Smart Girls: A New Psychology of Girls, Women, and Giftedness

As a gifted woman who was identified as gifted at a young age, I read this book and found myself identifying with many of the items discussed in this book. I found it very enlightening and I realized that I could see my myself and my gifted female friends in all of the stereotypes described in this book. I would definitely recommend this book to mothers of gifted girls.

As I am a "gifted girl" in adolescence, my mother is forever buying books about how to identify and parent them. When she came home with this one and didn't begin it within the day, I began it for her -- having this insatiable urge to read any book I see lying around for too long, and also because I enjoy reading things that usually do not describe me or my experiences very accurately. However, this book fit me almost to the T. I was amazed at how well it described me, both as I used to be and as I see myself in the future, not to mention my inner thoughts and feelings about being a gifted girl. Whether you are a parent looking for a tool to help you with your gifted daughter(s), or an adolescent girl like me who enjoys reading gender-related psychology, this book will be invaluable to understanding what it means to be a "gifted girl."

Just as most of the other reviewers mention that they recognize themselves--so did I. From falling into the trap at college of the "dating/love/find-a-husband" culture so prevalent at MSU to the lack of self-esteem I suffered from for speaking my intelligent mind, I see myself and even my young gifted daughter in this book. Buy this book and begin to find the answers for yourself and your young ones. A good beginning place with resources to further your research.

I bought this book because I am very interested in the different ways in which males & females deal with challenges, both at school, & as adults in the workplace. I saw myself in this book many times, in Kerr's descriptions of herself and her classmates. I now realize the traits I need to foster to keep me successful in life, & to nurture my ambition. I learned that ambition is not a "non-feminine" trait, & I now understand why I felt my failures were personal failures & why successes were just "luck", because this is what society in America reinforces. Also, the biographies of successful (prominent) women were excellent. We need more role models & Kerr provides them. Thanks very much to Barbara Kerr for writing this important book!!!

The issues of talented girls and women are crucial, and this book gives new insights and practical ideas for parents, teachers and counselors. Smart Girls describes a twenty year study of gifted girls, and also looks at biographies of eminent women and the research about talented girls and women. Dr. Kerr describes internal and external barriers to women's achievement, characteristics that help them overcome these barriers, and programs and parenting styles that work to help them. Mary Pipher, the author of Reviving Ophelia, said "Barbara Kerr explores the common experiences of girls who grew into strong women...and she found they had in common time by themselves, the ability to fall in love iwth an idea, a refusal to acknowledge gender limitations, and what she calls 'protective coating'." Kathleen Noble, author of The Sound of the Silver Horn, said, "Those of us who teach, parent, counsel and champion talented girls and women will find Smart Girls to be a most valuable, encouraging and readable resource." I agree! Every parent, teacher or counselor of bright girls needs to read this book. It is a must for your bookshelf!