The Descent of Man - Softcover

Perry, Grayson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0141981741 ISBN 13: 9780141981741

Publisher: Penguin, 2017

Synopsis

'A breeze of a read, makes you see our male-manufactured world a little differently' Matt Haig

'GRAYSON PERRY FOR KING AND QUEEN OF ENGLAND. Imagine how BRILLIANT our country would look if he was' Caitlin Moran

Grayson Perry has been thinking about masculinity - what it is, how it operates, why little boys are thought to be made of slugs and snails - since he was a boy. Now, in this funny and necessary book, he turns round to look at men with a clear eye and ask, what sort of men would make the world a better place, for everyone?

What would happen if we rethought the old, macho, outdated version of manhood, and embraced a different idea of what makes a man? Apart from giving up the coronary-inducing stress of always being 'right' and the vast new wardrobe options, the real benefit might be that a newly fitted masculinity will allow men to have better relationships - and that's happiness, right?

Grayson Perry admits he's not immune from the stereotypes himself - as the psychoanalysts say, 'if you spot it, you've got it' - and his thoughts on everything from power to physical appearance, from emotions to a brand new Manifesto for Men, are shot through with honesty, tenderness and the belief that, for everyone to benefit, upgrading masculinity has to be something men decide to do themselves. They have nothing to lose but their hang-ups.

About this title

Review:

An eloquent and witty tour guide through the fun house that is masculinity ... He's just the man for the job (Dwight Garner, Books of the Times The New York Times)

A funny, engaging, and at times penetrating trek through the tricky landscape of contemporary masculinity ... [Perry is] a cultural luminary (Jason Heller NPR)

Pithy and insightful ... The Descent of Man fits into the tradition of the 18th-century treatise, a plea for a new, enlightened social order in the manner of Mary Wollstonecraft or William Hazlitt (Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic)

A joy to read (William Leith Financial Times)

[Perry] is thoroughly engaging and charismatic ... His personality shines through (Clive Davis The Times)

GRAYSON PERRY FOR KING AND QUEEN OF ENGLAND. Imagine how BRILLIANT our country would look if he was. (Caitlin Moran)

Thoughtful, clearly written and a joy to read (Evening Standard)

A fabulous book (Victoria Hislop)

With its non-macho slender girth and personal, engaging approach, [The Descent of Man] is a breeze of a read, and one that makes you see our male-manufactured world a little differently ... Grayson Perry has written the very book I wanted to write (Matt Haig Guardian)

From the Back Cover:

Men. There are a lot of them about. We all know one. Grayson Perry is one. But what makes a man? How does masculinity operate? Could it be in need of an urgent upgrade? Here Grayson looks at how this could make the world a better place - for everyone.

'I love Grayson Perry' Sandi Toksvig

'This man is so wonderfully unique that he single-handedly makes up for Brexit' Caitlin Moran

'Fabulous' Victoria Hislop

'He says the things we wish we had thought of, and asks the questions that we want to ask' Daily Telegraph

'A national treasure' Vogue

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0141981741
• ISBN 13: 9780141981741
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160