Customer Reviews
Facetious 
2007-07-29
This book was chosen as a summer reading assignment for my sophomore English class. I'm not sure if my teacher realized that the main point of this book was easily guessed by a) the title and b) the cover of this book. I was very tempted to walk into English class on the first day and apologize for reading the book, but because I thought the whole point of the book was against "Overachieverism," I decided not to subscribe to that facet of American society. (Needless to say, I resisted that temptation.) I found this book yet another complaining commentary on one of America's problems. Robbins seems to blame everyone for the stress levels of these students. From parents to fellow students to teachers to the students themselves, she uses a negative voice to describe how each of these groups has contributed to "Overachieverism." I found this distasteful and was reminded of Nietzche's idea: A man is defined by his enemies, not his friends. Robbins chooses to blame these groups, rather than to explain their motives and roles in Overachieverism.
Reminisicent of Michael Moore, Robbins throws statistics at the reader about various issues that related in one way or another to the issue of "Overachieverism." She intersperses what I find to be repetitive facts with personal stories of overachievers. I admire her skill with these young people and her ability to describe their experiences in this book. However, I still find the main points of her argument facetious in light of the other issues present in schools today. All in all, although this book could be described as "interesting," I cannot help but describe it as uninteresting, distasteful, and, for the most part, irrelevant to America in this day in age.
great book 
2007-06-20
I read Robbins' Pledged and decided I wanted to read this book, just based on what it was about. After I checked it out of the library, I realized it followed students at Whitman. I am around Robbins' age (my ten yr reunion is this year) and attended a school at the lower end of the scale of the same county. I currently work at an elementary school in the county, and my mother has (and still does) teach high school in the county (at a school always competing with Whitman academically).
Anyway, with my knowledge of the county and schools in general, I knew a lot of the pressures discussed in this book, but didn't even think about the extent to which they are discussed. Robbins is a great writer and has great suggestions at the end of the book for this country to help with this "overachievism." I highly recommend reading this book to anyone, ESPECIALLY if you work in a school or have children.
An Imortant Social Issue 2007-03-25
This is an excellent book. Robbins discusses an important social issue, the pressure towards workaholism which starts younger and younger, in the form of compelling intertwined stories of real teenagers.
This book is for you. And you. And you.... 
2007-02-23
Alexandra Robbins makes a compelling case for parents and their children to reexamine success and prestige in her latest expose. This book should be on all parents' must-read list, especially if you have kids in middle school who are already worried about their "resumes" and private college counselors.
Teachers and parents -and students - should read 2007-01-14
This book gives good insights into what's going on in the lives of high-achieving students. Although they may seem well-adjusted on the outside, adults need to be aware of the overwhelming stress they are dealing with. They need compassionate and understanding adults to help them step back understand that success in life truly does come in many forms, that comparing yourself with others gets you nowhere except depressed. It would be good for the overachieving students to read this book - they will probably find a character with whom they identify with and can learn from . . . and perhaps be inspired to back off and allow themselves to relax once in a while, and not have to be perfect.
AMAZING 2008-05-28
LOVE this book and would recommend this to everyone!! Everyone I know who has read it has found some part applicable to themselves or their friends in high school! Informative and engaging - a must read for all students!!
great perspective into the overachievers lifestyle 2008-02-10
thia book is great the author has some great points and the book gives you the information in an entertaining way. however there is some bias and you can see the author is only showing you the negtive aspects of an overachieving world. again i think thtat the book is great to read but one must take it in without buying into every word she says. overall an informative book well worth reading
Hurrah for Overachievers! 2008-01-27
This perceptive examination of the lives of real kids gives us cause for concern, but also great hope. There actually are kids who work hard, do their best and want to make the world a better place. Maybe they need more support than they get. (Don't we all?) But they're out there, doing all they can to be all that they can be. That's a good thing. Robbins does a superb job telling the stories of nine young people fighting their ways through the high school jungle, not always getting what they deserve or what they want, but coping and growing. As we follow these kids through some important formative experiences, we can't help worrying about them and questioning the system that puts so much emphasis on being "the best." Guess what. Not every body can be the best. But the good news is this: to succeed in life people don't need to be "the best." They need to be motivated and competent. If these stretched and stressed kids can adjust their focus just a bit, to realize that happiness is more connected to being "their best" than to being "the best," they will do just fine. Thanks, Ms. Robbins, and thanks to these kids and their families, for this meaningful look at the lives of some terrific young people. For a fine fictional treatment of some of these issues, readers might also enjoy Crunch Timeby Mariah Fredericks.
Janet Gingold
author of Finch Goes Wild
Great book for discussion ! 2007-12-22
I bought this as a gift for a high school relative of mine that really wants to get into an Ivy school. This student runs herself ragged taking honors classes, getting tutoring, and participating in sports to the point of utter exhaustion. I feel this book will help her and her parents reflect on their college obsessions and realize that not getting into an Ivy will not ruin your life! I thought this book was very insightful to how crazy some students and parents have become in pursuit of success. I think this book speaks to many people including those that do not have children in high school. The sections in the book that cover the "admissions" testing into top rated preschools in NY is fascinating. I remember neighbors of mine who demanded that our public school put their son into gifted and would eagerly talk about their desire for a full scholarship at a local private college for him one day (he was only 6!) Basically this book will strike a cord with any student or parent. I also liked how the author gave a list of ideas/ suggestions on how to solve these problems. Although the solutions/ideas presented may not be realistic it makes excellent discussion material.
A Must-Read 2007-11-22
This great book comes with a great message: "...our high-stakes educational culture has spiraled out of control. Following along with nine real people in the battleground of SATs and Ivy League colleges, this book explores the issues of our educational system and their consequences from the point of views of both the students and the author.
The flaws of our educational culture has defined an age where people will go to extremes. For example, one mom strangled another's daughter because the other daughter beat her own daughter for a spot in a prestigious preschool, which won't even go on your college resume. AP Frank, one of the characters in this book, is outraged for all his asian mom did to him, like breaking his thumb or abusing him when he got one single B.
In an era where colleges barely care about your SAT grades, students are taking more and more extracurriculars and anything to add to their college resumes. The sacrificed time and grades build up to take the forms of sleep deprivation and even thoughts of suicide. Educational policies are like a hole which "your chances of getting out get lower as you fall deeper." For anyone who is interested in how our students are reacting to everything thrown at them, this book is a must-read.
