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Boys: A guide to raising boys to be confident, resilient and caring, from expert host of Channel 9's Parental Guidance
Building strong young men from the inside out.
He's disappearing. Behind the closed door, lost in screens, making choices that keep you up at night. He's navigating a world designed to confuse him - algorithms designed to addict him - a world parents don't understand and can't break into. The headlines scream crisis. They warn us that boys are in deep trouble... and it's getting worse.
But it doesn't have to be like this.
Dr Justin Coulson has a different story to tell. In Boys, Justin Coulson reveals what decades of research when boys get what they actually need, they thrive. Not through force or fixing, but through connection, meaningful challenge, and someone who refuses to give up on them.
This book hands you the 'Playbook'. It cuts through the noise with practical, research-backed strategies for the battles you're fighting right now. Gaming. Pornography. Self-control. Friendships. School motivation. How to discipline without destroying trust. How to stay close when he's pushing away.
But beneath the tactics lies something more a vision of masculinity worth fighting for. Boys who help others feel safer and stronger. Who create surplus value. Who become not just good men, but the best version of themselves.
He's disappearing. Behind the closed door, lost in screens, making choices that keep you up at night. He's navigating a world designed to confuse him - algorithms designed to addict him - a world parents don't understand and can't break into. The headlines scream crisis. They warn us that boys are in deep trouble... and it's getting worse.
But it doesn't have to be like this.
Dr Justin Coulson has a different story to tell. In Boys, Justin Coulson reveals what decades of research when boys get what they actually need, they thrive. Not through force or fixing, but through connection, meaningful challenge, and someone who refuses to give up on them.
This book hands you the 'Playbook'. It cuts through the noise with practical, research-backed strategies for the battles you're fighting right now. Gaming. Pornography. Self-control. Friendships. School motivation. How to discipline without destroying trust. How to stay close when he's pushing away.
But beneath the tactics lies something more a vision of masculinity worth fighting for. Boys who help others feel safer and stronger. Who create surplus value. Who become not just good men, but the best version of themselves.
351 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 16, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 8, 2026
Boys by Dr Justin Coulson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book had so many gold nuggets of wisdom I'm going to have to read it again and again. Dr Justin Coulson has a fantastic ability to describe behaviours, society, current trends with research and logical advice. This book is not just for parents by for anyone in contact with boys and wanting to help our young people be the best versions of themselves.
"Dr Justin Coulson has a different story to tell. In Boys, Justin Coulson reveals what decades of research suggests: when boys get what they actually need, they thrive. Not through force or fixing, but through connection, meaningful challenge, and someone who refuses to give up on them.
This book hands you the blueprint. It cuts through the noise with practical, research-backed strategies for the battles you're fighting right now. Gaming. Pornography. Self-control. Friendships. School motivation. How to discipline without destroying trust. How to stay close when he's pushing away.
But beneath the tactics lies something more powerful: a vision of masculinity worth fighting for. Boys who help others feel safer and stronger. Who create surplus value. Who become not just good men, but the best version of themselves."
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book had so many gold nuggets of wisdom I'm going to have to read it again and again. Dr Justin Coulson has a fantastic ability to describe behaviours, society, current trends with research and logical advice. This book is not just for parents by for anyone in contact with boys and wanting to help our young people be the best versions of themselves.
"Dr Justin Coulson has a different story to tell. In Boys, Justin Coulson reveals what decades of research suggests: when boys get what they actually need, they thrive. Not through force or fixing, but through connection, meaningful challenge, and someone who refuses to give up on them.
This book hands you the blueprint. It cuts through the noise with practical, research-backed strategies for the battles you're fighting right now. Gaming. Pornography. Self-control. Friendships. School motivation. How to discipline without destroying trust. How to stay close when he's pushing away.
But beneath the tactics lies something more powerful: a vision of masculinity worth fighting for. Boys who help others feel safer and stronger. Who create surplus value. Who become not just good men, but the best version of themselves."
July 2, 2026
I've seen this author speak and I think he has some great points when it comes to parenting. So when I saw he was publishing a book about young boys and what they need, I thought it would be helpful for raising my pre-teen.
There were some parts I could have done without like the church and faith component but that's my opinion. Other people value this and I don't judge.
Lots actually made me worry more such as the mentions of gambling (it's awful in Australia), porn (this was always a worry but now it's even more so) and the purposeless nothingness he mentioned. Purposeless nothingness makes soooo much sense.
We are losing our kids to screens and the online world and it really is giving them nothing. The experiments they mentioned about signing up for social media as a teenage boy and NOT clicking or engaging with anything and being fed awful content was alarming.
However, as a single mother there were parts that also annoyed me. Saying men more interested in sex and casual sex is so incredibly frustrating because men rarely have to risk anything when it comes to sex. Women risk EVERYTHING. Their life, their future, their reputation etc.
Also saying that fathers use more rare words. Where the heck did you get that fact? Have you met all the smart, intelligent women out there doing it all? Also, you think getting less than you give is part of being a man. Have you met women?
There was a section on single mothers where the father isn't actually in the picture and it was really just a sliver of information. I could have used some more there.
Otherwise, I found the book pretty insightful. It's all things I do already know and advice I have heard. I may be slightly more worried about a few things.
Honestly, I am not sure how I feel about the debate about masculinity though. Why, in this day and age, do we need to define the terms like masculinity and femininity? Why should there be such a separation.
There's some good quotes like a "Boy becomes a man when he helps people feel safer and stronger." Women are always doing that. The top tier man is just your average woman.
"Moral courage is the crown of character development." Again I feel like women constantly show more moral courage in everyday life.
Look, I'm not anti-men here. I'm a mum trying to raise a boy and a girl in this scary world we are living in.
If I got anything from this it is that I should probably have the sex talk soon and not wait for them to hear it in the school yard. They are both pre-teens and one not even a tween but I think it's time.
There were some parts I could have done without like the church and faith component but that's my opinion. Other people value this and I don't judge.
Lots actually made me worry more such as the mentions of gambling (it's awful in Australia), porn (this was always a worry but now it's even more so) and the purposeless nothingness he mentioned. Purposeless nothingness makes soooo much sense.
We are losing our kids to screens and the online world and it really is giving them nothing. The experiments they mentioned about signing up for social media as a teenage boy and NOT clicking or engaging with anything and being fed awful content was alarming.
However, as a single mother there were parts that also annoyed me. Saying men more interested in sex and casual sex is so incredibly frustrating because men rarely have to risk anything when it comes to sex. Women risk EVERYTHING. Their life, their future, their reputation etc.
Also saying that fathers use more rare words. Where the heck did you get that fact? Have you met all the smart, intelligent women out there doing it all? Also, you think getting less than you give is part of being a man. Have you met women?
There was a section on single mothers where the father isn't actually in the picture and it was really just a sliver of information. I could have used some more there.
Otherwise, I found the book pretty insightful. It's all things I do already know and advice I have heard. I may be slightly more worried about a few things.
Honestly, I am not sure how I feel about the debate about masculinity though. Why, in this day and age, do we need to define the terms like masculinity and femininity? Why should there be such a separation.
There's some good quotes like a "Boy becomes a man when he helps people feel safer and stronger." Women are always doing that. The top tier man is just your average woman.
"Moral courage is the crown of character development." Again I feel like women constantly show more moral courage in everyday life.
Look, I'm not anti-men here. I'm a mum trying to raise a boy and a girl in this scary world we are living in.
If I got anything from this it is that I should probably have the sex talk soon and not wait for them to hear it in the school yard. They are both pre-teens and one not even a tween but I think it's time.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews