Girls are cutting themselves with razors. Girls are convinced they’re fat, and starve themselves to prove it. Other girls are so anxious about grades they can’t sleep at night—at eleven years of age. What’s going on? In Girls on the Edge, Dr. Leonard Sax provides the answers. He shares stories of girls who look confident and strong on the outside, but are fragile within. He shows why a growing proportion of teen and tween girls are confused about their sexual identity, or are obsessed with grades or Facebook. Dr. Sax provides parents with tools to help girls become confident women, along with practical tips on helping your daughter choose a sport, nurturing her spirit through female centered activities, and more. Compelling and inspiring, Girls on the Edge points the way to a new future for today’s young women.
Girls on the Edge
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Browse our Bookshelf Favorites store for big savings on popular fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and more. |
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
In Boys Adrift (2007), Sax, a family physician and psychologist with more than 20 years of experience, explored the disturbing trend of young men who are disengaged from their lives. In this companion volume, he turns to the other half of the population and identifies four factors that are threatening the mental and physical health of young women today: a culture that sexualizes young girls; the “cyberbubble” of social networking and electronic communication; obsessive behaviors, including eating disorders; and environmental toxins that disrupt the endocrine system and lead to early-onset puberty. In clear, accessible language, Sax deftly blends anecdotes, clinical research, and even lines of poetry in persuasive, often fascinating chapters that speak straight to parents; in the book’s second half, he offers practical ideas for nurturing girls’ minds, bodies, and spirits, from advocating for girls’ athletics programs to making room for prayer in secular households. Warning that “a 1980s solution” won’t help solve twenty-first-century problems, Sax offers a holistic, sobering call to help the current generation of young women develop the support and sense of self that will allow them to grow into resilient adults. And, finally, he counsels parents to be persistent: “Don’t back away even when she tells you to get lost.” Pair this eye-opening title with similar resources listed in the adjacent Read-alikes column, “Girl Talk, Part 2.” --Gillian Engberg
Review
Caitlin Flanagan, The Atlantic
"The best book about the current state of girls and young women in America, Girls on the Edge, by a physician and psychologist named Leonard Sax, offers astonishing and troubling new insight into the role and consequences of binge drinking in so many girls’ lives."
Booklist
“In clear, accessible language, Sax deftly blends anecdotes, clinical research, and even lines of poetry in persuasive, often fascinating chapters that speak straight to parents…Warning that ‘a 1980s solution’ won’t help solve twenty-first-century problems, Sax offers a holistic, sobering call to help the current generation of young women develop the support and sense of self that will allow them to grow into resilient adults.”
Library Journal
“The world is way different from what it was a couple of years ago; this is essential reading for parents and teachers, and one of the most thought-provoking books on teen development available.”
Slate’s Double X Book of the Week
“In clear, accessible language, Sax deftly blends anecdotes, clinical research, and even lines of poetry in persuasive, often fascinating chapters that speak straight to parents…Warning that ‘a 1980s solution’ won’t help solve twenty-first-century problems, Sax offers a holistic, sobering call to help the current generation of young women develop the support and sense of self that will allow them to grow into resilient adults.”
Library Journal
“The world is way different from what it was a couple of years ago; this is essential reading for parents and teachers, and one of the most thought-provoking books on teen development available.”
Slate’s Double X Book of the Week
“Fortunately, [Leonard] Sax is up to more here than pronouncing young women irrevocably doomed…Girls on the Edge doesn't dramatize the self-destructive behavior it describes…[and it] speaks exclusively to parents and offers concrete ways to help their daughters cultivate stronger personal identities.”
Florence Hilliard, Director of the Gender Studies Project, University of Wisconsin–Madison
“Dr. Sax once again combines years of experience with compelling research and common sense to intelligently challenge the status quo of what it means to raise a healthy daughter. Girls on the Edge offers skills parents can incorporate to feel more competent with our girls and young women.”
Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, author of God’s Paintbrush and In God’s Name
“Turn off your cell phones and computers, and read this book! You will connect with your daughter in new ways, and she will thank you.”
Margaret M. Ferrara, PhD, editor of Advances in Gender and Education (A.G.E.) and associate professor, University of Nevada Reno
“Written through real stories and supported by strong evidence in the fields of education, psychology, and the sciences - a MUST read.”
Courtney E. Martin, author of Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters
“Leonard Sax brings together a rare combination of psychoanalytic training with a deep empathy for girls and their stories in this important book. His argument that girls are struggling to find their centers will resonate and his recommendations for how to locate them will inspire.”
“Dr. Sax once again combines years of experience with compelling research and common sense to intelligently challenge the status quo of what it means to raise a healthy daughter. Girls on the Edge offers skills parents can incorporate to feel more competent with our girls and young women.”
Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, author of God’s Paintbrush and In God’s Name
“Turn off your cell phones and computers, and read this book! You will connect with your daughter in new ways, and she will thank you.”
Margaret M. Ferrara, PhD, editor of Advances in Gender and Education (A.G.E.) and associate professor, University of Nevada Reno
“Written through real stories and supported by strong evidence in the fields of education, psychology, and the sciences - a MUST read.”
Courtney E. Martin, author of Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters
“Leonard Sax brings together a rare combination of psychoanalytic training with a deep empathy for girls and their stories in this important book. His argument that girls are struggling to find their centers will resonate and his recommendations for how to locate them will inspire.”
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Author
Leonard Sax MD PhD graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and then went on to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned both a PhD in psychology, and an MD. He completed a 3-year residency in family practice in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. For 19 years, Dr. Sax was a practicing family physician in Maryland, just outside Washington DC. In 2005, Doubleday published his first book Why Gender Matters. His second book, Boys Adrift, was published in 2007; an expanded softcover edition was published in 2009. His third book Girls on the Edge was published in 2010; an updated softcover edition was released in July 2011. Dr. Sax has spoken on issues of child and adolescent development not only in the United States but also in Australia, Bermuda, Canada, England, Germany, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Scotland, and Spain. He has visited more than 380 schools since 2001. He has appeared on the TODAY Show, CNN, National Public Radio, PBS, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, New Zealand Television, and many other national and international media. He now lives with his wife and daughter in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where his favorite activities are hiking in the woods, and singing Taylor Swift songs with his daughter (favorite song: Begin Again). You can reach Dr. Sax directly, or link to his Facebook page, via his web site www.leonardsax.com.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
47 of 50 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
couldn't put it down (my daughter is 5), haven't put this many post-its in a book for years
March 30, 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I can't remember the last time I stayed up this late to read a work of non-fiction. I picked up this book with a hefty dose of skepticism, and found myself entranced. Sax's insights seem spot-on and realistic, even though some of them are gender based. I'm female and work in technology at a Fortune 5 company, so things that blithely apply gender stereotypes make me seethe, but all of his observations seem realistic, insightful, research based, AND ultimately promote more choice, health, and support for girls. Who knew that cheerleading coaches don't have to be trained in how to recognize concussions, even though football coaches do? And that girls are 40 to 300 percent more likely to get concussions than boys (depending on the sport)? Ultimately this book is packed with information about girls in such a way that you can use it to empower your own children, rather than simply excusing bad behaviors with a "well, she's a girl!" label. My daughter is 5, and he directly addresses many of the issues I'm starting to wonder about, and trying to prepare to handle in the all-too-near future.
I found his discussion of sexuality to be enlightened rather than repressive, even as it supports some traditional values: "As parents, we must reject the notion that girls have to take off their clothes to empower themselves. Boys don't have to take off their clothes to empower themselves. Girls shouldn't either. / Sexuality is good, but _sexualization_ is bad. Sexuality is about your identity as a woman or a man, about feeling sexual. That's a healthy part of becoming an adult. But sexualization is about being an object for the pleasure of others, about being on display for others." He talks about the "cyberbubble" and how being constantly in touch via social network sites and IM and phones has created a different world than the one I lived in just 20 years ago, including cyberbullying. Best of all (for a mom who'll have a tween in just a few short years), he gives concrete, logical suggestions for some of the situations your child will find herself in. He talks about obsessions (weight, sports, smarts, etc.) and how vulnerable they leave your child if something happens to disrupt them (gaining/losing weight, getting a stress fracture, scoring poorly on the SAT), unless your child has a more-developed sense of identity. He also talks about environmental toxins, which surprised me somewhat--but again, he made a compelling case for it. Then he finishes with one chapter each on mind / body / spirit, giving examples on how to support your child in each area. "Mind" is about education and learning (including a need for play), "body" is about health and physical fitness, and "spirit" is about community and church (without promoting any particular religion).
Sax also did a commendable job of synthesizing and accurately depicting research. I generally find myself suspicious of authors who claim to have all the answers, or who have very-fuzzy footnotes to support key points, but Sax backs up his points with solid research (roughly 30 pages of endnotes, relegated to small type at the end of the book so they don't interfere). He also states clearly where there are cases the research is inconclusive, and when he speculates on a possible explanation, he finishes with "but we simply don't know," so the line between research and speculation is clear. I have a master's degree and enjoy reading a lot (including non-fiction and textbooks), and found his referencing solid, unlike many popular parenting books. I also read a number of points to my husband (who has a PhD in psychology and is faculty at an Ivy-league school), and he also found the points and the presentation compelling. But honestly, our best qualification is that we have a 5-year-old daughter... and this book directly addressed a number of real concerns we have as we're both trying to provide her with the best opportunities in life, and trying to prepare for the things we watch her older friends and cousins grappling with. Thank you, Sax! This book will have a very real impact on some of the decisions we're making regarding both her present and her future, some as soon as tomorrow, and several as soon as this upcoming summer as her extracurricular activities shift.
I found his discussion of sexuality to be enlightened rather than repressive, even as it supports some traditional values: "As parents, we must reject the notion that girls have to take off their clothes to empower themselves. Boys don't have to take off their clothes to empower themselves. Girls shouldn't either. / Sexuality is good, but _sexualization_ is bad. Sexuality is about your identity as a woman or a man, about feeling sexual. That's a healthy part of becoming an adult. But sexualization is about being an object for the pleasure of others, about being on display for others." He talks about the "cyberbubble" and how being constantly in touch via social network sites and IM and phones has created a different world than the one I lived in just 20 years ago, including cyberbullying. Best of all (for a mom who'll have a tween in just a few short years), he gives concrete, logical suggestions for some of the situations your child will find herself in. He talks about obsessions (weight, sports, smarts, etc.) and how vulnerable they leave your child if something happens to disrupt them (gaining/losing weight, getting a stress fracture, scoring poorly on the SAT), unless your child has a more-developed sense of identity. He also talks about environmental toxins, which surprised me somewhat--but again, he made a compelling case for it. Then he finishes with one chapter each on mind / body / spirit, giving examples on how to support your child in each area. "Mind" is about education and learning (including a need for play), "body" is about health and physical fitness, and "spirit" is about community and church (without promoting any particular religion).
Sax also did a commendable job of synthesizing and accurately depicting research. I generally find myself suspicious of authors who claim to have all the answers, or who have very-fuzzy footnotes to support key points, but Sax backs up his points with solid research (roughly 30 pages of endnotes, relegated to small type at the end of the book so they don't interfere). He also states clearly where there are cases the research is inconclusive, and when he speculates on a possible explanation, he finishes with "but we simply don't know," so the line between research and speculation is clear. I have a master's degree and enjoy reading a lot (including non-fiction and textbooks), and found his referencing solid, unlike many popular parenting books. I also read a number of points to my husband (who has a PhD in psychology and is faculty at an Ivy-league school), and he also found the points and the presentation compelling. But honestly, our best qualification is that we have a 5-year-old daughter... and this book directly addressed a number of real concerns we have as we're both trying to provide her with the best opportunities in life, and trying to prepare for the things we watch her older friends and cousins grappling with. Thank you, Sax! This book will have a very real impact on some of the decisions we're making regarding both her present and her future, some as soon as tomorrow, and several as soon as this upcoming summer as her extracurricular activities shift.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Helpful book as a parent, based on data and facts and helps you understand the trends that have shaped your daughter's world.
May 20, 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
This is a concise and well written book that has given me new material to think about as I strive to be a better parent. Having searched for books on this theme earlier and having read a few I think this book does a good job of staying factual, giving you a great amount of information in a thin volume (who has the time to read a tome!) yet discusses ideas and strategies that made me pause and think and some that surprised me.
As a parent of a pre-teen, I have first hand knowledge of some of the influences that have shaped our children's lives in today's age. This book goes a step beyond and culls out 4 important themes that affect our kids. If you're a parent you already know this, you've seen it already, but the author brings them together and gives them a framework, so you can think about strategies that can help your child.
The 4 main trends he discusses are:
- Sexual Identity - Girls trying to look older at a younger age
- Obsessions - fixation on body, sports etc. due to a lack of strong sense of self
- Environmental Toxins - Exposure to drug/alcohol abuse, anxiety, stress factors
- Cyberbubble -The constant texting and messaging which causes teens/pre-teens to disengage from their true selves
I liked the fact that the author used data to back up these themes than just opinion and one off examples from friends and family. We cannot deny that these themes affect our children as there is data to prove it. Some facts were new to me, for instance, girls who don't live with their biological father tend to reach puberty much earlier. When you think about it, it does make sense. Although I had knowledge of these trends bringing them together helped me create a complete picture of all the pressures affecting my kid's life.
The author also suggests strategies to counter the negative impact of some of these trends. For instance, dealing with mean girls in school. What I liked about his strategies is that they are well thought out, and talk about the resistance and obstacles along the way. In this particular case, an effective strategy was getting the teacher involved at the beginning of the year and getting the girls to think about and sign an "Agreement". These are strategies that we tried in graduate school to build better teamwork and they worked. Some readers have commented that the author does not provide enough strategies in the book. On the contrary, I think he has done a nice job of balancing facts with strategies. Also, once you understand the facts, it's much easier to refine these strategies to fit your child's needs.
I highly recommend this book as a parent, I only wish I had read it earlier.
As a parent of a pre-teen, I have first hand knowledge of some of the influences that have shaped our children's lives in today's age. This book goes a step beyond and culls out 4 important themes that affect our kids. If you're a parent you already know this, you've seen it already, but the author brings them together and gives them a framework, so you can think about strategies that can help your child.
The 4 main trends he discusses are:
- Sexual Identity - Girls trying to look older at a younger age
- Obsessions - fixation on body, sports etc. due to a lack of strong sense of self
- Environmental Toxins - Exposure to drug/alcohol abuse, anxiety, stress factors
- Cyberbubble -The constant texting and messaging which causes teens/pre-teens to disengage from their true selves
I liked the fact that the author used data to back up these themes than just opinion and one off examples from friends and family. We cannot deny that these themes affect our children as there is data to prove it. Some facts were new to me, for instance, girls who don't live with their biological father tend to reach puberty much earlier. When you think about it, it does make sense. Although I had knowledge of these trends bringing them together helped me create a complete picture of all the pressures affecting my kid's life.
The author also suggests strategies to counter the negative impact of some of these trends. For instance, dealing with mean girls in school. What I liked about his strategies is that they are well thought out, and talk about the resistance and obstacles along the way. In this particular case, an effective strategy was getting the teacher involved at the beginning of the year and getting the girls to think about and sign an "Agreement". These are strategies that we tried in graduate school to build better teamwork and they worked. Some readers have commented that the author does not provide enough strategies in the book. On the contrary, I think he has done a nice job of balancing facts with strategies. Also, once you understand the facts, it's much easier to refine these strategies to fit your child's needs.
I highly recommend this book as a parent, I only wish I had read it earlier.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Here is a book both practical in the best family-physician sort of way and subversive in the context of a materialistic culture. Do you know what I love best about it? Dr. Sax sides with Goethe when he says, what about spirit? He writes in "the dark night of the soul" the following: "Why is the spiritual journey so important? Because life doesn't go as planned. Because death and loss happen. Because disappointment hurts. Even if a girl has a brilliant mind and has earned top marks in every subject, and she is in great physical shape, those achievements of mind and body will count for nothing when a crises hits." Amen. Leonard Sax loves the female spirit and is obviously a true guardian and inspirator; he cares about individuation and actualization; he cares about freeing the human spirit. He's a practical Romantic! I love that Sax starts by quoting Rilke: "Go into yourself and find out how deep is the place from which your life springs..."
I'd love to do a rewrite of the original "Freaky Friday" movie informed by Sax's book. This girl would not be like Jodie Foster's character, goofing off to fit in, neglecting her own intellectual potential; rather, she'd stay up until 1 am perfecting her MySpace page every night, she'd have a 4.2 GPA, an over-scheduled life just like her absent mother, perfect six-pack abs, joyless sexual encounters performing for faceless boys and a yawning interior emptiness. Hooray for a feminism that neglected spirit and became co-opted by industry! I could quibble with Sax, despite his clear bead on girls; I could wish for a less repetitive writing style; I could say, well, you've covered BPAs and phthalates, but what about phyto-estrogens like soy? I could say, stop quoting Michael Pollan and check out Sally Fallon. But why? Sax inspired me to begin praying with my little girls at bedtime, just as my mother used to with me, and that's huge.
I'd love to do a rewrite of the original "Freaky Friday" movie informed by Sax's book. This girl would not be like Jodie Foster's character, goofing off to fit in, neglecting her own intellectual potential; rather, she'd stay up until 1 am perfecting her MySpace page every night, she'd have a 4.2 GPA, an over-scheduled life just like her absent mother, perfect six-pack abs, joyless sexual encounters performing for faceless boys and a yawning interior emptiness. Hooray for a feminism that neglected spirit and became co-opted by industry! I could quibble with Sax, despite his clear bead on girls; I could wish for a less repetitive writing style; I could say, well, you've covered BPAs and phthalates, but what about phyto-estrogens like soy? I could say, stop quoting Michael Pollan and check out Sally Fallon. But why? Sax inspired me to begin praying with my little girls at bedtime, just as my mother used to with me, and that's huge.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great strategies for raising girls in the 21st century
Sax lays out pragmatic, common sense strategies to help any parent do it better! Great book and an easy read.
Matt Manfredi
Matt Manfredi
Published 25 days ago by Matt Manfredi
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book
I was so happy to have found this book on Amazon. It arrived promptly and was in good shape. It is a must read for understanding the times our children and grandchildren are... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Onederfulife
5.0 out of 5 stars
Important Reading -- Balanced and Thoughtful
Completely unanticipated his take on cutting. Quite fascinating...and he's come the closest to helping me understand it as anyone in the mental health community. I give Dr. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Bridget Navoda
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Read
We have a house full of daughters, so we thought it might be appropriate to find out what girls deal with as they are growing up. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Kristi
4.0 out of 5 stars
An important book
This book is well researched, accessibly written, and important. The lives of our daughters and granddaughters are being changed -- and not for the better -- in ways we could not... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Christopher Carstens
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book Everyone should read!
I gave this as a Christmas gift for several friends with young girls or granddaughters. It is a must read, so much eye opening information.
Published 2 months ago by Marianne Skiba
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Book!
The best book ever, it's parents' job to watch out for the girls in this twisted world. Some of my daughter's friends already have facebook (5th grade), that's ridiculus, so watch... Read more
Published 13 months ago by curious mom
5.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful and an Easy Read
In Girls on the Edge Sax discusses four factors that are driving our girls down a path of self-destruction. In Boys Adrift you learn that males can be quite lazy. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Dale Sadler
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mimiof5
This is a very informative book about the dangers girls face as they grow up in our culture. I would recommend this to all parents and grandparents.
Published 20 months ago by Martha Clardy
4.0 out of 5 stars
Girls on the Edge
Girls on the Edge is a good book that helps a lot with understanding just a few of the things that girls go through today. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Tammy L Eppler
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
|
|
