Unhooked

In her second book, journalist Stepp (Our Last Best Shot) gets an inside perspective on the ""hookup,"" which has become the ""primary currency of social interaction"" between the sexes in high schools and colleges. Though it's clear where Stepp, mother of three, stands in regard to ""hooking up""-a no-strings-attached sex act that allows participants ""the freedom to unhook"" at any time-Stepp has a seasoned pro's ability to step back, examining carefully and sympathetically the ""cultural shift"" in its particulars, through the individual stories of interviewees, as well as in its broader cultural impact. Inspired by a series of articles she wrote on eighth-grade oral sex rings for The Washington Post in 1998 (""two years before the popularity of oral sex in middle schools percolated through the media""), Stepp avoids breathless sensationalism, preferring instead to explore the meaning of ""hooking up,"" its fallout, potential long-range consequences for women and men, and the factors that have allowed such a shift to take place-wisely asking, ""Where are young women's teachers?"" rather than ""What is wrong with these girls?"" Though it would have benefited from a winnowing of interviews, this insightful study is vivid and engaging, and includes a practical conversation guide for mothers and daughters, making it a valuable text for parents that goes beyond the latest the-kids-are-not-alright headlines.