Abigail Shrier

I am a sucker for books about parenting, kids and their challenges and this one was another winner along with [Generations], [Coddling of the American MInd], [Anxious Generation] (and more). When our kids were little I read [Siblings without Rivalry] and was teased that it was "Earth without Gravity"! Also years ago I read [Bringing up Bebe] about a mom moving to France and describing the difference between American and French childrearing and the ensuing results. Fascinating and very good to know! So this book looks at the very challenged present generation of children who are experiencing very significant mental health concerns and she examines parenting, education and therapeutic approaches.There are so many children diagnosed, in therapy and on heavy duty medications. She has a lot to say and really we must find the "adult in the room" to do a better job as children are not being managed well. The book is well researched with many interviews of experts in their fields and with further book recommendations and references to academic research.… (mehr)

An excellent and necessary study into the social contagion into which so many young girls are getting caught up. The author treats the subject fairly, noting that she supports many adults who identify as trans and interviews some for this book. The evidence she presents cannot be denied, however, showing that many young girls *are* feeling pressured to give up their identity as girls. There are many reasons: girls coming from middle-class white families looking for an identity as a minority in a society that places high value on such identity; girls raised in progressive households looking to push whatever boundaries they can find in acts of rebellion; the way we've raised kids today to believe that happiness must be a constant state of mind and, when uncomfortable in one's body (as so many teens are!), one *must* be in the wrong body, etc. Particularly valuable are chapters 7-10. Whether one agrees or not with the ultimate point of the book, this is a valuable addition to the conversation about trans identities in children and teens.… (mehr)