The centerfold syndrome

It's no secret that millions of men read magazines like Playboy and Penthouse and lust after bikini-clad models. After all, guys will be guys, and what's the harm? Plenty! claims psychologist and educator Gary R. Brooks, author of The Centerfold Syndrome, a ground-breaking book that shows how many so-called normal male attitudes toward sex are actually harmful and destructive.

Here is the first candid analysis of how boys are conditioned to pursue airbrushed photo fantasies, and how they're brought up to depend upon and yet fear the perceived power women hold over them as gatekeepers to a precious commodity - their objectified bodies! And even more importantly how this syndrome prevents true emotional intimacy between men and women. But Dr. Brooks also offers a way to overcome this destructive malady. Using actual case histories and transcripts from groups he has led over many years, Dr. Brooks documents how a variety of men from different backgrounds have struggled to escape the depersonalization, the isolation, and the sense of frustration and powerlessness of the Centerfold Syndrome. In stories that are both inspiring and instructive, the author demonstrates their successes and set-backs as they try to achieve mature and more meaningful relationships with their wives and partners. Both men and women will appreciate the candor of The Centerfold Syndrome. Dr. Brooks offers specific guidelines and practical plans of action for all of us in our various roles - as friends, lovers, partners, husbands, wives, parents, responsible citizens - in an era of changing gender relations.