandoning that sense of masculine entitlement actually enables us to live happier lives.” — 4 likes

More quotes…

See a Problem?

Preview — Angry White Men by Michael S. Kimmel

Angry White Men: American Masculinity at the End of an Era

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About Michael S. Kimmel

Books by Michael S. Kimmel

News & Interviews

Trivia About Angry White Men: ...

Quotes from Angry White Men: ...

See a Problem?

Preview — Angry White Men by Michael S. Kimmel

Angry White Men: American Masculinity at the End of an Era

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About Michael S. Kimmel

Books by Michael S. Kimmel

News & Interviews

Trivia About Angry White Men: ...

Quotes from Angry White Men: ...

new topic
Discuss This Book