See Jane Win: The Rimm Report on How 1000 Girls Became Successful Women

by Sylvia B. Rimm

Noted child psychologist Sylvia Rimm, along with her daughters, a research psychologist and a pediatric oncology researcher, conducted an extensive three-year survey among more than one thousand satisfied women who have achieved success in their careers. She explored in depth these women's childhoods, adolescences, and young adulthoods, noting what the women had in common and culling from her findings important advice on how parents can give their own daughters the same advantages.

Based on extensive original research, See Jane Win provides invaluable advice for helping girls deal with such issues as middle-school grade decline, math anxieties, eating disorders, social and academic insecurities, feelings of being different, self-esteem and competition, the career-family balance, and the glass ceiling. Included are profiles of seventeen women in disparate careers that illuminate the rewards and penalties of linear versus delayed career patterns and show us the typical pathways for women in specific fields, including medicine, science, law, business, education, politics, and the arts.

Despite the many victories of the women's movement, little girls are still given negative messages about their potential and prospects. Dr. Rimm shows parents how to combat those messages and give their daughters the confidence and skills they need to follow in the footsteps of the successful women surveyed.

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting, Education, Feminism, Womens, Womens Studies

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Dr. Sylvia Rimm’s nine years as a contributing correspondent to NBC’s Today Show and as a favorite personality on public radio make her a familiar child psychologist to many audiences.

Dr. Rimm is a psychologist, director of Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, and is a clinical professor at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine. Families come from all over the United States for help.

She has authored many books including How to Parent So Children Will Learn and Why Bright Kids Get Poor Grades, both 2008 National Best Books award winners from USA Book News. In addition, Dr. Rimm has written Growing Up Too Fast: The Rimm Report on the secret Lives of America’s Middle Schoolers, Keys to Parenting the Gifted Child, Raising Preschoolers, See Jane Win®, How Jane Won, and See Jane Win for Girls.

See Jane Win®, a New York Times Bestseller, was featured on the Oprah Winfrey and Today shows and in People Magazine. Her book, Rescuing the Emotional Lives of Overweight Children, was a finalist for the Books for a Better Life Award. Many parents and educators seek Dr. Rimm’s help through her books, tapes, q-cards, and newsletters.

In her parenting column, Dr. Rimm answers hundreds of letters each year from parents and grandparents in her nationally syndicated column with Creators Syndicate.

Dr. Rimm speaks and publishes internationally on family and school approaches to guiding children toward achievement, parenting, and the lives of teenagers. She is a dynamic speaker who fascinates audiences, speaking on many topics, tailoring her educational talks to the special themes of the audience.

Dr. Rimm draws experience and inspiration from her wonderful husband; her very successful children: 2 daughters and 2 sons, and their spouses; and 9

Dr. Rimm's expertise on gifted children, parenting, families, teens and tweens, and many more topics, makes her an excellent psychologist, author, columnist and speaker.

Reviews

[K C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was excellent and a must read for anyone raising a girl. Some aspects are out of date at this point, but nonetheless much of the teaching and parenting styles to raise an academically accomplished young woman seem very relevant for today. It makes me wish my own parents utilized the teaching in this more, though I know they did their best.

If I’m blessed with a little girl in the future, I will be using this. Honestly whatever I may or may not have, I’ll be referencing this text and on the lookout for similar caliber of books.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books about studies can be pretty dry; however, Rimm and her co-authors (I assume they are her daughters) have minimized the reciting of statistics and interspersed long-form and well-written profiles of study participants as well as advice to parents who wish to raise successful daughters. The result is very readable and at times fascinating.

Written in 1999, this book came out smack in the middle of the the "hyper-parenting" trend and seems to cater to its demographic. I did not read it until my own daughter was just about to start college, and I shudder to think what might have happened if I had caught it earlier. However, unlike the doom-sayers writing most books in the genre, Rimm's advice sections are fairly sensible; although if read out of context (for example, if a parent with little time just flipped to the advice sections) I can easily see how they could be taken to extremes. It is important to read the case studies to understand that "success" can come from a variety of backgrounds and hyper-parenting is absolutely NOT a requirement to raise a successful adult. The common factors for success among the women in the study seem to be 1) finishing college at some point and 2) individual resourcefulness. Ironically, developing resourcefulness is typically NOT a strength of hyper-parented kids.

Luckily there is now a hyper-parenting backlash and perhaps parents who own this book will be able to read the parts they skipped in order to bring balance to their methods. Despite the potential for misuse, I would still recommend the book to any parent of girls.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I thought this book was really good to read for mothers of daughters. Some of it was obvious-- in a good way -often, our instincts are right. Some of it was informative, some of it wasn't incredibly helpful, but the overall picture of focusing on the commonalities of women who like the way they themselves turned out and how they were raised is a good perspective. It helpsremind me to stick with some stuff I know is right, even when it is tough (make sure to take those family vacations!). My sister-in-law suggested it and I always thought it was time well spent.

[Darcy Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book when my oldest daughter was still in elementary school.
It will most likely appeal to younger mothers, but now that I have children in high school I have an entirely different perspective on the 'what matters' of life.
This book will encourage parents to be hypervigilant about certain aspects of parenting involving achievement. It doesn't speak to success apart from career.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, highly recommend. Bottom line most important common denominator trait for strong, confident women is the positive relationship they have with their dads. Read this book when it was originally published, my Mom bought for me as a surprise gift. Reread again, and will also read the newest book out that is for our girls.

[Marita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I enjoyd this most because this book gives power to women and my last book took it all away...
Little bit dry as she wades through all her findings, but her Advise section and real women's stories were very interesting.

[Anoopa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this reflects findings from the late '90s, there is still much information and wisdom to be gleaned and applied to current day issues with gender disparities in male-dominated fields, and how to motivate daughters who are interested in those fields.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for anyone that is influential in the life of any young woman.

[Shantay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book defines "success" as career success. It is educational, and worth reading, but repetative.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read the first chapter which summarized the findings. I didn't feel that I needed to go in depth. Again a lot of what I already knew. Interesting read though.

[Trudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read if you are raising a daughter in this world.

[Carrie]

women's studies

[Susanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dry and lengthy, but I find myself quoting its findings a lot!