Bringing Up Girls - James Dobson

Bringing Up Girls (Dobson, 2010)

I'm not much of a self-help reader (or a non-fiction reader in general, as can be seen by my published track record), but I figured I'd better read this one!  Though I'll probably need to reread it later, when it will be more applicable... Dobson covers a wide array of topics, from the unique physiology and temperament inclinations of the fairer sex in childhood to the minefield awaiting them in young adulthood.

Where this book is strongest, in my opinion, is in its impassioned call to parents to educate and support daughters as they try to find their way in an increasingly anti-female world. Girls and women are still continually exploited for their perceived beauty or lack thereof, and however "progressive" we might think we are, our society sets up girls for a lifetime of self-doubt, self-loathing, and empty cheats against any cherished hopes of true love and appreciation.

There are also some great snippets of information about the physiological and emotional differences between boys and girls that should not be ignored. I had no idea a baby girl goes through an early puberty-like event that helps develop her brain, or that baby boys' brains get blitzed by testosterone early on (yes, we crazy boys are officially suffering from brain damage). I'm excited to see the similarities and differences between my kids as they grow.

The weakest aspect of the book was its organization, or lack thereof.  Anecdotes, citations, and asides abound. In one chapter directed to moms, there are several pages directed at dads (who get their own chapter later).  Another chapter is simply a newspaper story, cited in full, that doesn't really relate to the previous or following chapters.  Many of the anecdotes (especially the ones near the ends of chapters) are targeted maliciously at heartstrings. C'est la vie.  The main thing I learned is that I need to stay involved in my little girl's life - and though she's only five days old and I have a long way to go, I don't see any danger of dropping that ball.

Arbitrary rating: 4 out of 5 heartstring-tugging anecdotes