People Pay to Be a Part of This?

Today's review is of the nonfiction tome titled Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities, by Alexandra Robbins.

To be honest, I didn't fully read this one. I read the first third, then skimmed (exactly as the student who loaned me the book told me she had done).

Interesting? Yes, to a point. I wanted to scream at the featured girls for not seizing control of their lives the way they claimed to want to. I wanted a more fluid writing style. Mostly, I wanted to cry at learning the following:

75% of college women who develop eating disorders are members of sororities.
date and gang rape by fraternities to sororities is so common that it's expected.

certain sorority houses have required replacement pipes due to damages caused by the stomach acid of so many purgers living together.

the charity "work" that most sororities do consists only of fund-raiser parties, not actual in-kind donations or volunteerism.

minorities are "token" members.

strict dress codes exist, as do codes of behavior, conversation topics, and hair styles.

There's more, but why bother, right? I hope that there's a good side to sorority life, but I haven't seen it yet. My own university had a minor Greek presence; peripheral at best, so I'm not well-acquainted with the concept and read/skimmed this book to learn.

Bottom line: I'm not impressed by the information, or the manner in which it was delivered.