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Title: True Gentlemen
Subtitle: The Broken Pledge of America's Fraternities
Author: John Hechinger
Narrator: Rick Zieff
Format: Unabridged
Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
Language: English
Release date: 09-26-17
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes
Genres: History, American
Publisher's Summary:
College fraternity culture has never been more embattled. Once a mainstay of campus life, fraternities are now subject to withering criticism for reinforcing white male privilege and undermining the lasting social and economic value of a college education.
No fraternity embodies this problem more than Sigma Alpha Epsilon, a national organization with more than 15,000 undergraduate brothers spread over 230 chapters nationwide. While SAE enrollment is still strong, it has been pilloried for what John Hechinger calls "the unholy trinity of fraternity life": racism, deadly drinking, and misogyny. Hazing rituals have killed 10 undergraduates in its chapters since 2005, and, in 2015, a video of a racist chant breaking out among its Oklahoma University members went viral. That same year, SAE was singled out by a documentary on campus rape, The Hunting Ground. Yet, despite these problems and others, SAE remains a large institution with strong ties to Wall Street and significant political reach.
In True Gentlemen, Hechinger embarks on a deep investigation of SAE and fraternity culture generally, exposing the vast gulf between its founding ideals and the realities of its impact on colleges and the world at large. He shows how national fraternities are reacting to a slowly dawning new reality and asks what the rest of us should do about it. Should we ban them outright, or will they only be driven underground? Can an institution this broken be saved? With rare access and skillful storytelling, Hechinger draws a fascinating and necessary portrait of an institution in deep need of reform and makes a case for how it can happen.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
Critic Reviews:
"What happens behind the bolted oaken doors of American fraternities? John Hechinger's relentless reporting and fine critical intelligence reveal all too much about the worst of frat life in America. A necessary and significant book." (Mark Edmundson, professor, University of Virginia)
"Riveting, infuriating...an exposé that, given the influence of fraternity alumni, requires tremendous courage to pursue." (Kirkus Reviews)
Members Reviews:
Three Stars
Good book and easy read. Very relevant topic that needs discussion.
One Star
Total hack job
This book is to Greek Life like The Right Stuff is to Mercury Astronauts.
I have always been intrigued by Greek Life on campus and my daughter is heavily involved in her sorority. You hear on the news from time to time about the dangerous pranks and drinking that go on today. This book is a comprehensive review of the history of Greek life, where it came from, what's going on now and what the future can be like. The book held my attention for every minute. Hechinger is an excellent reporter, but he also gives social commentary much like Tom Wolfe. This book is to Greek Life like The RIght Stuff is to Mercury astronauts. It is well written, logical, interesting, horrifying at times and quite profound. Hechinger in the last chapters paints a picture of Fraternity leaders who are dedicated to charity, to tradition and to Brotherhood. There are scenes depicted that bring tears to your eyes and portray the worth of this institution.
In the end you get a good feeling for the complexity of the institution.
