Tripping the Prom Queen: The Truth About Women and Rivalry

A professor of critical thinking and gender studies presents a groundbreaking investigation into the dark secret of female friendship: rivalry.

Susan Shapiro Barash has exploded the myth that women help one another, are supportive of one another, and want each other to succeed. Based on interviews with women across a broad social spectrum, she has discovered that the competition between women is more vicious precisely because it is covert. She tells us:

• Why women can't and won't admit to rivalry. • How women are trained from an early age to compete with one another. • In which areas women most heatedly compete. • How rivalry is different among women than among men. • The differences between competition, envy, and jealousy. • When competition is healthy and when it isn't. • Why women find it irresistible to “trip the prom queen.” • Useful strategies to stop the competition and forge a new kind of relationship with other women.

Whether you've tripped the prom queen or been tripped yourself, you will discover an engrossing exploration of this female phenomenon, as well as a beacon of hope for better, more fulfilling relationships.

“Tripping the Prom Queen is a must read for women who want to reach their full individual potential and form strong relationships with friends, family, and work colleagues. Although it pulls no punches in the ways women can be their own worst enemies, it also shows a way out for any woman wanting to improve her sense of self and her experiences with others.” —Rosalind Wiseman, New York Times–bestselling author of Queen Bees and Wannabees

© 2025 St. Martin's Press (E-bog): 9781429901413

Release date

E-bog: 16. april 2025