Scan barcode
travelingkayte's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting look at the culture surrounding the transition between girlhood and womanhood. I found the chapter on menstruation most interesting due to me work with feminine hygiene in the developing world. This physical change in a girls life is truly a turning point. In most of the world this is the point at which a girl is viewed as a women regardless of her mental or emotional state. With the view that she is now a woman the protection, what little offered to most girls, is discarded with little or no fan fare leaving her adrift in the world of female expectations. In the future this will be a chapter I ask all my colleagues to read before going forward to address the issue.
I found the Epilogue with suggestions for how to address this transitions in the current and future generations commendable. Looking about on my own up bringing I can only thank my parents for their 'protectiveness'.
I found the Epilogue with suggestions for how to address this transitions in the current and future generations commendable. Looking about on my own up bringing I can only thank my parents for their 'protectiveness'.
mtesterman's review against another edition
2.0
Normally I really like these kind of books, but this one was seriously under-supported and based largely on the personal experiences and conjectures of the author. I'm sure there is a massive amount of studies and professional opinions that could had been used to support the author's view of female adolescences... which makes it that much more disappointing that so little of it was included.
I give this book an E for Effort. Next time, please show your work.
I give this book an E for Effort. Next time, please show your work.
glitterbomb47's review against another edition
2.0
Too much memoir masquerading as history. Also too much glibness & overgeneralizing. I guess if you have a teenaged daughter, this book might be helpful for you, if you take it for what it can offer.
mokey4's review against another edition
3.0
This book was worth a read, though it has some problems. There are some interesting insights and personal stories that will help me on the journey of raising two girls. But the message seems inconsistent and not very useful at times. It's hard for me to say what Flanagan's main point is. Be wary of popular culture & social norms, and try to protect your girls from them. But there's not much you can do, according to Flanagan, outside of keeping the internet out of your kid's room -good luck nowadays, with tablets and phones and all that. I am going to do my best.. but I admit I'm afraid there's going to be a point where it won't really be possible to physically shield my kids from the ravages of social media and all that the internet offers.
I think the book is missing a couple of important points about raising girls. Flanagan doesn't talk about the importance of self esteem, and having a girl who is strong-minded and has goals and ambitions. Who isn't afraid to be apart from the crowd. And I think that is such an important omission. Another important omission is the actual strength of the relationship between the girl and her parent(s). Sure, the relationship is going to suffer a beating during the adolescent years (she makes that point loud and clear), but I think that getting through those years as unscathed as possible might depend to some extent on having the basis of support from her family. Knowing that she is loved and known, or at least once was.
I think the book is missing a couple of important points about raising girls. Flanagan doesn't talk about the importance of self esteem, and having a girl who is strong-minded and has goals and ambitions. Who isn't afraid to be apart from the crowd. And I think that is such an important omission. Another important omission is the actual strength of the relationship between the girl and her parent(s). Sure, the relationship is going to suffer a beating during the adolescent years (she makes that point loud and clear), but I think that getting through those years as unscathed as possible might depend to some extent on having the basis of support from her family. Knowing that she is loved and known, or at least once was.
liralen's review against another edition
2.0
Mmm. Not quite what I'd expected. Reminded me of [b:Locker Room Diaries|659517|Locker Room Diaries The Naked Truth about Women, Body Image, and Re-imagining the "Perfect" Body|Leslie Goldman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1176844715s/659517.jpg|645594] in terms of how light it was -- definitely wanted more depth. Almost every chapter comes back around to sex (as though that's the crux of girlhood, womanhood, femininity, etc.), and the author tends to speak in sweeping generalisations. Joan Jacobs Brumberg [b:did it better|150749|The Body Project An Intimate History of American Girls|Joan Jacobs Brumberg|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320482726s/150749.jpg|1138587].
But really I'm only bothering to review this because I wanted to note this typo: "In the 1930s the government had a particular incentive to get as many teenagers as possible enrolled in school: every time it transformed a worker into a full-time student it adjusted the national unemployment figures and took pressure off the job market. During the first two years of Franklin Roosevelt's first term, 1.5 teenagers lost their jobs for this reason" (140).
But really I'm only bothering to review this because I wanted to note this typo: "In the 1930s the government had a particular incentive to get as many teenagers as possible enrolled in school: every time it transformed a worker into a full-time student it adjusted the national unemployment figures and took pressure off the job market. During the first two years of Franklin Roosevelt's first term, 1.5 teenagers lost their jobs for this reason" (140).
shelfimprovement's review against another edition
2.0
I've been out of the reading loop for a while as social requirements and the presence of a male friend have kept me busy, so it's rather appropriate that this is my first toe-dip back into the world of bookish things. Flanagan presents here something of a survey of the ways in which the transition from girlhood to womanhood have changed over the course of the last century.
This should be interesting and, for the most part, I agree with her overall thesis that the transition if particularly difficult for females but I found her arguments to be weak and full of all sorts of fallacies. She tends to generalize, saying things like "Every woman I know feels" or "All girls wanted." There were many of these broad strokes that certainly didn't apply to me, and I wasn't sure if that should make me feel alienated or reassured. I was also bothered by her lack of concrete data: she'd refer to the way things were in the past without providing a specific date or timeframe. She also simply failed to provide any kind of numbers to back up her statements, instead relying on quotations pulled from historical publications (I use the word historical loosely, as we're talking about dating guides given to teen girls in the 20s, 50s, and 60s). There's no evidence to suggest just how representative these publications were of the overall culture. I'm not sure how much of this data is actually available, but Flanagan's arguments certainly need it. Similarly, she's also reticent to provide citations for many of her claims. Sure, she quotes examples of dating guides and there's a list of sources, but she's not saying where her specific statements of fact come from.
This should be interesting and, for the most part, I agree with her overall thesis that the transition if particularly difficult for females but I found her arguments to be weak and full of all sorts of fallacies. She tends to generalize, saying things like "Every woman I know feels" or "All girls wanted." There were many of these broad strokes that certainly didn't apply to me, and I wasn't sure if that should make me feel alienated or reassured. I was also bothered by her lack of concrete data: she'd refer to the way things were in the past without providing a specific date or timeframe. She also simply failed to provide any kind of numbers to back up her statements, instead relying on quotations pulled from historical publications (I use the word historical loosely, as we're talking about dating guides given to teen girls in the 20s, 50s, and 60s). There's no evidence to suggest just how representative these publications were of the overall culture. I'm not sure how much of this data is actually available, but Flanagan's arguments certainly need it. Similarly, she's also reticent to provide citations for many of her claims. Sure, she quotes examples of dating guides and there's a list of sources, but she's not saying where her specific statements of fact come from.
melissabalick's review against another edition
2.0
I decided to read this book because Bitch Magazine had such a strongly harsh reaction against it, which made me curious, so I requested it from the library. It took months to get it! There were many people in line before me who had reserved the book. In any case, it was an enormously quick read.
It's a pretty dumb book. I mean, I don't know the point of it, really. Girl Land is supposed to be this, like, time in all girls' lives. I would call this same time "adolescence," but I guess that for the sake of trying to write a book, she calls it "Girl Land." Kind of weird! It goes through all these different rites of passage that define adolescence: menstruation, prom, diary keeping, sexual initiation, and so forth. She doesn't have anything particularly new or interesting to say about any of these things. I kept thinking, "Yeah, and...?" as I read it. Utterly pointless.
I do kind of agree with her about some things. For instance, I agree that children -- both girls AND boys -- should be limited and supervised on the internet. I'm not anti-pornography or anything, but I do believe that children having access to so much pornography and graphic sex is not healthy for our young folks. It pornifies our culture, and makes our kids act like little sickos, and, frankly, I don't like it! Maybe I'm being reactionary, but I do think that kids should learn about sex the old-fashioned way -- by experimenting with each other awkwardly as teenagers! But Caitlin Flanagan seems to think that only girls need this type of limitation, and she thinks they need it in order to protect "Girl Land" or some shit. I just didn't understand what she was getting at in most of the book.
I mean, look. I'm concerned about the kids today too. The culture is gross. It's anti-intellectual. Kids have smartphones and are dumb as Britney. They cannot write and they're not into reading. Their parents are Republicans. They are fiercely materialistic. I'm not sure what to do about it except sign up for Big Brothers/Big Sisters and try to get a kid interested in cooking and gardening and reading. Also, I'm just not going to ever have any kids. I don't think that Caitlin Flanagan has any particular insight into these problems or the solutions to these serious problems, though.
That said, I'm not sure Bitch Magazine's vitriol is all THAT justified. It's a stupid book, but it's not, like, horrific or anything. It's not like she's Dr. Laura Schlesinger or something.
It's a pretty dumb book. I mean, I don't know the point of it, really. Girl Land is supposed to be this, like, time in all girls' lives. I would call this same time "adolescence," but I guess that for the sake of trying to write a book, she calls it "Girl Land." Kind of weird! It goes through all these different rites of passage that define adolescence: menstruation, prom, diary keeping, sexual initiation, and so forth. She doesn't have anything particularly new or interesting to say about any of these things. I kept thinking, "Yeah, and...?" as I read it. Utterly pointless.
I do kind of agree with her about some things. For instance, I agree that children -- both girls AND boys -- should be limited and supervised on the internet. I'm not anti-pornography or anything, but I do believe that children having access to so much pornography and graphic sex is not healthy for our young folks. It pornifies our culture, and makes our kids act like little sickos, and, frankly, I don't like it! Maybe I'm being reactionary, but I do think that kids should learn about sex the old-fashioned way -- by experimenting with each other awkwardly as teenagers! But Caitlin Flanagan seems to think that only girls need this type of limitation, and she thinks they need it in order to protect "Girl Land" or some shit. I just didn't understand what she was getting at in most of the book.
I mean, look. I'm concerned about the kids today too. The culture is gross. It's anti-intellectual. Kids have smartphones and are dumb as Britney. They cannot write and they're not into reading. Their parents are Republicans. They are fiercely materialistic. I'm not sure what to do about it except sign up for Big Brothers/Big Sisters and try to get a kid interested in cooking and gardening and reading. Also, I'm just not going to ever have any kids. I don't think that Caitlin Flanagan has any particular insight into these problems or the solutions to these serious problems, though.
That said, I'm not sure Bitch Magazine's vitriol is all THAT justified. It's a stupid book, but it's not, like, horrific or anything. It's not like she's Dr. Laura Schlesinger or something.
meghanmarion's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book as part of Goodreads First Reads.
I found many of the authors points to be interesting and thought provoking. The writing was very engaging and it was a quick read considering the topic being discussed. There were a few instances where I wish the author would have elaborated more, but I think that's due to personal preference.
It was a great read and I recommend it to all women to read whether they are 13, 30, or 83.
I found many of the authors points to be interesting and thought provoking. The writing was very engaging and it was a quick read considering the topic being discussed. There were a few instances where I wish the author would have elaborated more, but I think that's due to personal preference.
It was a great read and I recommend it to all women to read whether they are 13, 30, or 83.