"The real purpose of this book, then, is to reveal the insidiousness of language used by men to speak of manhood and heterosexuality, and in this way to begin to undermine the discourse of male bonding," Peter F. Murphy in the introduction. As the author admits in the introduction the purpose is to undermine heterosexual men and the bonding of men. The author continually uses loaded male-bashing language to describe men and male bodies. Straight men talk about "men," not "heterosexual men." He quotes feminist women as experts on how men feel about being soldiers, as if a woman who has never been a man or a soldier or in a war has any clue what she's talking about. He cites all the usual radical feminist male bashers as authorities on men's behavior, feelings, and language. It's openly an attempt to undermine straight men and, the author hopes, to begin to prevent male bonding. Its a negative bash of men from cover to cover. His purpose is to undermine men. The book ought to be burned as a prejudicial hate piece.

Peter F. Murphy's Studs, Tools, and the Family Jewels: Metaphors Men Live By, is a readable, provocative, and courageous book assessing one critical aspect of male discourse, the metaphors of masculinity which shape the way many men live their lives. What makes Murphy's book exceptional is that he goes beyond mere documentation of the widely-recognized fact that men's discourse involves many sexist and homophobic metaphors and commendably probes the influence these metaphors have in shaping the prevailing, albeit limited, view of manhood. In doing so, he addresses the usual suspects and includes discussions of metaphors such as "hard-on," "pecker," "family jewels," "jock," "blue balls," "faggot," and "pussy." This engaging book also features chapters on the use of these metaphors in most aspects of men's lives, including work, play, war, sports, humor and even in some males' revealing defensive defense of exclusive heterosexuality.
Murphy maintains these metaphors are often employed politically to distinguish privileged masculinity from its alleged inferiors, femininity and non-heterosexuality. He provocatively concludes that these metaphors while revealing much about men's relationships with women and non-heterosexual men, tell, ever so sadly, still more about the detachment, fear, distrust, and anxiety reflected in the desperate lives of many men. Murphy admirably seeks to mitigate the negative consequences of this phenomenon by offering an alternative version of the meaning of manhood, an alternative boldly calling, in part, for new metaphors by which men can be encouraged and influenced, by the language they use, to lead more humane, sensitive, fulfilled and fulfilling lives.
Not all readers will agree that dramatic changes in gender and male-to-male relationships will be fostered by Murphy's proffered revision of the many metaphors in male discourse. As Murphy is aware (see p. 5), he is likely dealing with a symptom of dysfunctional masculinity and not its primary or major cause. And yet, his response to that criticism is well- reasoned as he maintains that while language does not "determine" men's objectification of women (and homophobia, for that matter) "it describes it in a way that gives it legitimacy. How we talk about ourselves as men can alter the way we live as men."
Finally, some readers might find this book disturbing. Murphy throws down a dual challenge to males to both question their privileged status sustained by the continued use of traditional metaphors and to adopt a more "non-hard," tender and embracing discourse. Meeting the latter challenge must involve men willing to champion the use of new metaphors which might, in turn, make these non-traditional males easy preys, vulnerable and open to ridicule by those traditional males still trapped by the old metaphors underlying male dominance. Murphy boldly asks us to join him in meeting this challenge, noting:

"[I]n proposing alternative metaphors that are "unhard,' I open myself up to mockery. Men need to take these kinds of risks, however, risks that women in the feminist movement have been taking for decades (even centuries) as a way to confront what is touted as natural and normal. If men are to participate authentically in the struggle to change the way we think about masculinity and femininity, to move the discourse beyond the oppressive and the demeaning, we too must take some risks."

In the quest for saner and richer relationships between and among men and women, heterosexuals and homosexuals, all challenges calling us to that noble end are to be commended and that is decisively so regarding Murphy's challenge.

John Massaro
Professor of Politics, SUNY Postdam
SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, 1996

Studs, Tools and the Family Jewels is a fascinating read. It is accessible to a wide audience, though it is deep and thoughtful as well. A book which talks about how men use language to bond with each other tells us a great deal about the construction of male heterosexuality, and is long overdue. Peter Murphy does not shrink from some of the difficult aspects of being a man, he wants to better understand the conditioning in order to imagine a world where masculinity might be different, a less sexist and heterosexist world, and a more tolerant one. Men can learn from this book, about themselves and their options to use language differently. Women will read this book with interest as well for its insights into how heterosexual men define themselves against their perceived "others": gay men and women.

The authors clearly care a great deal about how children are educated and evaluated. However, the conclusions that are drawn go too far. While these are steeped in much current literary theory, that theory itself is still very speculative with little firm research to support it. Furthermore, although the book roundly condems most current types of reading tests, no promising alternatives are put forth. The main mission of Fragile Evidence is not to reform standardized reading tests or tackle the difficult task of improving them, but rather to just get rid of them altogether. Still, there are a number of good points raised about test validity, reliability, and perhaps most importantly the poor uses to which tests are put.

This book does an excellent job of pointing out internal and external validity and reliability issues with a wide range of standardized tests used to assess reading. I found it remarkable to note that most of these tests seldom (if at all) ask readers to read real connected text. The authors do point to some alternatives for reading assessment. Most knowledgeable literacy educators will already have a wide array of means for developing a full picture of any child's literacy development. This book opens the doors wide toward having a conversation around the reductionistic perspectives represented by standardized reading assessments, the purposes they are used for, and the impact they can have on children's literacy.

I thought I was buying a book written by Mary Higgins Clark. I am one of her biggest fans. The short stories were pointless and poorly written. One story was written by Mary Higgins Clark and even that was pointless. On a scale of 1 to 5, this rates a 0.

This twelve-story anthology loosely focuses on the title, MURDER IN THE FAMILY. Though the tales are well written, they lack the suspense and cutting edge expected of this famous group of popular authors that contributed to the collection and that of previous short story books produced by the Adams Round Table. For most mystery readers, previous Adams Round Table editions are stronger (see MURDER AMONG FRIENDS, etc.). However, die hard fans of Lawrence Block, Mary Higgins Clark, Stanley Cohen, Dorothy Salisbury Davis, Mickey Friedman, Joyce Harrington, Susan Isaacs, Judith Kelman, Warren Murphy, Justin Scott, Peter Straub, and Whitley Strieber will want to read the tales. Yet even the strongest of loyalists need to keep the expectations a bit lower than usual as the gaggle of writers fall short of what each one usually provides.

Harriet Klausner

Lawrence Block, et.al.'s Murder In The Family packs in high-profile mystery writers whose new presentations have not seen print elsewhere. Mary Higgins Clark probes a father's motivation for revenge, Susan Isaacs presents a chilling portrait of a family which should not be in business, and Dorothy Davis tells of a letter which transforms lives in this excellent collection.

My guess is this post is Ms. (ATM) Murphy's most recent, final word regarding her tumultuous past.

Bravo!

Glad to see that she's alive and at peace with the past. Hope Peter is well and am wondering if he completed law school? I even hope the former bishop is okay too and at peace with his paternity as well as finding fulfillment in life outside the narrow view and confines of the church.

All three, in their respective fashions, have served as martyrs to necessary change and should be retired, with compassion.

May the peace of the Lord which surpasseth all understanding (and still eludes the church that claims to have the market on Christian salvation, cornered in their favor) be with you all.

By the way, Ms. Murphy, I am now going to A.A., as well, after being dumped by a Jesuit, two years ago. He engaged in the added pretense of saying he wanted to marry me and have a child, right before his superior ordered him into treatment at a sex offender clinic.

Maybe, I too, will write a book about that experience as well, one day. But in the meantime, all I can really manage is working on sobriety, one day at a time.

Alright it's been awhile so let them all rest....but really folks did not Ireland benefit from the restrictions of the Church being loosened and perhaps the Bishop and Annie (the pawn) were used well on this chess board of politics emeshed in religion. I lean towards givin them a break-- they served Ireland well. The Bishop is doing his work, Annie, foolish in her choices, has paid a dear price. Perhaps you might remember before ever going public, Annie took Peter to Ireland for 6 months just so the Bishop could be given the chance to approach his son which he obviously choose to ignore--- so ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE!!--- So all of you who point the finger soley at one or the other STOP. ATM and that doesn't stand for automated teller machine

If some of you really read between the lines and get the knowledge of the pain and true love that goes through the whole book, you will feel the pain of all the 'forbidden' couples in the world have to go through and the environment's judgement on all that is 'forbidden';The true love! I'm sure that every one, man or woman can recognise the pain for both of them. Please open your hearts! Feel for them! Get the comfort for all your own unhappiness -By the environment judgements! I'm sure God DID wan't them to be happy, but the Catholic earth was so filled with historic traditions. Forgive them too! Read it! Feel it! I recognise their pain, but mine is more of unhappy ending! I wish that I could share it with you, Another time maybe..