Social Sciences Books

We know that this book is a hoax. And while some may say "even if it is not true it is a representation of real situations and should be shared and discussed", wouldn't it serve us better as a people seeking knowledge and answers that can help us solve our problems to focus on the factual information that is available. The fact that some 15 years after this hoax was created there are people who, because of a lack of critical thinking, access to information or just downright gullibility, believe it to be true is the reason it should be censured. There are works of great historians, professors and authors that have been proven to be factual and accurate but we are swayed by an internet hoax to do what? Learn more, look for truth, greater understanding of history, or acceptance because it so easily fits within the framework of "see; this is what they did". I don't know about what you learned growing up, but my mother always told me not to believe people who tell lies because you never know what else they may be making up. This subject is just too important to dilute its seriousness with a hoax.

I read this little book a while ago back when I was about 18-19 yrs old. It was very powerful and thought-provoking that such a plan could be conceived and carried out. But then again, Willie Lynch was not the first white person of tha time to come up with a plan to enslave blacks, both physically and mentally. Up until that point, I thought that if I just got my degree, got a job, and stayed out of trouble, everything would be ok (being a good NEGRO). Of course now I am more conscious about African studies. I was a bit troubled when before writing this review a couple of reviews that stated. I looked also at a wikipedia article that also mentioned that the actual letter itself may have been an internet hoax. I immediately went back to the pamphlet, which I still have, to see for myself. Now I did notice that the pamphlet is broken into about 5 main parts: 1) Introduction by Mr. Hassan-EL. (with references) 2) William Lynch letter (no reference) 3) Commentary on on Let's Make a Slave 4) Food for Thought from the Internet 5) Short attribute to Africans in America sailors Now I was disappointed that the author didn't reference the letter itself other than to mention that the letter was "Editor's repeat: This speech was delivered by a white slave owner, William Lynch, on the banks of James River in 1712." The argument is whether or not this letter/speech actually took place. The author doesn't cite where he found the letter or got the information of the letter. I did try to contact Lushena Books, and I was unsuccessful in reaching them for comment. In other words, I couldn't verify from the source that the letter/speech part of the pamplet was true or fiction. So I gave the review 4 stars. And it the letter was in fact a forgery, then it deserves even less stars. I do agree that it is important to make sure that when we bring facts to the table that they are actual facts (either based on experience or documented facts). So maybe there was no person named Willie Lynch or it was a pen name. Maybe the speech didn't take place in 1712. But what was described in the letter was certainly real. Pitting the 'house negro' against the 'field negro'. One good example of this was rewarding 'good slaves' for turning in runaways or revolters with either lighter work, monetary cashout, or even freed status. What I will do is attempt to gather actual names of people (besides the common names Christopher Columbus, Sir John Hawkins, George Washington, etc.) who conspired to enslave, murder, rape, etc Africans and Native Americans for their own financial or political gain from the before the 1800s. (Well I guess that would be a lot of people, eh?) Specifically those with a written or spoken plan against the Natives and Africans in America. Then I will revise this review :)

The Willie Lynch letter is an interesting dig into the psychological control of slaves by slave masters. I am not sure of the validity of this letter, but it is an important part of studying American slavery. The book is a short read that can be easily read in one short sitting.

Very important to the education of all. Willie Lynch letter has been questionned as to its actual authenticy, but no matter because the content is historically correct and the attitudes remain to this day. That is unfortunate, however, it's value to all Americans changing their attitudes and behaviour have great global implications.

This book should bread by every young black male in the United States. Some have proclaimed that it is false but the information is essential to the growth of black males. It sheds light on some of the condition that we face in this country.

This truly was a fascinating read and I could not help but appreciate Geraldine Brooks' devotion in her interviews and putting this work together. Written in the 90s (aka pre-9/11 world and view of the Middle East) she tries to figure out the whys between traditions and laws regarding Islamic women. Brooks is a lovely writer and her works paints a vivid image of Iran and other countries, as well as various women she meets. That said... I can't help but consider this a feminist work. Most of Brooks' conclusions dwell on negativity and harshness. Indeed, it's hard for a person to fully understand another mindset and Brooks does her best to be understanding. And good qualities is mentioned.Brooks tries her best to be unbiased, so I guess I can't fault her for that. But maybe an effort to speak of more good would be appreciated.

Geraldine Brooks is as talented at non-fiction as she is at fiction. I could not put this book down. It is easy to read this explanation of the different levels of individual rights found among Muslim women in different middle eastern states. Brooks traces the circumspection of women's rights to the Koran and Hadiths from Mohammed's time. Interestingly Islam appeared to expand women's rights of the 7th century. In the era of Mohammed and for hundreds of years thereafter European women had no property or inheritance rights. In Islam a woman is entitled to inherit half of that bequethed to male heirs. Instead of interpreting these surahs as expanding women's rights, the Muslim communities have used them to infringe on women's rights. Thus this surah is interpreted to mean that a woman can only inherit half that due her brother. Rather it could be interpreted to mean that she must inherit at least half that which her brother inherits, and she could inherit more. It is merely a floor of inheritance. However, in fundamentalist Muslim cultures it is viewed as a limit on inheritance. Many of the infringements are culturally tied to their local society. In Saudi Arabia it is very difficult for a woman to engage in business or a profession and still remain covered and completely seperate from men. However, in the Koran the seperation was really limited to Mohammed's wives and not the community at large. Similarly in the Koran a medical doctor can touch and speak to a patient of a different sex. However, in Saudi Arabia many doctors do not. It is permitted even there in some cases.
Sporting events and activities for women are severly limited in some Muslim countries particularly Saudi Arabia. This is a shame since physical fitness and excellence are so important to good health.
Brooks clearly explains that Islam and democracy cannot truly exhist in one society. Islam is a theocracy with a dictatorship. However, India is an example of a democracy that has a very large Muslim population. Hence, India does not fit the mold.
She describes female genetic mutilation which is at best a crude, dangerous and painful proceedure. It is really inhumane but contiues to be practiced. Most telling is the fact that when a woman is raped she is punished or killed because she had sex outside of marriage. This ia a really warped view of morality. However, it has found a home in Islam. Brooks describes womens' lives among the poor, the wealthy, the educated and the uneducated. Clearly the poor uneducated women come from more fundamentalist households.
I heartily recommend this non-fiction work by this talented writer. Everything that I have read of hers is excellent, and this does not disappoint.

While this book is not meant to be an anthropological analysis of Muslim women, it does give insight into the Muslim world at large. It is broad in scope and should cite information more, but it can be an excellent choice to begin the journey to understanding. It should not be considered the final destination. I suggest this book to all.

This is just one of the facts that I learned from this book. It became not just a fact but an insight as I continued reading it.

The book's excellence is demonstrated in that 13 years after its publication it is still being read. Its continued relevance is evidenced by so many current reviews here on Amazon. Since its publication there have been many books on this topic, including social studies and personal narratives, but this one still stands out.

Brooks spent 6 years in traveling to Middle Eastern Islamic countries covering the plight of women. While there is a chapter on Queen Nour, the book is primarily on the many anonymous middle class women who must submit to decisions about their lives, their health, their time, their children, where they can travel and even their dealth, all made by men. These men are not required, and most are not conditioned to, value her or consider her opinions or needs. They seem to be driven by their "honor" which is reflected by how well she masters the art of submission.

Brooks gives the clearest presentation I've read on the origins of the anti-woman practices that are permitted. She describes Mohammed's relations with his wives and the aftermath of his death which set the stage for others to interpret and misinterpret his words and actions.

The last chapter, where the author summarizes the issue and the lack of attention it receives world wide is pithy and strong.

Geraldine Brooks takes us inside her personal trip trough the Islamic world and gives as close to an UNBIASED view of the treatment of Islamic women that i could imagine. she is careful to point out the reasons that are given for wierd practices. She doesn't shy away from her disgust for certain treatments.

For example the propagation of so-called "honor killings" that still take place all over the world, as well as many other ways women are opressed in the mainstream Islamic world.

O by the way the writting style is smooth and easy to read. You can really enjoy this book even though the topic is sad the way it is told is great!

A great book to teach kids about the perils of interrupting others. How clever and with great illustrations.

This is a fabulous book that teaches kids to stop interrupting in a fun yet meaningful way. I work individually with kids and they often ask if they can take this book back for their whole class to share! All the teachers I have lent it to loved it as well!

This book is good for all ages and targets children who may need help controlling themselves or learning how to behave in a social setting. It is very direct, funny, and very relevant. This author is a genius. I recommend this book for special education classes, inclusion classes, and especially for children on the Autism spectrum. It is probably useful in many k, 1, 2, and 3 grades.

This book is fun and enjoyable while teaching young children when it is appropriate to speak. The pictures are a wonderful compliment to the storyline.

Ollie North was the greatest man this nation ever made! Don't believe these conspiracy theories! Gary Webb shamed himself with his 100% unsourced crackpot speculations so much that he committed suicide, by two shots *TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD.*

This nation owes a debt of gratitude to Gary Webb. The same people responsible for Iran Contra are still among us.

I did not purchase this product for myself, but my boyfriend really likes the book.

The book is packed with information on an intriguing and eye-opening subject matter. Gary Webb cites what appears to be legitimate references adding credibility to the story's claims. The abundance of information did become overwhelming at times. Although after completing the book I found myself thinking "Right, wrong or indifferent...It all makes perfect sense. There's nothing not to believe about it."

Mr Webb's book here ties in with Rodney
Stich's Flying the Unfriendly Skies and
Bo Gritz troika of bokks during this era!

This story was an ok read. There were too many characters to keep my attention on the storyline. I think this book is a little overrated with all the five star reviews on Amazon. I learned a couple of things about the Bronx and how Puerto Ricans live, but besides that it was just alright.

Rating 3.5 -4.0

This is not the genre that I normally read, however, it was written very well and really gives you an inside look to life "on the streets" and the affect that it has on all involved...was same experience as viewing documentary on television. Highly recommend it.

For me this book was so real, and the characters moved me so much, I wished so much to read more! It almost left me hanging and thinking about their future!

One of the girls in this book was a girl I know, it was written really well. I loved the book.

This story resembles a Richard Price novel, but it is true. It is a nonfiction treatment of the themes of drugs and family connections amidst grating poverty. Spanish drug dealers and their friends jockey to survive the harsh conditions of the street.

Everyone depends upon fluid kinship relationships. Good parenting is premised on keeping children out of the hands of the authorities. For some people incarceration gives them the ability to shape their lives. The telling descriptions of some of the participants makes this both a work of anthropology and a dream of a work for the guidance of policy-makers.

Unfortunately, if an inadequate number of good legal jobs exist, people will resort to suberfuge to maintain self and family. The neighborhood in the Bronx portrayed in the work is an alien world to many of us, one of livery cabs and arranged marriages to overcome immigration hurdles. Girls, even young ones, are called fly.

One of the mothers is caught up in the welfare to work policy. There are disadvantages to trying to support four children on a minimum wage job. Another mother has to learn about motherhood in prison. The readers learn why a young mother would move from the Bronx to Troy seeking housing assistance for her family.

Mental health services alleviate some of the distress of the actors in this book. Even perpetrators of atrociously violent acts emerge in it as likeable. We are indebted to the author for her painstaking reporting.

No one who can read French should read Barthes in English but if you must read him in translation avoid this one. Trying to follow his thought in this version is nearly impossible. Although I managed to finish this short book and glean from it the general intention, it was not worth the time it took to untangle the mangled sentences. Simple words were changed into incomprehensible ones. Admittedly, the author's wish to imitate his satirized material may account for the difficulties of translation but that would account for only a small element. This book should be replaced with a new translation.

This is one of the great mythology books of the twentith century.And still relevant today.That people are so scripted by the slogan,we have forgotten the 'essense' of the product.That we have bought into the cosmetic idealisation of the image,rather than the true appearance of the natural object or root meaning of the word.This philosophical book is deep reading,not just for literary francophiles, still around today.That we are aroused and mystified by the ritual act and the shiny decor,surrounding the hidden object,rather than the nuts and bolts of the product itself alone.And its the mystique surrounding our language,toys,actors and art-work; that inspires, entertains ,educates the soul and mind of modern people.Without mythology ,the core of society would wither.And mankind would simply revert back to the dark sterile caves of oblivion.

A problem with the take on myth that Barthes develops in his Mythologies is that he privileges the illusory distinction between myth and revolutionary speech. Myth for him is speech that naturalizes the ideology and relations of the bourgeoisie, while revolutionary speech upsets this. Both, however, are charged with producing the situation the present and interpret. Myth is productive. Myth is the revolutionary speech of bourgeois interests as seen from its receivers rather than its producers. Revolutionary speech is myth as seen by its producers. Producing his own myths is man inventing himself.

Barthes does, however, provide a tool kit for examining and analyzing the mythic. He also created a field guide for identifying species of mythologizing. From these tools an interested party could derive tools for the intentional production of myth.

from fenris23 dot wordpress dot com
and frequency23 dot org

In Mythologies, Barthes offers a series of snapshots with titles such as "Plastic," "Striptease," "Toys," "The World of Wrestling," and "Operation Margarine." His aim is to reveal the ideological abuse hidden in these myths, which are manufactured to read as reality.

Though complex, Barthes essays are accessible, charming, and funny. I have taught Mythologies to first-year college students, because it does not require its reader to have read volumes of theory to engage in Barthes' clever reflections.

My favorite essay might be "Toys," which demystifies modern (1954-56) French toys as designed to produce consumers ("users") rather than creators. "Toys" exemplifies how, 50 years later, Barthes' myths are still alive and worth reading.

I was assigned this text as the final leg of a Greek and Roman Mythology course. Having no idea what to expect, I easily read through the collection of short essays and was thoroughly entertained. Even in translation, Barthes is graceful, lighthearted, and humorous in telling of the modern myths surrounding him in 1950s France. A very well-educated philologist, lexicologist, and sociologist, it wasn't until after writing the short essays here compiled that he rigorously developed his semiological/structuralist theories. Those with knowledge of structural linguistics and semiology and those without such a background alike will certainly enjoy every essay of this brief collection.

Furthermore, the longer essay, "Myth Today," which follows the shorter essays published originally in the 50s is replete with extremely interesting, albeit dense, critical theory. While someone with little knowledge of structural linguistics or semiology will have some difficulty with this final essay, it is certainly worth the struggle.

Of course I enjoyed the book, but I will admit, it's a book "study" in a sense. It's not an easy read, and if you're looking for pure entertainment, you'll be sadly disappointed. If you're looking for a glimpse into history and an understanding of what the black woman had to endure in the early 20th century (one that was college-educated), this is the book for you. Also, women aspiring to be a part of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority may find this book intriguing and helpful.

I appreciate the promptness of arrival. The book was in better condition that its description

I am not a Delta, but both of my sisters are, so I picked up this book. It is an easy read and very informative. I would recommend it to every Black woman from a historical standpoint, Greek or not.

I loved this book. I went to the web site for Delta Sigma Theta Inc and learned that you should read this book if you are interested in the organization. I read this book and I did not put it down until it was completed. My sister who is a member of this organization was impressed to know that I was doing my homework and truly was interested in joining her organization. I can say that I have looked at all the other organizations out there and I have met members of them all but I know with out doubt that Delta Sigma Theta is the one for me. This book was well written easy to follow and had great photos detailing the history of the organization through out the 1900's. I also learned so much about how Delta Sigma Theta applied to become incorporated before AKA and was actually created by members of AKA and so many other details. This book is the best source of information for a person that is an outsider to this organization and though I have a sister who is a member she will not tell me anything , as she wants me to learn it for myself.

I am a memeber of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. I read this book the Summer before my Sophmore year at Texas A&M University-Commerce for enrichment. I was interested in Delta and wanted to know the background, history, and legacy. As a Delta I feel this book spreads more knowledge than you anticipate. It's informative, interesting, and beautifully written. I reccommend this book to everyone who is a Delta and anyone aspiring to become one, because this will broaden your horizons and give you and extended perspective and appreciation.

An excellent review of the origins and causes of the Vietnam conflict and a must read for the serious historian to understand the liberal, leftist viewpoint. To be fair in one's analysis however, the author's views need to be contrasted to a viewpoint from the right. A good comparative work is Vietnam at War: The History 1946-1975 by Phillip Davidson. Some where in between the views of these authors probably lies the truth.

The author tells us about the Vietnam War. This book is not about the battles or the people in the front lines, but about the people behind the war. Primarily he covers the American political actions that help create and expand the war. The book was completed in the early 1970s, so the war had not ended yet. The Pentagon Papers had been published, and the author uses them to good effect to solidify the understanding of the process put forth in the book.

There's a lot of good information in the book, with many short biographies of significant people in the decisions (as well as some with seemingly peripheral connections). While the general flow of the book is linear with respect to time, the continual interruption of the flow by the biographies (which go back and forth in time without regard to the general flow of the book) is somewhat annoying. The primary source for the book is a large number of interviews the author did with many of the people directly involved in the decisions.

If you enjoy books about politics, or the back office "whys" about how large enterprises come to pass, you will like this book.

Despite the logorrhea, the fragments, the absolute structures, and the never-ending repetition, this book is worthwhile as the explication of a man who surrounded himself with sycophants. Americans, in general, paid a high price.

This is an important book for anyone interested in how the US became inextricably involved in Vietnam. It holds pertinent lessons for the predicament in which the US now finds itself in Iraq. Unfortunately, the book requires a determined reader to plow through some 650 pages of close-spaced narrative, as the author frequently diverges on tangents that drift away from his main thesis points. A principal thrust of the book is the influence of key players on the decision-making process and their inter-personal relationships. Accordingly, there is substantial biographical information, which is interesting, but distracting. This is not a military history; very little mention is made of the operational and tactical aspects of the conflict.

I read this book for the first time over ten years ago and returned to it for the bitter relevancy it has as I reflect on our situation in Iraq today.

I greatly enjoyed this book, which gave a truly unique and rare perspective into female life in early Colonial New England. Thoroughly absorbing the chapters is truly co-dependent on simultaneously reading through the footnotes at the back, so know in advance that there will be a lot of flipping back and forth, but that this will enrich and enhance the interpretation and absorbability of the diary. I love firsthand historical accounts, and now have a renewed appreciation for early colonial life, particularly that of the female voice in this era, and even moreso women in childbirth in rural Maine in the winter (!). It almost seems voyeuristic to read Martha's diary, knowing that she likely never intended for it to be read by anyone else, let alone 220+ years later, but her voice is fluid, peaceful, humble, and dutiful to her family and her society. If you enjoyed this, also rent or buy the PBS documentary video of it by the same name, which has period re-enactments, and live narration by the author as she explains the journey of putting this work together. A fabulous read, ripe for discussion particularly in examining the parallels between this life so long ago, and our own today.

I know this is a well respected book but in all honesty I found it to be very repetitious and boring. There are only so many times you can listen to complaints about colic and very similar sounding births before you get bored to tears. While writing the history of ordinary people is important, Ballard lived a boring and uneventful life. Unless you want to hear about the stories of dozens of births steer clear. And i'm a phd student used to dry books.

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's A Midwifes' Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 demonstrates that an ordinary person's life can shed light and produce a more rich historiographical picture of a time period than solely focusing on prominent figures and events of history. The main thrust of this work is to debunk previous opinions of the diary that found the work not very useful in presenting important matters of historical interest of colonial times such as historian James W. North's comment "brief and with some exceptions not of general interest" or Charles Elventon Nash's comment ""trivial and unimportant...being but a repetition of what has been recited many times" and concluded "Like many diaries of farm women, it is filled with trivia about domestic chores and pastimes." (pp. 8,9) Ulrich debunks these previous interpretations of Martha Ballard's diary by showing that the diary exposes the social history of not only women in rural colonial times but addresses the bigger picture of colonial life in general through the daily activities of herself, her family, and neighbors in the community. Ulrich compares Martha Ballard's diary with three other documents from the community and time period Martha Ballard lived in. These documents were specifically from Daniel Cony who was a medical doctor, William Howard a wealthy businessman, and Henry Sewall who was the town clerk. She uses these documents to fill in information not mentioned in Martha Ballard's diary and also as a counterbalance of the men's perspective of events in Hallowell and what they felt was important to document verses a women's perspective of what Martha Ballard thought was worth documenting in her diary. Ulrich then extrapolates from these sources an interpretive picture of colonial life. On the one hand the heavy interpretive nature of this book forces the reader to wonder if this interpretation is close to the mark of accuracy or flawed in someway. On the other hand Ulrich heavily used other documented evidence to support her interpretation which lends credibility to her interpretation. An amateur historian would have a difficult time painting this picture of colonial life; however, Ulrich seems to do this with great expertise and eloquence. The expertise and eloquence is obviously derived from her academic career which has focused on the social history of women during the United States colonial era.

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's academic life has consisted of previously being a professor of American history at the University of New Hampshire and is currently a Phillips Professor of Early American history at Harvard University. Ulrich's main research area has been in the fields of early American social history, women's history, and material culture. Some of Ulrich's work in this area include Good Wives: Image and Reality in the Lives of Women in Early New England, 1650-1750 (1982), A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 (1990), In The Age of Homespun: Objects and Stories in the Making of an American Myth (2001), and Well-behaved Women Seldom Make History (2007). Ulrich certainly has over twenty years of research in the area of social history in the colonial era to make her an authoritative author on the subject and this is demonstrated in her work A Midwife's Tale in which she not only used evidence from documents from that particular community in the time period, but also used her historical imagination, (sometimes used to heavily), to interpret the diary entries to give a vivid depiction of both Martha Ballard's life and colonial rural life in general.

Ulrich formatted each chapter by presenting excerpts from Martha Ballard's diary and then spent the remainder of each chapter comparing these entries with the other written accounts from that time and using an interpretive approach to decipher what the significance of Martha Ballard's entries meant with regards to the life of Martha Ballard and the community she lived in. Ulrich didn't include the entire diary of Martha Ballard in her book and selectively pulled excerpts from different parts to illustrate the different social factors playing out in the daily life of Martha and the Hallowell community, but did include other entries from the dairy within her evaluation to support her interpretation. Obviously Ulrich could not have included all the entries of Martha Ballard's diary and analyzed all sections due to the constraints a book length imposes, however, some interpretations were based on an entire reading of the diary and the reader is not privy to this broader context of information. Ulrich acknowledges this fact when she stated, "Someday the dairy may be published. What follows in no sense is a substitute for it; it is an interpretation, a kind of exegesis." (p. 34) Ulrich admittedly states this is only an interpretation in which Ulrich seems to read in between the lines and/or provides an interpretation based on what was not said verses what was explicitly said due to the fact the entries were brief, mostly lacked an opinionated tone, and were mostly matter of fact daily details. Even though the other sources of evidence backing her interpretations were thorough there is no true way to know if Ulrich's interpretations are mostly correct, somewhat correct, or completely flawed unless the reader had read the entire dairy and other documents she consulted herself. This leaves the reader to just take Ulrich's word for it that her interpretation of the diary entries are as accurate as they can be. Ulrich in some cases may have used her historical imagination a bit excessively, but overall she presents enough evidence from other sources to make her interpretation for the most part as credible as it can be and never the less very enjoyable to read.

Please disregard the 2 stars in the rating. It is a 5 star book. The system automaticaly put 2 stars and would not let me change it.

I can't say enough about how wonderful this book is and how much I enjoyed reading it. This book would be a wonderful gift for anyone in the medical profession. It is a fascinating account of an amazing woman facing the challenges of life in early Maine as well as the every day facts of life necessary for survival. She contributed immensely to life itself as she was the midwife to hundreds of, if not more, women and the birth of their children.

For myself, I used it as a genealogical tool because that is the area of the country where all of my ancestors came from. It is facinating to know the trials and tribulations as well as the joys of our ancestors.

Priscilla Paul
Memphis

Interesting diary of a Maine midwife. Not the easiest read but enjoyable.

I actually am still reading this book because I am taking my time digesting it all. It's really giving me insight on how women's thoughts and opinions have been influenced from birth. It's helping me validate my own feelings and opinions.

One of the most important books in the psychology of women -essential reading

Gilligan's book launched a cottage industry of teacher in-service seminars on the disadvantages (and the corresponding advantages provided to men) that American women experience in our educational system. Unfortunately, her study lacked any rigor that is associated with sound research. While the study provides face validity (conclusions that seem to make sense), there is no predictive value to the study and its conclusions. Further, Gilligan has changed her story from this being a quantitative study, to it really being a qualitative study, to, eventually, it being an anecdotal study. There may be large differences in the way our schools treat women. They may even be placed in a disadvantaged position, but there is no valid evidence presented here.
Gilligan has been unwilling to open her research up to the academic community, a violation of accepted academic practice. Therefore, this study is less of a proof than it is a lens by which to view, a priori, a feminist perspective on the disadvantages provided to American women. As such, it would be useful to feminist theory, but not to science and reason. It did provide a useful tool to get Kohlberg to reformulate his research to be more inclusive, so that was useful.
Hoff-Summers wrote a critique of Gilligan called The War Against Boys. Hoff-Summers' interest was first piqued by being a feminist with a son in public schools, and her experience of the way she saw girls being favored in classrooms at the expense of the boys. It is an interesting read, and while it may not draw all the correct conclusions, it does shine a fairly bright light on the weakness of Gilligan's methodology.

I thought that I was going to be overwhelmed with feminist views when I first checked this book out of the library; I was rather turned off. But when I started to read, I was intrigued. It was interesting to see the contrast between the different genders.

Seeing the developmental process really helped me to grasp why our genders seem so different, although not so different. I enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it to anyone who wanted to understand the developmental process between women and men, even if they were not going into a specific educational field of development.

I think that is important for people to understand how the opposite sex thinks, and works. There are so many interesting details concerning development that Gilligan presents. What stands out most in the book is how females tend to lean more towards relationships, and males tend to lean more towards rules and discipline. These points are expressed throughout her book and I was amazed at how much I learned

The data upon which this author's bold thesis is based has never been made available for public review, peer review, or any other kind of review.
Perhaps she just made it all up ?