Probably the best book I have ever read on the subject. It really touches on the pertinent issues in a woman's life at this point in history. The issues are presented in a straightforward way, leaving the reader to ponder how they may relate to her own life. There is no dominant theme or single hypothesis the author is trying to advance, which is in my opinion the major fault of so many books on this subject. The complexity of women's lives is presented for what it is -- complex, no sugar coating, yet no whining either. A rare gem.

I discovered this book and recommended it for my book club without really knowing what to expect. As a woman in my early 30's I was able to relate to many of the topics that Ms. Orenstein covered. Every chapter had an "Ah Ha" moment for me! I came away from this book feeling like I wasn't the only woman out there today faced with difficult choices about my life. She allows the reader to recognize themself or someone they know through her use of personal interviews with real people. This book is so insightful that I have now given it as a gift to half a dozen people including men. This is a must read for anyone from 23-55 living in today's society and trying to figure out what it all means. The women's movement has come a long way, but this illustrates that we still have a long way to go. Horray for Peggy Orenstein for writing this wonderful, highly readable, not too 'preachy' book!

I read this book for my bookclub - an all women's group. We had the best discussion from it. This book raised some thought-provoking questions. For example, why do many girls grow up thinking that they need to be independent (financially) to support themselves, yet many boys group up thinking that they need to be able to support themselves *and* their family? Hmmm... As an electrical engineer, I had always thought of myself as an independent woman, but why didn't I grow up thinking that I needed to support a family as well as myself? Peggy doesn't answer these questions, but the interviews with different women allow the reader to come to their own conclusions. The only criticism I have about this book is that many of the women interviewed have very similar careers. She interviews many lawyers, which actually seems to serve well as an example of a somewhat male dominated field. I thoroughly recommend this book for any woman in her 20s, 30s, or 40s - or any man wanting to understand women in that age group!

Like one of the previous reviewers, I happened to find this book while wandering in a bookstore, while dealing with major questions regarding my career, my marriage, and whether I am a "good enough" mother. This book didn't provide the nice, neat answers I thought I was looking for, but Peggy Orenstein nonetheless does an excellent job of detailing the lives of the women she profiles. She shows women at different stages of their lives, faced with different choices about marriage, career, motherhood, and gives the reader food for thought about the good and the bad behind the choices made. The biggest change, though, must, as Ms. Orenstein notes, come from culture as a whole. Men need to be given permission, and in fact encouraged, to consider flex-time, stay-at-home parenting, "daddy tracks," and corporate culture needs to encourage, not punish, those who take advantage of these opportunities to nurture their families. For me personally, the best part of this book, though, was the emphasis on the need for women to find their own identities. Self actualization need not equal selfishness.

Incredibly provocative book. It will challenge you to really ponder and revel in your choices as a woman. Orenstein manages to cover a wide and representative range of lifestyles (young/single/career focused, married w/o kids, married w/kids/career, single mothers by choice, the stay at home mom after career). While covering every imaginable life choice, she also delves deeply enough into each of these woman's lives to give us a significant picture of the trade-offs, the joys, and the ongoing challenge of making choices between family, work and self fulfillment.

I can't imagine any woman not finding this to be an uplifting read. One of the best books I've ever read. I cried at some extremely powerful passages in the book and laughed at others as I heard my life echoed back to me. There is a strong sense of control over one's destiny that resonates in your mind and heart after reading this book. I applaud Orenstein for her timely topic and enlightened presentation. It's truly a gift to all women.

Wow. FLUX is a great read--engaging stories, interesting voices, and salted with scintillating analysis by Orenstein. I recognized bits of myself, my life and thoughts, in nearly every woman she interviews, but I also felt enough distance from the women to fully appreciate some of the book's larger themes about women's choices. Particularly great is the fact that this book is not a standard feminist rant, but rather a thoughtful, upbeat yet realistic look at where we are in this "half-changed world." As a woman in her thirties, I found myself identifying with not only the younger women and those my age, but I also appreciated hearing older women's voices as well. If you liked SchoolGirls, you'll love this one.

Peggy's recent article in Discover magazine about women in
science and technology prompted me to re-read schoolgirls after
7 years. It is crucial reading for me as I am leaving the
technology sector to teach math, and I am raising 2 daughters.
I see so much of myself in both the article and this book, I'm
scared to read her most recent book "Flux...". Upon re-reading
"Schoolgirls", however, it seems clear to me that it is not teachers who are inflicting the gender stereotypes - kids learn
this at home and kids in turn teach it at school. If teachers can avoid being pulled in and reinforcing the behaviors, we are in a unique position to challenge them and break the patterns.
Parents and teachers alike must teach our daughters to respect
themselves, AND we must teach our sons to respect girls and
value their contributions.

I too would very much love to know what has happened to the
girls in this book.

This book is well-written and important for parents and teachers. Orenstein focus on girls at 2 middle schools. She does not attempt to claim that their experience speaks for all American schoolgirls, but rather to illuminate SOME of the problems that they face and to point out that there is much evidence to suggest that many other girls may face similiar obstacles in school. Orenstein does discuss and describe at length some pretty awful behavior on the part of schoolBOYS towards schoolgirls. In describing this behavior, she does not put forth the idea that school is easier for boys or that they are villians to the core. She is simply describing the behavior of specific boys at specific schools. Having been a schoolgirl myself, I can attest to the veracity of her report. School is not easy for any child. But it would be ridiculous to ignore some of the specific ways that boys treat girls just because we are afraid of maligning boys. If the shoe fits... Also, there are plenty of books out there that address the problems boys face in school. Two good ones are LOST BOYS and REAL BOYS. And I don't see reviews of those books that accuse them of "leaving out" girls! Why are we so adverse to talking about what is really happening to our girls in school?

I've read SchoolGirls several times and bought countless copies for friends. It's a fantastic read, one that in moments had me trembling, recalling some of my own experiences and feelings during those middle school years. I applaud Orenstein for undertaking a large-scale piece of writing and reporting. I disagree entirely with those who are calling for more on boys: good books are by necessity specific.

Because there's been a recent spate of books oriented toward boys' experiences at the same age, it seems both cheap and easy for new readers of SchoolGirls to question why boys aren't covered more thoroughly here. The book was written in response to a study whose results revealed startling statistics about girls. As a 32-year-old woman and a young mother, I find Orenstein's reporting and synthesis among the most powerful and helpful of tools given to me. I recommend this book heartily to those concerned about children of both genders.