Schoolgirls: Young Women, Self Esteem, and the Confidence Gap

(Paperback)

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A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR

When Peggy Orenstein's now-classic examination of young girls and self-esteem was first published, it set off a groundswell that continues to this day. Inspired by an American Association of University Women survey that showed a steep decline in confidence as girls reach adolescence, Orenstein set out to explore the obstacles girls face--in school, in the hoime, and in our culture.

For this intimate, girls' eye view of the world, Orenstein spent months observing and interviewing eighth-graders from two ethnically disparate communities, seeking to discover what was causing girls to fall into traditional patterns of self-censorship and self-doubt. By taking us into the lives of real young women who are struggling with eating disorders, sexual harrassment, and declining academic achievement, Orenstein brings the disturbing statistics to life with the skill and flair of an experienced journalist. Uncovering the adolescent roots of issues that remain important to American women throughout their lives, this groundbreaking book challenges us to change the way we raise and educate girls.

Reviews

"This important book should be read byparents raising children of all ages and of both sexes."-- New York Times BookReview.

"This book is to young girls whatBlack Beauty is to horses, what UptonSinclair's The Jungle was to theprocessing of meat. To read SchoolGirls is to remember -- how reluctantly! -- whatit means to be a girl in junior high." --Carolyn See, Washington Post BookWorld.

"Orenstein's study should berequired reading for all American teachers. Andstudents. And everyone else. [grade] A." --Entertainment Weekly.

"School Girls is a fascinating book.Hopefully it will be read by the right people --parents and educators who could change theexperience of young girls in the future." --Los Angeles Times Book Review.

"School Girls cautions those of uswho educate and mold young people to wake up andsee the social and intellectual consequences ofsimply letting 'girls be girls' and boys be boys.'"-- New York Newsday.

Author Bio

Peggy Orenstein is the author of Flux: Women on Sex, Work, Love, Kids and Life in a Half-Changed World. An award-winning writer and speaker on issues affecting girls and women, she is a regular contributor to The New York Times Magazine, and her work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Vogue, Glamour, Mirabella, Details, Elle, Mother Jones, The New Yorker, and other publications. Additionally, she has served as an editor at Esquire, Manhattan inc., 7 Days, and Mother Jones magazines.