November 15, 2018
The author of Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities (2004) returns to campus to continue to sift through the realities and misconceptions of Greek life.In this natural follow-up toPledged, investigative reporter and public speaker Robbins (The Nurses: A Year of Secrets, Drama, and Miracles with the Heroes of the Hospital, 2015, etc.) turns her attention to the often problematic, scandalized, and controversial fraternal brotherhoods. Hoping to demystify the negative public images these associations have historically generated, the author interviewed scores of young men both currently and formerly involved in Greek chapters. Through their experiences, Robbins explores the countless stereotypical complications of these groups. She presents often compelling profiles of men navigating the processes and pressures of rushing, pledging, and troubleshooting the hypermasculine fraternity culture and the rigid guidelines of collegiate social engagement. Refreshingly, the author never sugarcoats the intensive pledging process and addresses the prevalence of widespread racism, female objectification, and sexual assault within chapters all across the country. The book presents the experiences of men like Jake, a searching, introverted, socially timid freshman who "craved the bonds of a brotherhood"; Oliver, a chapter president eager to hone his leadership talents; and numerous other voices of those who pledged allegiance to their respective frat houses, with mixed results. Robbins astutely examines the stigma of hazing rituals, impulsive and stress-driven drinking patterns, and rigidly enforced house loyalties. Conversely, she highlights the more positive (and less-recognized) bonding and brotherhood benefits of fraternity participation and the prioritized importance of sorority relations. She also points out fraternal chapters that welcome more diverse members, including LGBTQ pledges. Though the narrative presents little that will be viewed as new or illuminating for any adult reader who attended college, much of the material will be useful and informative for college-prep students and their parents (a final section provides advice for both groups).Real-life perspectives on the immersive, unifying, and chancy culture of fraternities.
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December 1, 2018
Toxic masculinity, deaths from hazing, and rape culture are just a few of the issues linked to fraternities, to judge by the growing shelf of books published over the past few years. In an effort to offset some of these negative associations, journalist Robbins, who previously wrote about sororities (Pledged), examines why so many young men continue to participate in Greek life. The author spent considerable time embedded in frat culture, and her sympathy clearly lies with the Greeks. Each chapter emphasizes the positives of frats: easing social isolation among college-age males (a demographic with sky-high suicide rates), forging articulate gentlemen out of unsophisticated 18-year-olds, and instilling the values of community service and volunteerism. While some of the interviewees speak candidly about topics such as binge drinking, readers may wish that Robbins had pushed back against the frat brothers' pat responses to her questions. As well, she cites a study finding that 73 percent of Greeks undergo hazing but later claims that "many fraternity chapters" do not put pledges through that ordeal. VERDICT Readers would be better off with John Hechinger's True Gentlemen: The Broken Pledge of America's Fraternities.--Seth Kershner, Northwestern Connecticut Community Coll. Lib., Winsted
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December 1, 2018
Following up on her best-selling expos� of American sororities, Pledged (2004), and after intervening books about teen geeks and the lives of nurses, investigative journalist Robbins takes readers on an eye-opening tour of contemporary college fraternities. Highlighting the changing roles and unique pressures millennial males are currently facing, Robbins recounts a year in the life of two committed fraternity brothers, identified with assumed names as Jake and Oliver. As a hardworking freshman, Jake hopes that Greek life will forge lifelong friendships and launch a career; whereas Oliver's story involves using his status as chapter president to improve his fraternity's image in the wake of multiple visits by the police. Remaining keenly aware of the media's focus on such fraternity misdeeds as hazing and binge drinking, Robbins uses the pair's experiences to address other hot-button issues, including Greek peer pressure, secret rituals, and sexual assault while taking pains to find the silver lining in the social support provided by these often-maligned organizations. Her energetic prose and dramatic insider's perspective will keep readers both captivated and well informed.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)