Men in Groups
Lionel Tiger
Transaction Pub
<span>When <i>Men in Groups</i> was first published in l969, the <i>New York Times</i>
 daily critic titled his review "The Disturbing Rediscovery of the 
Obvious." What was so obvious was male bonding, a phrase that entered 
the language. The links between males in groups Tiger describes extend 
through many other primate species, through our evolution as 
hunters/gatherers, and cross-culturally.<br><br>Male bonding 
characterizes human groups as varied as the Vatican Council, the New 
York Yankees, the Elks and Masons the secret societies of Sierra Leone 
and Kenya. The power of Tiger's book is its identification of the 
powerful links between men and the impact of females and families on 
essentially male groups. While the world has changed much, the argument 
of the book and its new introduction by the author suggest that a 
species-specific pattern of male bonding continues to be part of the 
human default system. Perhaps one day concrete evidence of its location 
will emerge from the startling work on the human genome, just as the 
elaborate and consequential sex differences to which <i>Men in Groups</i> drew such pioneering attention have already become part of the common wisdom. Meanwhile, <i>Men in Groups</i>
 remains a measured and responsible but intrepid inspection of a major 
aspect of human social organization and personal behavior. The book was 
controversial when it first appeared, and often foolishly and unduly 
scorned. But it has remained a fundamental contribution to the emerging 
synthesis between the social and natural sciences.</span>