Buddy System:
Understanding Male Friendships
by Geoffrey Greif
BF575 .F66 G735 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor
Friends come in handy this week, don’t they? At the end of the semester, they’re there to encourage you while you write three papers and study for four finals in two days (they’re also probably the main culprits of why you have so much cramming to do in the first place). They’ll also be there celebrating the end of the semester and possibly your college career. When it comes to guys and gals, we all know that the groups of individuals treat friendships differently. This week’s featured title explores the world of relationships between the two men.
Greif, a social work professor at the University of Maryland, provides a much-needed volume that sheds light on the topic of male friendships. As noted in the text, there has been plenty of attention and research on the subject of female relationships, but the men have been overlooked until now. The researcher conducted interviews, nearly four hundred of them, to see how guys view their personal connections in their lives, as well as over one hundred interviews with women to get their point of view. He contends that contrary to popular belief, males have four types of friends, from the casual acquaintance to the BFF. Greif also profiles individuals at different life stages and analyzes the impact of the male friendships on life quality. This book is highly recommended for those researching men and their bonds with their fellow man.