Nerd-ism has become the form of boyhood most likely to succeed.(B SECTION)(Comment)(Column)

Byline: Rich Brooks

Is boyhood under attack?

Once the stuff of colorful memories that inspired writers such as Mark Twain, James Thurber, and Jean Shepherd, it now seems that boydom is going the way of paper boys.

Part of the reason I say this comes from reading the cover story of BusinessWeek. "The New Gender Gap" catalogs the downward spiral of boyhood. I first learned of the article from Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen. His account led me to the story, which I recommend to mothers, fathers, grandparents, teachers, and anyone else interested in the fate of the next generation.

The larger part of my interest in this topic is …