Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape - Hardcover

Orenstein, Peggy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062209728 ISBN 13: 9780062209726

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2016

Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A Time Top 10 Book of the Year - A San Francisco Chronicle Book of the Year

The author of the New York Times bestseller Cinderella Ate My Daughter offers a clear-eyed picture of the new sexual landscape girls face in the post-princess stage--high school through college--and reveals how they are negotiating it.

A generation gap has emerged between parents and their girls. Even in this age of helicopter parenting, the mothers and fathers of tomorrow's women have little idea what their daughters are up to sexually or how they feel about it. Drawing on in-depth interviews with over seventy young women and a wide range of psychologists, academics, and experts, renowned journalist Peggy Orenstein goes where most others fear to tread, pulling back the curtain on the hidden truths, hard lessons, and important possibilities of girls' sex lives in the modern world.

While the media has focused--often to sensational effect--on the rise of casual sex and the prevalence of rape on campus, in Girls and Sex Peggy Orenstein brings much more to the table. She examines the ways in which porn and all its sexual myths have seeped into young people's lives; what it means to be the "the perfect slut" and why many girls scorn virginity; the complicated terrain of hookup culture and the unfortunate realities surrounding assault. In Orenstein's hands these issues are never reduced to simplistic "truths;" rather, her powerful reporting opens up a dialogue on a potent, often silent, subtext of American life today--giving readers comprehensive and in-depth information with which to understand, and navigate, this complicated new world.

About this title

Review

"Nonsensational but deeply entertaining.... A must-read."--People, Book of the Week

"A nuanced read for anyone who remembers being a young woman and anyone who is raising the next generation of girls (and boys) for whom we hope the future holds sexual satisfaction, not pain or disappointment."--Rebecca Traister, More

"Thought-provoking. . .Girls & Sex is full of thoughtful concern and empathetic questions."--Cindi Leive, New York Times Book Review, cover review

"Fascinating.... A wise and sharply argued look at how girls are navigating 'the complicated new landscape' of sex and sexuality."--Economist

"'Girls & Sex' may do more to change how sex education is rethought and how parents and daughters discuss pleasure and sexuality than any book since the landmark 'Our Bodies, Ourselves.'"--Tamara Straus, San Francisco Chronicle

"Peggy Orenstein sheds light on an important and too often misunderstood topic. Her reporting shows how a healthy and direct approach to sexuality is a key component of gender equality."--Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and founder of LeanIn.Org

"An enlightening, sad and shocking look into the minds of teenagers and their views on casual sex, love and relationships."--Aimee Blanchette, Minneapolis Star Tribune

"A sequel of sorts to Orenstein's 'Cinderella Ate My Daughter'.... Sketches a sobering portrait."--Oliver Wang, L.A. Times

"Eye-opening.... Orenstein draws powerful, humane portraits of her interview subjects, self-reliant young women who find themselves trapped by sexist stereotypes about women's bodies and women's pleasure. [A] smart, earnest, and timely assessment."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Accessible prose and narrative style will bring the work of many thoughtful experts to a wider audience.... Young adults, parents, educators, and activists alike will find this passionate work a timely conversation starter."--Library Journal

From the Back Cover

The author of the New York Times bestseller Cinderella Ate My Daughter offers a groundbreaking picture of the new sexual landscape girls face in the post-princess stage--high school through college--and reveals how they are negotiating it.

A generation gap has emerged between parents and their girls. Even in this age of helicopter parenting, the mothers and fathers of tomorrow's women have little idea what their daughters are up to sexually or how they feel about it. Drawing on in-depth interviews with over seventy young women and a wide range of psychologists, academics, and experts, renowned journalist Peggy Orenstein goes where most others fear to tread, pulling back the curtain on the hidden truths, hard lessons, and important possibilities of girls' sex lives in the modern world.

While the media has focused--often to sensational effect--on the rise of casual sex and the prevalence of rape on campus, in Girls & Sex, Orenstein brings much more to the table. She examines the ways in which porn and all its sexual myths have seeped into young people's lives, what it means to be "the perfect slut" and why many girls scorn virginity, the complicated terrain of hookup culture, and the unfortunate realities surrounding assault. In Orenstein's hands, these issues are never reduced to simplistic "truths"; rather, her powerful reporting opens up a dialogue on a potent, often silent subtext of American life today, giving readers comprehensive and in-depth information to understand and navigate this complicated new world.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0062209728
• ISBN 13: 9780062209726
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 303