Mask Off

What is masculinity? Dominating the world around us, from Trump's twitter outbursts to deadly gun violence, from male suicide rates to incels on Reddit and 4chan, masculinity is perceived to be 'toxic', 'fragile' and 'in crisis'. In Mask Off, JJ Bola exposes masculinity as a performance that men are socially conditioned into. Using examples of non-Western cultural traditions, music and sport, he shines light on historical narratives around manhood, debunking popular myths along the way. He explores how LGBTQ men, men of colour, and male refugees experience masculinity in diverse ways, revealing its fluidity, how it's strengthened and weakened by different political contexts, such as the patriarchy or the far-right, and perceived differently by those around them. At the heart of love and sex, the political stage, competitive sports, gang culture, and mental health issues, lies masculinity: Mask Off is an urgent call to unravel masculinity and redefine it.

Cortland Pfeffer spent years as a patient in psychiatric hospitals, treatment centers, and jails before becoming a registered nurse and working in the same facilities. This is a story about recovery that goes inside the mental health and addiction field, revealing the problems and providing a spiritual solution.

The murder mystery "Masks Off at Midnight" is a novel by Valentine Williams. Brent Hordern is the richest man in Laurel. But the millionaire is also not the most popular man around town, with quite a few people baying for his blood, from spurned women hoping that he would marry them, to disgruntled tenants. His latest plans to incorporate the island to share the tax burden with the community has only seen his enemies increase in number. And at a masked costume pageant, a body is found inside a car. As the mask is removed, a gasp rents the air for Brent Hordern lies dead. An old acquaintance, Detective Trevor Dene investigates the crime...

Cass and her mom have always stood on their own against the world. Then Cass learns she had a grandmother, one who was never part of her life, one who has just died and left her and her mother the first house they could call their own. But with it comes more questions than answers: Why is her Mom so determined not to live there? Why was this relative kept so secret? And what is the unusual mask, forgotten in a drawer, trying to tell her? Strange dreams, strange voices, and strange incidents all lead Cass closer to solving the mystery and making connections she never dreamed she had.

At 30 years old, Lewis Howes was outwardly thriving but unfulfilled inside. He was a successful athlete and businessman, achieving goals beyond his wildest dreams, but he felt empty, angry, frustrated, and always chasing something that was never enough. His whole identity had been built on misguided beliefs about what "masculinity" was. Howes began a personal journey to find inner peace and to uncover the many masks that men – young and old – wear. In The Mask of Masculinity, Howes exposes the ultimate emptiness of the Material Mask, the man who chases wealth above all things; the cowering vulnerability that hides behind the Joker and Stoic Masks of men who never show real emotion; and the destructiveness of the Invincible and Aggressive Masks worn by men who take insane risks or can never back down from a fight. He teaches men how to break through the walls that hold them back and shows women how they can better understand the men in their lives. It's not easy, but if you want to love, be loved and live a great life, then it's an odyssey of self-discovery that all modern men must make. This book is a must-read for every man – and for every woman who loves a man.

Behind The Mask is an anthology collaboration with international authors which tackles about pretending. This is dedicated to all people who keeps on pretending that they are fine even when they're not. May you soon muster the courage to take your mask off for your emotions are all valid.

One of the challenges man faces is to be who they are at all times. In this challenge man is continuously involved in processes of change because of life impacts. These impacts allow man to evolve towards becoming a better person. In striving to become better human beings, man plays out roles. But what role is man playing? How did it come that you are playing that particular role? Who are you? In the search of the SELF you unknowingly and knowingly wear a mask. As you evolve, these masks become who you are. The real self gradually becomes so hidden behind these masks that you are unable to find the true self. It is at this point that you have to learn how to take your face off - to unmask. The journey through this book is about that journey back to the self and complete life’s circle.