It was fine but very wordy and repetitive. It had such a small and limited sample group which did not seem to give a good look at the topic. In other reviews I saw the fact that the word race had been in quotes which I also found strange. It could have been interesting but it was very dry.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Are girls taking over the world? It would appear so, based on magazine covers, news headlines, and popular books touting girls' academic success. Girls are said to outperform boys in high school exams, university entrance and graduation rates, and professional certification. As a result, many in Western society assume that girls no longer need support. But in spite of the messages of post-feminism and neoliberal individualism that tell girls they can have it all, the reality is far more complicated. Smart Girls investigates how academically successful girls deal with stress, the “Supergirl” drive for perfection, race and class issues, and the sexism that is still present in schools. Shedding light on girls' varied everyday experiences, negotiations of traditional gender norms, and savoring of success, Shauna Pomerantz and Rebecca Raby show how teachers, administrators, parents, and media commentators can help smart girls thrive while they keep their eyes on an A+ and a bright future.

This is probably going to sound a little weird but I am going to do it anyway...

As a father to a 2-year-old girl - a father who is devoted to teaching (and learning); a father devoted to understanding how he can help better the opportunities for his daughter as she gets older (especially in a world where men are in most positions of power) and how to help her deal with, and make strategies for, the complications that lay ahead - I found this book to be so timely and exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.

Sure, this is an academic book, published by a university press, so it can be heavy reading at times...but the pay-off is in the understanding and lessons that I learned from it. Well worth the time I invested in it.


Paul
ARH

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book. It read too much like a textbook although it was quite interesting.