education

This book was shocking to read. I am not, and never was, in a social sorority, but am in a academic fraternity (for English honors society). My sister, two best friends, and many other people I know were (or still are) in a sorority or frat. As for the people who say that Robbins did not represent Greek Life correctly, she is the one who spent a year investigating sororities. She is the one who experienced this firsthand. Yes, she focused a lot on the four girls, but if you read her entire book there are plenty of data taken from sorority girls around the country. Some complain that it was wrong for her to go undercover. As a psychology major I have studied and have read many studies that if people know they are being watched/experimented on their behavior will change and will be swayed. People change their behavior when they know they are being watched. The way to make sure this does not happen is to go undercover, as did Robbins. I think this book is well-needed in society. I do and will recommend this book to anyone I know entering college and to anyone in and out of college. I have heard first-hand stories from my sister and friends confirming many behaviors expressed in this book. I spent quite a bit of time in my sister's sorority house in Milwaukee and was apalled many times. The only time I felt comfortable in her house was when we were the only ones in the house. When her sisters were in the house I felt nothing but subordinate because I wasn't a Greek. The cliques within the sorority definately do exist, along with backstabbing, talking about others, and pure immaturity. I understand this is a part of society outside of Greek life, but the fact that they are sisters and supposed to share something so amazing is ironic. Is that what sisterhood is all about? As Robbins points out many times, I also found it to be true that frienship outside the sorority is pretty much discouraged. I lost a best friend because she was too involved in her Greek life. WE saw each other every day before she decided to join, but as soon as she joined her sorority she suddendly stopped talking to me acting like I wasn't good enough for her because I wasn't Greek. My other best friend shared her secret handshake with me, and I got the feeling that she felt that things requested by her sorority were ridiculous. When I was around with my other (ex) best friend and her sister her sister wouldn't even acknowledge my prescence. Again, I felt inferior because I was not Greek. I've heard many stories of fraternity date-rape on my campus and it disgusts me. It is disgusting that this goes on behind closed doors. I am now well aware of the hypocrasy (sp) that sororities display. Be an individual but fit a mold to be initiated? How is that possible? If NPC says sisterhood is as special as it is, why does all that backstabbing go on? And all the cliques within a clique itself? Why are many sororities taught that they are somehow superior to non-Greeks? This book is amazing and definitely made me mad. It is very controversial and a good read.

As a smart sorority woman I was stoked to read this book as a sort of outside look at who we are. It had potential but overall reading it was waste of time. There a few major problems with the book:

1) The characters are one-dimensional, boring, undeveloped and I was NEVER able to relate to them. (And I SHOULD be able to relate as well as anyone since I AM a sorority woman)

2) Robbins overgeneralizes and exaggerates throughout the book. The "experiences" of these girls only slighty resembles my experience (note: I go to school at University that has one of the strongest greek systems on the West Coast)

3) Robbins really loses it at the end with her "recommendations." She should stop preaching and write a good book.

4) While the "secrets" chapter was the most interesting and juicy I found it disrespectful to reveal this kind of thing in a book AND Robbins got a bunch of them wrong. She only got my chapter's secrets right and was completly wrong on the sorority my best friend is in

Overall Robbins is just not a good writer. This book is neither good journalism nor good fiction (good fiction shouldn't bore me to tears).

Overall, if you want a trashy book to skim through pick this up. If you want the truth about sororities or to be entertained don't bother

I enjoyed reading this book, through reading it I kept in mind that some of these events probably only happen in a few chapters throughout the US. However, it does happen. I never belonged to a sorority, but I had two friends belong to them, they loved their sisters and said the good things that happened in the sorority far outweighed the bad. And that's how I felt when i read the book, there were some bad things writen, but all the good things, parties, fundraising, the closeness the girls shard...far outweighed the bad things. I mean seriously, put just 20 girls in a house and don't see if you have these kinds of issues Greek or not. It's part of life, and it doesn't mean that you have to get defensive about it.

I highly recommend this book. And if i have a daughter who would choose to join a sorority, I would highly encourage her, even after reading this book.