This episode is brought to you by Network Rail.

It's easy to disappear into your own bubble when you're out and about,

whether you're lost in your thoughts or lost in nature.

The last thing on your mind is the danger of trains at level crossings.

Beware the bubble, stay aware, take care and help us keep you safe at level crossings.

Welcome to the Bullwork Podcast. I'm Charlie Sykes. It is Friday.

Something I've been trying to do this week pulling back a little bit from the politics of the day.

Not talking endlessly about Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

And trying to figure out some of the underlying factors for the world we're living in.

What's driving many of the stories?

What's driving this shift in our culture?

And the other day we talked about the Phoenix economy with Felix Salmon.

Today I want to talk about something that I think is.

And I have to say that having read this book, I find myself thinking about it over and over and over again.

The book is of boys and men. Why the modern male is struggling?

Why it matters and what to do about it?

It is written by Richard Reeves, who's a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution,

where his research focuses on boys and men in equality and social mobility.

And Richard Reeves joins us. Thank you so much, Richard, for joining us today.

Well, thanks for having me on, Charlie. Really looking forward to this.

Well, you've said a number of times that a lot of people warned you against reading a book about boys and men

because it is such a fraught subject, particularly in politics right now.

...