My Father Before Me: How Fathers and Sons Influence Each Other Throughout Their Lives

Science News,  March 24, 2007  

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MY FATHER BEFORE ME: How Fathers and Sons Influence Each Other throughout Their Lives MICHAEL J. DIAMOND

Within the psychoanalytic community as well as society at large, the relationship between fathers and sons has typically been eclipsed by the bond between a mother and her children. Diamond, a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst, offers research and experiences from his own practice to explore the father-son relationship and fatherhood more generally. The author explains that fathers affect their sons and vice versa because each identifies with the other's maleness. Becoming a father forces a man to acknowledge and adjust preconceived notions of maleness, such as a reluctance to display physical and emotional openness, writes Diamond. He addresses each prospective father's sense of exclusion and helplessness during pregnancy and birth. The subsequent challenge for men is to adopt the role of protector and to introduce their children--particularly sons--to the world. W.W. Norton, 2007, 239 p., hardcover, $24.95.

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