Gilligan's book launched a cottage industry of teacher in-service seminars on the disadvantages (and the corresponding advantages provided to men) that American women experience in our educational system. Unfortunately, her study lacked any rigor that is associated with sound research. While the study provides face validity (conclusions that seem to make sense), there is no predictive value to the study and its conclusions. Further, Gilligan has changed her story from this being a quantitative study, to it really being a qualitative study, to, eventually, it being an anecdotal study. There may be large differences in the way our schools treat women. They may even be placed in a disadvantaged position, but there is no valid evidence presented here.
Gilligan has been unwilling to open her research up to the academic community, a violation of accepted academic practice. Therefore, this study is less of a proof than it is a lens by which to view, a priori, a feminist perspective on the disadvantages provided to American women. As such, it would be useful to feminist theory, but not to science and reason. It did provide a useful tool to get Kohlberg to reformulate his research to be more inclusive, so that was useful.
Hoff-Summers wrote a critique of Gilligan called The War Against Boys. Hoff-Summers' interest was first piqued by being a feminist with a son in public schools, and her experience of the way she saw girls being favored in classrooms at the expense of the boys. It is an interesting read, and while it may not draw all the correct conclusions, it does shine a fairly bright light on the weakness of Gilligan's methodology.

I actually am still reading this book because I am taking my time digesting it all. It's really giving me insight on how women's thoughts and opinions have been influenced from birth. It's helping me validate my own feelings and opinions.

The data upon which this author's bold thesis is based has never been made available for public review, peer review, or any other kind of review.
Perhaps she just made it all up ?

One of the most important books in the psychology of women -essential reading

I thought that I was going to be overwhelmed with feminist views when I first checked this book out of the library; I was rather turned off. But when I started to read, I was intrigued. It was interesting to see the contrast between the different genders.

Seeing the developmental process really helped me to grasp why our genders seem so different, although not so different. I enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it to anyone who wanted to understand the developmental process between women and men, even if they were not going into a specific educational field of development.

I think that is important for people to understand how the opposite sex thinks, and works. There are so many interesting details concerning development that Gilligan presents. What stands out most in the book is how females tend to lean more towards relationships, and males tend to lean more towards rules and discipline. These points are expressed throughout her book and I was amazed at how much I learned