Girls on the Edge: The Four Factors Driving the New Crisis for Girls: Sexual Identity, the Cyberbubble, Obsessions, Environmental Toxins Hardcover – April 27, 2010

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. However, in Girls on the Edge, Sax shows how the will to succeed causes girls pain and anguish. Some would term his observations old-fashioned but it's hard to argue with his plainly stated research. Gender roles, when based on facts and figures, carry a great deal of weight. To be clear, different does not mean inferior as some may assume. The idea that men and women are exactly the same will someday be old fashioned. I believe Sax's work is a trend towards embracing our differences as men and women which in the long run will strengthen both sexes and subsequently our families.The first factor is that of sexual identity. The chapter consisted a lot of what I expected; the over-sexualization of young girls and that the sexual empowerment movement has led many girls to be disempowered. If girls aren't given the proper direction, their sexual identity will look to be fulfilled in ways that will leave them dissatisfied, emotional wrecks. The world tells them to be sexual; that it's the only way they'll be accepted. You as the parent must notice this and protect your daughter.The second factor he calls the cyberbubble. In this chapter he discusses how social networking (ie facebook, myspace, etc) and the cell phone have driven girls into their own unfulfilling worlds where they look for something and get a lot but find nothing of substance. Parents whose girls are suffering because of this social cyber-world look for answers in prescriptions when all that really needs to be done is limiting time online.Thirdly, Sax discusses obsessions. We expect a lot of our girls and they work extremely hard at numerous activities. Because of the changes in our world these last fifty years our girls have been given the green light to succeed with the talents they have been given and this is tremendous news. However, many go so far as to risk injury and well-being. How good is good enough? Some girls and their parents don't know so they never quit. Sax discusses the dangerousness of this and presents real world examples that could save your daughter's life.The fourth factor, like in Boys Adrift, discusses environmental toxins. Sax asks and answers questions that may still leave you wondering, but his facts make sense. Whatever you believe after reading about the dangerous chemicals in your daughters lotion, something is going on when girls are hitting puberty at age 8. Also, can a man cause his daughter's puberty to delay until a more appropriate time? According to Sax it is likely.In the final portion of the book Sax discusses your daughters mind, body, and spirit in an unpretentious manner. I appreciate this as it enables a person of any faith or creed to consider what they want for their daughter. His method for these final chapters will cause all parents to wonder on a level beyond sports and school just what they are doing for their daughters growth and development.Sax does speak from a point of view (POV) of someone who lives in a large metropolitan area. He talks about moving your daughter to another school if it doesn't work for her. Not many have this option. Also, his experience seems to come largely from preparatory schools that an average parent would have no idea about. While I have a tough time relating to his POV, his research is rock solid. You will just have to adapt it to your situation.Some reviewers have complained of few practical actions Sax offers and that the book is more theory. This is true but the practicality comes as he discusses patients and what worked for them and their parents. I'm a counselor and loved the book as it helped me understand the teen girls I work with and particularly my own daughter. Tactics for parenting are very useful, but Sax answers a lot of "why" questions about teen girls and this is invaluable.

What I like about his books, not only does he give you the information that your obviously looking for by buying this book, but he gives you tons and tons of research that backs everything up. You get examples of real people that relate to today's world. Very good. I've read 2 of his books.

This book is for parents of girls (mine is a tween) who want to learn about today's risks. Not as compared with 100 years ago, but compared with the 20 or 30 years ago. What's different between now and when you grew up? The author presents the latest research bearing on the subject. His conclusions are compelling. He does offer concrete advice as well. On each of the risks he presents, he does lay out things parents can say or do to counter them.Some of his subjects are controversial, such as sexuality and gender differences. But if you read his book with an open mind, I challenge you to disagree with his conclusion. For example, he argues that we need to deal with girls in sports differently, not unequally (keep Title IX funding), but differently. Among the reasons include the fact that girls' brains are different from boys' brains in that they seem to get concussions more easily (perhaps because they have less of a water cushion). And the fact that girls' knees are different from boys' knees. The important thing is that we need to be on the lookout for the different way that girls are affected because they're built differently. Coaches and teachers need to know this.It's an important read for parents of girls.

It isn't enough to be a girl, a woman, a mother and now a grandmother, our society and our lives have changed so much over the past decades, it becomes necessary to revue the situation again from square one. There is no better place to do that than in this book. Chapter after chapter, I found myself nodding and saying, "yes, I can see how this is the problem now", then reading on to see if a solution would present itself. The thought comes: What are we doing to our girls today and what can we do to counteract the undesirable outcomes? The total solution is not here, but there are many suggestions as to how to cope with the fragile personalities of the female tweens and teens in our world and lives today. I am passing the book on to my daughter in the hope that she will be able to help her own daughter through some of the staggering situations which face her generation and enable her to grow into a confident and happy young woman. If you have a tween or teen age daughter, relative, or friend, you really need to read this book. It is highly recommended.

Having read "Boys Adrift" and "Why Gender Matters" I was pleased to see this title from Leonard Sax. He gives an even-handed look at the culture in which the new generation is being raised. As a parent and as an educator of adolescents, I feel the need to be informed of the problems and the possible solutions. Dr. Sax documents every assertion and is extremely readable. My copy is now on loan to co-workers. We have a responsibility to make the world as good as it can be for ourselves as well as those who come after us. I wish that single-gender schools were an affordable option for more people. Be certain that your daughter knows who she is. Be deliberate in finding out what lies at her core. She needs to have a secure and accurate sense of her worth and her identity. Reading this book will inform you about a world you may not understand at all.

I think every mother should read this regardless of whether they have daughters or not. It offers insight into living as a girl or woman in this day and age. I particularly like that it is research based.