Book review - Bringing up Girls.

So, I have three girls. Since at least before the birth of my youngest my wife has been after me to read Bringing up Girls by Dr. James Dobson. I finally got to it and read all 268 pages. Every page was interesting. Much of them were enlightening. Many were personally quite applicable and convicting.

This book can be viewed as either a follow-up to Dr. Dobson's earlier Bringing up Boys or as a stand-alone. Either way it's chock full of much needed information that every parent with a girl needs. Dobson breaks down loads of studies and medical research to explain why girls mature and act the way they do and why they're physically and emotionally different than boys. Of course that information impacts how parents interact with their girls.

After establishing a base of information, the book then moves on to the dangers facing girls in our modern society. These dangers are mental and physical. While some of those risks are applicable to both sexes, most of what is discussed here is of particular danger to girls. Once again, Dobson relies heavily on facts and figures as he outlines the risks girls face and how certain risky behaviors will increase those risks.

The final part of the book covers what parents can do to prepare their girls to face our predatory society. The importance of both a strong mother and father figure in every young lady's life cannot be overstated. The need for protection, guidance, and support are clearly outlined. As before, Dobson's positions are clearly supported by research and hard data.

Overall I found Dr. Dobson's book to be easy to read and easy to understand. I also found it very enlightening and challenging. A warning though, if you believe that there are no differences between boys and girls, this book is not for you. Dr. Dobson pulls no punches in making his case. If that warning does not apply then this book should be a must read for all parents engaged in Bringing up Girls.