I’m a fan of men and I’m a fan of Gail Sheehy. This book made sense to me. Through hundreds of interviews, Sheehy thoroughly describes the state of being male today. Inspired by her husband’s mid-life search for meaning, this book helped me understand what my own husband is confronting in his 50s.

One of the main points of the book is that men confront a mid-life change that is not acknowledged by society as is women’s menopause. A divorce, job change or loss, or the loss of a loved one often leaves them bereft with nowhere to turn and no plan. Her secondary point is the impact of male menopause and male sexual dysfunction (which roughly half of men experience), describing what men experience as their bodies age but their pschyes may not.

But the book is not a dire list of men’s problems. Covering health, work, intimacy, relationships and spirituality, Sheehy proposes plenty of practical solutions, scientific studies, and hope for men–and the women that love them.

Her insights about men of all ages illustrate that the male passage is unique. With mindfulness and care, it can be joyous into advanced age.