Read Reviving Ophelia Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls Mary Pipher Ruth Ross 9781594481888 Books

Product details Paperback 304 pages Publisher Riverhead Trade; 1 edition (August 1, 2005) Language English ISBN-10 9781594481888 ISBN-13 978-1594481888 ASIN 1594481881

Reviving Ophelia Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls Mary Pipher Ruth Ross 9781594481888 Books Reviews

• This is the second time I am purchasing this book for myself. The first time I purchased Reviving Ophelia Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls by Mary Pipher, it was because my own daughter was going through a very rough time and I wanted to understand her better and find out if there was something that I could do. I received a great deal of insight and guidance from this book, which goes to great lengths to show the difficulties faced by girls in our society. Between unrealistic magazine ads and unreachable goals and the self-esteem issues of young girls, the author has managed to touch on the sensitive and emotional time this can be for adolescent girls. The reason I am purchasing this book a second time is because I loaned my first copy to a mom who needed it more than I did, and she kept it and relied on it and I'm happy for that. Now, I need this as a text book for a college class and it is required reading. Of course, I love the book and will enjoy revisiting the content. FYI My two girls have grown up to be women that I am proud of every day. I think this book had something to do with that. Thanks for reading my review. Hope it helps you make a decision on your purchase.
• I rarely do not put a book down without finishing it, but I can't read anymore of this book. I bought it because it was recommended, along with "Raising Cain" (on boys) for a parents' program at a nearby school. Since I have grandchildren who will soon be going into adolescence, I thought I should read both books. I must also add that I taught for 46 years, mostly at the community college level but at times in social service settings, and I am now a volunteer at a city elementary school. My mother had a wonderful adolescence in the 1920s, mostly because her life was filled with satisfying activities provided by her parents and high school, Isn't it obvious that is what girls need? In contrast, had a horrible adolescence for many reasons. Would that therapists existed then, I would have appreciated the guidance.. I loved teaching because I could steer students into something they felt could help them develop their potential.
  
  One reviewer said there is not hope in this book. I think that is what is wrong with it. Where is the analysis of how this culture is sucking the vitality out of girls? All I see are depressing case studies that go nowhere. Didn't the author have an editor?
  
  The book is also a bit dated. It came our 23 years ago, and since then there has been much greater awareness of the the issues facing adolescence bullying, the beauty complex, ect. There's much more opportunity for help now.
  
  "Raising Cain," however, is very well written and full of hope. Also written by therapists, it is inspirational because readers see the boys opening up as parents and therapists help them solve their problems.
• At age 46 and having no daughters but 2 teenage sons, I found this book to be very insightful as to the still present haunts of MY adolescent years. It helped me to understand the disconnect that my 1930's born parents had with my 1980's teenage years. Yes, the book could be said to be "dated" (pre-Internet, etc.) but it doesn't take much thought to project the content forward to our current cultural situation of social media, etc. The concepts would be the same, only intensified. While the perfectionist in me finds it hard to give any non-fiction book 5 stars (I agreed with most but not all of the author's theories), my 4 stars still reflect that this book had significant impact on my life and has inspired me to become a mentor to girls who, much like myself, lost some critical parts of personal happiness, joy and self-esteem in adolescence.
• I have suggested this book to so many people since I finished it last summer. It truly changed my life. I realized so many things about my own adolescence that I had never acknowledged. I will wait to read this again, but feel that each time it will bring new revelations about myself and about others. I also found it useful as I volunteer with young girls who are struggling with many of the issues mentioned in this book. A must read especially for anyone with daughters! I am not a parent yet, but I can imagine that this would provide a lot of insight and bring some relief and guidance to parents struggling with tween/teen girls. I was one once and I think that my mother would have understand me a little more had she read this. Please read! You won't regret it. Thank you Dr. Mary Pipher for such a wonderful contribution.
• I wish I had had this earlier in my life, but, then, the author is of my generation, so it wasn't to be ... this is a must read for modern mothers (especially) and fathers for the key to understanding the life changes of their daughters. I am a priestess who officiates girls coming of age rites within my spiritual community and I plan to incorporate some of Pipher's ideas in a revised version of my ritual this year. Pipher still has her pulse on the young women of this world, no matter the publication date of this book...the things, I believe, are still relevant to the young women of this current generation. Pipher leads us through the mine-fields of these emerging young women with caring and experitese that also speaks for the young women themselves as well as to the adults involved in their lives. I highly recommend this book and would love to see a revised version published by Pipher to speak to the technology that affects the more recent women too.
• This book is incredibly painful to read, but MUST be read for people to understand what girls have and do go through. To understand and protect wives, sisters, and daughters this is an absolute must. Please ignore her misplaced Clinton worship >gag< and remember this was written a long time ago... before Benghazi anyway