Why Men Are Forever 14 (And How Women Can Survive It)

Think you really know men? Think again. Music industry veteran and bestselling author Tom Sturges has spent decades working with legends like Flea, 50 Cent, Billy Corgan, and Jon Bon Jovi—and raising three sons of his own. In his upcoming book Men Explained, Finally (out October 7, 2025), Sturges reveals the hilarious, baffling, and sometimes painfully true secrets of manhood.

Drawing from 45 essays, Sturges’ guide takes readers on a journey through why men seem to act like teenagers even when they’re well into adulthood. From sports and beer to heroics and Duct Tape, he distills manhood into six uncomfortably accurate (and laugh-out-loud) truths:

1. Men aim to please…if asked nicely. Commands? Orders? Forget it. Approach a man like you’re making a polite request, or face blank stares.
2. Men love forever. First crushes, early loves—they live in the glory days, not the present. Trying to reignite old flames? Don’t.
3. Men compartmentalize. Messy life situations? Men box it up. If he seems lost in his “box,” patience is key.
4. Men are heroes. Maybe not jumping off rooftops—but hauling the family camping or cleaning gutters counts, right?
5. Men are geniuses and idiots. Often simultaneously. And usually blissfully unaware which hat they’re wearing.
6. The great mystery. How women actually fall in love with men remains unsolved. Sturges admits: “It makes no sense at all, at all.”

Organized into three sections—Men, Men vs. Women, and Men & Women Together—the book is as funny as it is insightful. Women get a crash course in understanding the eternal teenage inside every guy, and men…well, they get a mirror held up to their own “forever 14” tendencies.

Whether you’re a woman trying to decode your partner or a man willing to laugh at yourself, Men Explained, Finally promises eye-opening, hilarious insights backed by decades in the music industry—and life.