Choices: A Teen/Womans Journal

I am a 30 year old woman who received this book back in 1987. I just "rediscovered" it this week. As I look back on the entries, I'm surprised at how much I've grown, how much I've learned, how tolerant I've become & also how I have very much stayed the same. This book guides you thru some of the bad things that can happen to a woman who doesn't plot a course for her life. Some of the myths of being a woman are debunked (can't do math, can't be a trucker, or a construction worker, etc). What I liked most is that it doesn't push any specific feminist ideaology - just asking the question - what would you do? The message is clear - don't count on anyone to "take care of you". It tries to teach us to take care of ourselves. It is true that this book (at least my edition) is geared toward working / middle class teens. But as a middle class teen, it helped me enormously! This book is great and I look forward to getting it for both of my daughters!

I am constantly ordering this book. I am a foster parent for teenagers and I use this book as a family activity as well as at girls slumber parties. It makes thinking of the future and what you want to do with your life almost a fun thing. My childrens' therapists keep borrowing it and not giving it back!

This book really helped me in believing that sex before marrige isn't right and now that I am married and can always look back and thank the author!

As I was beginning my research for my MSW, I struggled to find appropriate material to address the needs of at-risk teen girls. I knew in my mind that there had to be a way to push young women toward independence, rather than allow them to be sucked into the murky waters of a media-created "feminine" ideal. A fellow student brought "Choices" to my attention. Through readings and practical exercises, it explores attitudes, values, career goals, assertiveness, budgeting, and pregnancy, among other things. It provides an arena for girls to assess their values, to analyze where they come from, and to re-evaluate them based on the assimilation of new knowledge. If I had to list a deficit in this work, it would be that it may lack cultural relevance for certain groups of students. The vignettes which are used to illustrate various concepts are race-ambiguous, which was positive. However, I somehow got the feeling that the stories were about the plight of middle-class or working class girls. I fear that the examples may appear laughable to girls who are homeless, who already have children, or who come from violent or destructive home environments. Perhaps it would be appropriate to include examples which consider race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic variables in the perception and analysis of problems. Despite this drawback, Choices is still a powerful work. In conclusion, this book will appeal to almost anyone who is interested in fostering independence, self-reliance, and self-esteem in young women.