All the Gold Stars

February 20, 2023
In this mixed outing, journalist Stauffer (An Ordinary Age) examines the roots of ambition. A lifelong overachiever who sought good grades, gold stars, and praise from bosses, Stauffer burned out in her late 20s, she writes, leading her to reassess her ambition and its consequences. Productivity culture, she explains, begins as early as elementary school, when grades and standardized tests teach students their worth is found in external achievements, and children learn that good grades lead to good jobs and good lives, establishing a false link between accomplishments and economic safety. Meanwhile, in the adult world, “hustler” culture is glamorized, but it can lead to overwork and deepen inequality, as not everybody “is racing from the same starting line.” The author calls for a wholesale reimagining of ambition: rather than adopting a go-it-alone attitude, readers should assign greater value to relationships and friendships, as true success can’t be achieved solo. Stauffer is most convincing when she explores the intersection of ambition and injustice, as when she trenchantly critiques the ways student loans and academic tracking systems such as Advanced Placement classes reinforce racial inequalities—though she offers few concrete suggestions for systemic change. Stauffer takes on a fascinating social question, even if the answers remain elusive.

Starred review from March 1, 2023

Ambition: the cultural double-edged sword that has been baked into us since the very first gold-star sticker in childhood, deeply rooted in colonialism, capitalism, and ableism. Both praised and punished, gate-kept and judged, people strive to meet its requirements while battling burnout, at the cost of their mental health, and even when they know that in the end, it won't love them back. Stauffer, Teen Vogue "Work in Progress" columnist and author of An Ordinary Age, explores the abstract concept of ambition and its sometimes depressing concrete effects on society and people's lives. Drawing on literary, scientific, and anecdotal sources, this title is breathtakingly comprehensive and contains a lovely core of human empathy and gentle curiosity. Topics like race and gender discrimination are not ignored, and unlike so many other self-help books, this one avoids the pitfall of speaking only to the white, middle-class experience. VERDICT Well-paired with other contemplative titles such as Katherine May's Wintering and Casper ter Kuile's The Power of Ritual, and an intriguing counterpoint to popular productivity-focused self-help titles such as James Clear's Atomic Habits and Cal Newport's Digital Minimalism. An excellent, thoughtful, non-prescriptive treatise on a complicated idea.--Chrystopher Lytal

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