Silent Sons - by Robert Ackerman (Paperback)

About the Book

They have been called "the strong, silent type". Now, drawing on hundreds of interviews, an authority in the Recovery field, reveals how men raised in dysfunctional families can learn to cope with their pain, express their feelings, and achieve their full potential in their relationships at work and at home.

Book Synopsis

It could be you or someone you love. Strong, silent types are everywhere, and it is their telltale silence that has kept their problems hidden until now. A silent son can come from a family that coped with violence, alcoholism, child abuse, extreme rigidity, or divorce, but all silent sons have certain common characteristics:

• They keep things that bother them to themselves.
  
• They deny that unpleasant events occur.
  
• They fear letting people know them.
  
• They have difficulty interacting with their parents, spouses, or children.
  
• They have a strong fear of criticism.
  
• They are often angry.

In Silent Sons, Dr. Robert Ackerman, a silent son himself, examines the problems that commonly confront silent sons, keeping them from experiencing the full range of human emotions. In a compassionate and hopeful voice, the author defines the silent son and examines the impact of parents, particularly fathers, on these men and shows how their dysfunctional upbringing affects their present relationships, especially with women.
By putting aside anger, finding peace with one's self, and looking for support from other silent sons, Dr. Ackerman feels every man can realize his full potential and become a well balanced, healthy survivor.

Review Quotes

"Ackerman offers advice on how to communicate better and grow emotionally. Not just another "men's movement" book, this is a notable addition to the literature on male psychology."
-Publishers Weekly

"A man's manual, a handbook on masculine health, sanity, and soul. A must-read book for men and the women who love us."
--John Lee, author of At My Father's Wedding

"Finally, a book to help men and the women who want to understand them."
-Suzanne Somers, Author of Keeping Secrets and Wednesday's Children

"It's a book of hope, a hand-holding guide for all those men who survived their dysfunctional upbringing, but not without wounds and lingering pain."
--Margo Harakas, Sun-Sentinel

About the Author

Dr. Robert J. Ackerman is the author of Perfect Daughters. A professor of sociology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, he lives in Indiana, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Kimberly, and their three children.