The Men They Will Become: The Nature and Nurture of Male Character

Somewhat more scholarly in tone than Michael Gurian's The Good Son (see p. 80), Newberger's study of the development of character in boys also offers a significant perspective on the shaping of moral values. The product of a lively, informed mind, the book covers a wide range of topics related to character development--including such chapters as ""Honesty,"" ""Self-Control,"" ""Identity and Friendship"" and ""Discipline and Punishment""--showing how they relate to every stage of a boy's childhood. Pediatrician Newberger is quick to draw on supporting information from the fields of child development, psychology and education, as well as from a wide range of real-life examples of boys and their families. Convinced that child rearing is an acquired skill, Newberger describes four levels of ""parental awareness,"" from the self-centered ""Me First"" level to the more tolerant level of ""Living and Growing Together""; he refers to them throughout the book to demonstrate how a parent might better handle particular challenges. If there's a quibble here, it's that Newberger is so eager to share his knowledge that he occasionally scatters his fire. In any case, parents or adults involved in helping boys become ""more caring and connected men"" will relish the wealth of information presented in this useful addition to the growing body of gender-specific parenting literature. Agents, Donald Cutler and Pamela Hartford of Bookmark; 9-city author tour. (Sept.)