This collection investigates the complex and often contentious role of men within feminist discourse and academic theory. Editors Alice Jardine and Paul Smith curate a series of essays from both male and female scholars to address the lack of shared dialogue regarding male participation in feminist practice. The text examines the theoretical, political, and personal implications of men engaging with feminism, questioning whether such involvement supports or undermines the movement's goals.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational, if provocative, text in the development of gender studies during the late 1980s. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the historical significance of the dialogue it initiated between feminist scholars and their male counterparts.