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[Melissa]

Full title: The Overachievers: The secret lives of driven kids. by Alexandra Robbins

Robbins studied several students from a high school in the Washington D.C. area (her old HS) to get an idea about overachievers' culture. The book gives short sections that describe several students individually and then she has a section that describes her research in this area and explains that these students are not unique. I thought it was very well written and was pleased with the mix of research and case study. I was also pleased that she didn't just list problem after problem - she also provided solutions and steps that could be taken by high schools, colleges, parents and students to fix these problems.

Because I work in a high school, the feelings I had then often come back at me in full force. Reading this book I felt the way I felt then, but fortunately did not have a full-blown panic attack. I also thought about the student who told me last year that she studied for 5 hours for one of my tests - and that was one of my A students. I wish I could tell the students things and "fix" their lives for them, but I know that they have to go through this themselves and find their own path through the chaos.