Real Girl Real World: A Guide to Finding Your True Self

by Samantha Phillips and Heather M. Gray

Book Overview

Teen girls receive mixed messages about who they should be--and what they should look like--from all facets of society. It's no wonder they have difficulty finding out who they really are. This snappy, straight-talking guide--a veritable Our Bodies, Ourselves for teens--helps girls make up their own minds about what kind of people they want to be. Exploring a wide range of topics central to young women's lives--including beauty and the media;...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1580051332
• ISBN13: 9781580051330
• Release Date: April 2005
• Publisher: Seal Press (CA)
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.7" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

To the point!

This book gets to the point when it comes to the reality of being a teenage girl. I recommend this book for teachers, mothers and mentors of teenage girls for insight into how to help our girls navigate the choppy waters of adolesence.

A real book for a real girl

Want a book that will serve the facts up as they really are? Try out this book "Real Girl/Real World." This book covers a wide range of topics from anatomy to sexuality. I think it is probably most suited for high school age girls, and possibly college freshman who may need some enlightenment before leaving for school. For those out there who aren't lucky enough to have open parents to talk to, this book is essential for the facts and the "do"s and "don't"s of womanhood. I especially found the first chapter on the beauty standard interesting. The authors, Gray and Phillips, challenge society and propose suggestions that point to why women are the way they are. They talk about the role models of beauty, why beauty is perceived as important, and eventually come to conclude how useless the beauty standard really is. Filled with pictures and small boxes of cute side info, this book is a good read from cover to cover. I found that I could read it in one sitting without getting bored (which is better than any normal sex and sexuality "textbook" can say). I'd like to see this book become a standard on any shelf of textbooks in a health classroom. Cheers to Gray and Phillips!

An invaluable tool for girls blossoming into women.

I am older than the target audience. But, frankly, I read it because as a young woman raised in the 1970s and 80s, there was no such book for me to read. I still have things to learn about the female anatomy, history of feminism, and other health and cultural topics that this colorfully written and instructive book offers. I WISH I HAD THIS 10 YEARS AGO! Today, I just hope parents, teachers, educators, and other adults in charge of teen girls will consider buying this book and giving it to a young woman they know. It will help that girl make informed choices and avoid merely guessing what's going on with her body or following the latest fad among peers. A must read for all adults who care about teenage girls and for those girls!

RealGirl/Real World is AWESOME!!!

I loved Real Girl/Real World! The authors really understand the important issues facing teenage girls today. Not only does this book provide detailed advice on such topics as body image, self-esteem, menstration, sexuality and feminism but it also contains the thoughts and feelings of teenage girls in their own words. It was reassuring to find myself identifying with so many other girls. Real Girl/Real World also started me and my friends talking about subjects and asking questions that we might have otherwise kept to ourselves. ----I wish that my high school health class used this book instead of some boring textbook with its vague descriptions of "reproduction."

Realistic information for girls today!

This book provides realistic information for girls in today's world. This is not only useful for a girl growing up, but also for her parents so that they may better understand the issues that she is facing. It can be used as a great conversation starter for parents struggling with how to talk frankly with their daughters. I would also consider using this book as a conversation piece for youth groups (both male and female). The subjects discussed in this book should not be shyed away from, they need to be discussed frankly with openness and compassion. I applaude the authors ability to bring a down to earth approach to these touchy subjects!