Synopses & Reviews
A revolutionary approach to raising girls that combines groundbreaking research with practical parenting advice.
In The Wonder of Girls, as in its predecessor, The Wonder of Boys, Michael Gurian presents radical and enlightening views of parenting. Using as his springboard up-to-date scientific research on female biology, hormones, and brain development and how they shape girls' interests, behavior, and relationships, Gurian offers crucial information for fully understanding girls' basic nature. As such The Wonder of Girls is essential—and riveting—reading for anyone involved in raising daughters.
In a culture caught between traditionalism and feminism, Gurian, himself the father of two girls, debunks long-standing myths about girls and presents a new vision that provides for the equal status of girls and women, yet acknowledges their nature as complex and distinct from men. He explains what is “normal” for girls each year from birth to age twenty; what developmental needs they face in each stage; and how to cope with developmental crises such as early sexuality, eating disorders, parental divorce, and more.
With his scientifically based developmental map of girlhood, Gurian helps parents to get to know their daughters from the inside out. Challenging our culture to embrace this crucial piece of the puzzle, The Wonder of Girls elevates the dialogue on parenthood.
Review
Library Journal The Wonder of Girls is...an excellent choice.
Review
USA Today Explosive....Gurian raises interesting questions.
Review
Christina Hoff Sommers Author of Who Stole Feminism? Finally, a sensitive and scientiÞcally knowledgeable writer has given us a book on girls. Gurian's engrossing book is important not only for parents, but for anyone who cares for, educates, or makes policy affecting the lives of girls and women.
Review
Ann F. Caron, Ed.D. Author of Don't Stop Loving Me Michael Gurian has given us a gift, an exciting book that parents of daughters will consult over and over again. Gurian leads us in a new direction as he challenges parents to understand and value our daughters' desire for attachment. Women will recognize themselves, as well as their daughters, in this thought-provoking book. Bravo, Michael.
Review
Los Angeles Times Wonderfully useful advice....Gurian is at his best when it comes to the nuts and bolts of rearing a daughter.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 309-316) and index.
About the Author
Michael Gurian is a marriage and family counselor in private practice, and the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-seven books. Michael cofounded the Gurian Institute, a training and research organization, in 1996 and frequently speaks at and consults with corporations, physicians, hospitals, schools, and other professionals. He has been called “the people’s philosopher” for his ability to combine cutting-edge science with people’s everyday lives.
Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction
Toward a New Logic of Girls' Lives
PART I Why Girls Are the Way They Are
1: BEGINNING OUR SEARCH: A NEW LOGIC OF GIRLS' LIVES
A Moment of Awakening Looking Beyond Feminism: Old Myths and New Theories
2: HOW HER MIND WORKS: SECRETS OF THE FEMALE BRAIN
Girls and Boys Are Different A Quick Look at Your Daughter's Brain
The Stages of a Girl's Brain Development
Stage 1: The Child
Stage 2: The Girl
Stage 3: The Adolescent Girl
Stage 4: The Young Woman
The Goal of the Journey
The Intimacy Imperative
The Future of Femininity
3: THE HIDDEN WORLD: THE BIOCHEMISTRY OF GIRLS' LIVES
The Tree of Life: From Mind to Hormones The Hidden World: A Girl's Hormonal Biology
The Biology of Femininity
The Three-Family System
The New Challenge
PART II What Girls Need
4: THE ARTFUL MOTHER: WHAT GIRLS NEED FROM MOM
A Mother's Love A Season for Mothering
From Mommy to Mom: Mothering a Daughter
Through Childhood and Adolescence
The Artful Mother in Stage 1: Birth to Five Years Old
The Artful Mother in Stage 2: Six to Ten Years Old
The Artful Mother in Stage 3: Eleven to Fifteen Years Old
The Artful Mother in Stage 4: Sixteen to Twenty Years Old
How to Be an Artful Stepmother
If Your Daughter Were a Parenting Expert...
Looking Back on What Our Mothers Taught Us
5: THE GIFTS OF THE FATHER: WHAT GIRLS NEED FROM DAD
A Father's Love Father Attachment
Gifts of the Father
Helping a Daughter Manage Peer Relationships
Fathers, Daughters, and Divorce
The Stages of "Dad"
6: INNOCENCE AND EXPERIENCE: PROTECTING THE EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF OUR GIRLS
Girls and Self-Esteem: A Different View Protecting Innocence, Guiding Experience
The Malleable Self
Protecting the Bodies of Our Daughters
Harsh Experience: Emotional Crises in Girls' Lives
Emotional Development Touchstones
7: THE HEROINE'S JOURNEY: BUILDING CHARACTER IN OUR DAUGHTERS
"True" Stories The Heroine's Journey
Cinderella
Female Mentors, the Language of the Birds, and the Dance
The Prince Searches for Cinderella
The End of the Story
Looking Forward: The Issue of Women's Roles
8: WOMANISM: GIVING GIRLS A SACRED ROLE IN LIFE
What Is Womanism? A Sacred Female Role in the New Millennium
EPILOGUE
APPENDIX: Books and Movies That Help Girls Grow
Twenty-Five Movies Twenty-Five Books
Additional Resources
NOTES AND REFERENCES
INDEX