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Original Essays | April 29, 2013
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More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionsPledged: The Secret Life of Sororitiesby Alexandra Robbins
Review-A-Day"Robbins grapples with a terrific amount of research on Greek life, and the book that results is fascinating and, in the end, highly alarming. Pledged is amazing in the same way that reality TV is amazing: It's the car crash you can't take your eyes off of, it's the Jerry Springer episode where you have to find out if that midget chick is really a dude, it's the makeover show where you have to see what the drag-queen-looking freakshow that comes striding up to the mirror for her 'reveal' looks like now..." Sacha Zimmerman, The New Republic (read the entire New Republic review) Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Ever wonder what really goes on behind a sorority's closed doors?
New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Robbins became curious about whether the stereotypes of sororities were actually true, so she spent a year undercover with a group of girls in a typical sorority. The sororities' sordid behavior exceeded her worst expectations — drugs, psychological abuse, extreme promiscuity, racism, violence, and rampant eating disorders were just a few of the problems. But even more surprising was the fact that these abuses were inflicted and endured by intelligent, successful, and attractive young women. Why is the desire to belong to a sorority so powerful that women are willing to engage in this type of behavior — especially when the women involved are supposed to be considered "sisters"? What does membership in these ritualistic groups truly require of a sister? Robbins introduces us to Vicki, Sabrina, Caitlin, and Amy, sorority sisters who could each be the girl next door. As Robbins joins in their sorority life — from their giddy highs to their abysmal lows — she conveys the perspective of a sorority girl with the eyes of an outsider. Better than anyone else, Robbins understands what drives these young women and their friends — their passions and their fears. The result is an extraordinarily compelling narrative that reads like a bestselling novel. With fly-on-the-wall voyeurism and remarkable insight, Pledged manages to both expose the dark side of sorority life and endear its participants to us. Review:"Robbins makes suggestions for reforming sororities — more adult supervision, ending pledging, etc. — although the demystification that comes from reading her front-line account may be the best prescription." Publishers Weekly
Review:"Fascinating and eye-opening...Pledged is still a powerful warning and an astonishing slice of American life." Washington Monthly
Review:"Where the author really scores is in her analysis of why otherwise intelligent and sensitive women would sacrifice their independence, and often self-respect, for the sake of an artificially engineered secret society." Margaret Flanagan, Booklist
Review:"The narrative...is better than reality TV — it's riveting." Elle Girl
Synopsis:The author of Secrets of the Tomb offers a fast-paced, behind the scenes book that blows the lid off the intriguing world of mainstream sorority life.
Synopsis:Now in paperback, the New York Times bestseller-with over 91,000 copies in print-that takes you behind closed doors to see what really goes on in America's sororities. Ever wonder what sorority life is really like In Pledged, bestselling author Alexandra Robbins goes undercover to expose the dark side of collegiate sisterhood-the psychological abuse, hazing rituals, and widespread body image disorders-while at the same time introducing us to many of the intelligent, successful women within its ranks. The result is a compelling sociological exploration of the powerful influence that these organizations wield over young women today. With its fly-on-the-wall voyeurism and remarkable insight, Pledged paints a sharp-eyed portrait of the intriguing and paradoxical world of modern-day sororities.
Synopsis:Alexandra Robbins was puzzled when her eighteen-year-old sister announced that she planned to rush one of her college??'s many sororities. Wanting to find out if the clich?? stereotypes about sorority girls were actually true, Robbins went undercover in a sorority house to research subject. And she was stunned by what she learned. Combining a fast-paced narrative with the extensive reporting of investigative journalism and the fly-on-the-wall voyeurism of reality shows, Pledged follows the narratives of the sorority girls. Stories include tumultuous breakups, fights between best friends, drunk driving, a stalker-boyfriend, a sorority cover-up for a gay frat boy who can't tell his fraternity, a professor hitting on a sister who's in love with him, theft, a pathological liar, a rape by a fraternity boy, sorority activities involving nudity, multiple conversations about breast size, and an abundance of drugs and alcohol, and much, much more. Controversies aside, Pledged is a look at a world that is fascinating to outsiders.
About the AuthorAlexandra Robbins, a contributing writer at Cosmopolitan and a former staff member of The New Yorker, is the author of Secrets of the Tomb and the coauthor of the New York Times bestselling Quarterlife Crisis. She appears regularly in the national media, on such shows as the Today show, Oprah, CNN's Daybreak, and the Early Show, and her work has appeared in publications including The New Yorker, the Atlantic Monthly, the Washington Post, USA Today, Self, and Mademoiselle. She lives outside Washington, D.C.
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Other books you might likeRelated SubjectsEducation » General Education » Higher Education Health and Self-Help » Child Care and Parenting » Parenting Teens Health and Self-Help » Psychology » General History and Social Science » Feminist Studies » Sex and Power History and Social Science » Gender Studies » Womens Studies History and Social Science » Sociology » American Studies
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