Good for a Girl

A Woman Running in a Man's World

De: Lauren Fleshman

Narrado por: Lauren Fleshman

* A New York Times Bestseller

* Winner of the William Hill Sports Book Of The Year Award

* A Financial Times Best Sports Book of 2023

Fueled by her years as an elite runner and advocate for women in sports, Lauren Fleshman offers her inspiring personal story and a rallying cry for reform of a sports landscape that is failing young female athletes

“Women’s sports have needed a manifesto for a very long time, and with Lauren Fleshman’s Good for a Girl we finally have one.”—Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers and David and Goliath

One of the most decorated collegiate athletes of all time and a national champion as a pro, Lauren Fleshman has grown up in the world of running. But every step of the way, she has seen how our sports systems—originally designed for men and boys—fail women and girls. Girls drop out of sports at alarming rates once they hit puberty, and female collegiate athletes routinely fall victim to injury, eating disorders, or mental health struggles as they try to force their way past a natural dip in performance for women of their age.

Written with heart and verve, Good for a Girl is Fleshman’s story of falling in love with running, being pushed to her limits and succumbing to injuries, and fighting for a better way for female athletes. Drawing on not only her own story but also emerging research on the physiology and psychology of young athletes of any gender, Fleshman gives voice to the often-silent experience of the female athlete and argues that the time has come to rebuild competitive sports with women at their center.

©2023 Lauren Fleshman (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“A close-up look at the uncertain and often unhealthy climb toward stardom for women in organized sports . . . The rawness of Good for a Girl serves as a push to demand that the next crop of female athletes has it better.”—The Washington Post

“Good for a Girl is in part a memoir of Fleshman’s failures and successes, but it’s also a call to action for the coaches, parents, and young women of future athletic generations. Fleshman argues convincingly that it’s essential for the sports world to disentangle physical suffering from self-worth. In 288 funny, honest, and sometimes-wrenching pages, she makes clear that empowering girls to better understand the need for balance between pain and elite performance is not only the ethical thing to do—it’s essential to their health and career longevity.”—The Atlantic

“Part memoir, part critique of a sports system built around a man’s body, Fleshman offers a searingly candid look at her own victimhood and complicity, interlaced with compelling data and concrete ideas on how we can change this environment . . . Fleshman is an undeniably masterful storyteller, owning her own complicity in the system while holding others accountable, in a loving and nuanced way.”—Women’s Running

So. Dang. Good!! A true gift from Lauren Fleshman.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. I was blown away as I saw the struggle I faced as an adolescent female athlete in a whole new way. I marveled at Lauren’s story, strength and commitment to shining light on both youth and adult female athletics. If you are a coach, a parent of an athlete or an athlete yourself, go get this one!

Phenomenal

Brilliantly written and narrated. Fantastic book for runners of all types, women of all types, and humans of all types. Incredibly authentic, relatable, and eye-opening. Highly recommend.

Important listen

Steady, deliberate, and engaging narration from the author. Important topics for anyone coaching, parenting, or supporting women and girls in any sport - not just running.

Amazing story

The story gives a unique perspective into the lives of women who pursue athletics. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone.

I thought I knew a lot

Reading Lauren’s brave and honest account of what it looks like for girls and women on the inside. As a mom, to 2 athletes, Im simultaneously grateful and angry. Thank you!

Important for all women and trans athletes

Incredibly well researched and brave. Thank you Lauren for your strength and balls. Will be listening to this book again and again.

Amazing story that’s empowering for women athletes

Absolutely adored this memoir. As a female athlete, it resonated so deeply with me and my teammates. Thank you for sharing your experiences!

A Personal Story with Scientific Data to back it up. Love it!

Good For a Girl was an interesting memoir by professional runner Lauren Fleshman. She intertwines her personal story with scientific data and studies that she was able to retrospectively connect was at play in the background of her life. She draws attention to how, while women have been allowed in sports for over a generation now, its rules, practices, and playout are all still geared towards men’s bodies. What has resulted is a culture of women being held to body standards that are not only realistic, but also makes these women susceptible to body hatred, often pressured (whether overtly or subconsciously ) to achieve a specific “goal weight” that is only realistically absorbable by way of developing an eating disorders. Moreover, these eating disorders disproportionately affects women over men, but with little overhead consequence: Fleshman noted multiple times that when the NCAA was faced with evidence that concussions were adversely affecting men, they not only conducted their own research, they also came out with sweeping policies within few years that are applied across all sports. However, when it comes to eating disorders, which affects mostly women, the NCAA guideline is that coaches can address eating disorders—or not— and there will be no repercussions either way.
Fleshman’s account is biting and revelatory, while being told with a lot of heart. An excellent read and I highly recommend this fuck for any one who knows anyone in sports, especially the women.

Thank you

Every coach should read this. A release of trauma I hadn’t realized I still harbored. Thank you Lauren.

Flew through this. Important and inspiring!

An opening into a world we don’t often see or hear about. So crucial. Very well done.