Poor choice of words in the use “thriving”, admittedly. I should have instead said that women are on an upwards trajectory and men are on a downward trajectory in academics, the labor market, and health. And to repeat, this isn’t and shouldn’t be a zero sum game. Lifting one gender up doesn’t require to drag the other down. Both can win. The economic and social reality have changed for the better and men have struggled to adapt. And as I stated previously, neither party has provided an adequate guide or anchor to do so.

As far as redshirting boys early in school, there’s good evidence provided in the book that this is a boon for boys at no cost for girls. Most importantly, it decreases the % of high school and college dropouts of young men, who are substantially at higher risk to do so than young women, which reduces the negative impact on their job prospects, wealth, marriage, and fatherhood. Allowing a large % of one gender to fall off the cliff is simply not a good idea.