"In this thorough and well-written book, the authors present intriguing, earnest stories and conversations from teenagers followed by interpretation from the authors--no-nonsense comments, keen analysis, and practical recommendaions for parents. The book addresses key issues such as date rape, homesexuality, race, divorce, motivation, and integrity." "...spectacular collaboration..." "Field Guide is a treasure-trove of meaningful advice for parents with teenagers. It gains us the kind of insight on behavior that will lead to real understanding and improved relationships with all the teens in our lives." "This book provides valuable information and thoughtful insights into the way adolescents think, speak and act. In an eminently readable and original format, the authors‹using the actual voices of young people‹help bewildered parents of teenagers better understand and empathize with their sons and daughters." "At last! Instead of TELLING parents how to deal with their teenager, a book that helps them UNDERSTAND what they're going through. It makes the art of parenting significantly smoother...and will enable your teen to get through those years with support and guidance." "I don't know anyone who understands teenagers or who can explain them to parents as well as Joe DiPrisco and Mike Riera. Every parent of a teenager should own this book. It bridges the gap between parents and teenagers in a clear, readable style full of insight, professional experience and good sense." "We are all sure that we would never forget our own teenage experiences. The first reminder of how short term our memory can be is when we begin to deal with our own teenage children. They seem so different and so difficult. Where can we turn for guidance? Field Guide to the American Teenager is as down to earth as it can get. Filled with useful anecdotes and examples that will sound familiar to all parents, the guide draws from the vast and practical experiences of the authors who seem to really understand what's going on in the mind of your child. It offers real solutions and insights into the full range of pitfalls you'll likely encounter...from drinking to divorce and depression. A highly recommended resource to be consulted again and again."
"I wish I'd had Field Guide to the American Teenager when my kid was a teen... how could I have made such stupid mistakes! DiPrisco and Riera provide insight and stories, backed by experience and research, for navigating teen communication, behavior, issues driving the behavior and how to figure the most supportive and appropriate adult responses. This practical guide takes us on an engaging field trip, examining issues like identity, self-esteem, the balance between responsibility and freedom, and delving into the likely modern teen experience with death, love, drugs, loyalty, race, homosexuality and divorce. I couldn't put it down." Few parents know how to think about, much less authentically engage with, their teenage children. In this field guide, DiPrisco and Riera illuminate effective ways for parents to understand and connect with their adolescent children. Parents and schools, alike, are indebted to the authors for this welcome roadmap to a communications oasis, through what is often a relational desert for parents and their teenagers. "If you've ever wished you could read your teenager's mind, you've finally got help. This book is guaranteed to get you and your teenager communicating as you neve have before." "These narratives suck you right in; the common-sense advice keeps you grounded; and the analysis keeps you fascinated." Becoming a teenager is nothing less than waking up one day with a revised consciousness in an altered body," wisely state the authors in this resource geared to assist the often bewildered and perplexed adult working with or raising a teen. Equally, teens can appreciate the frustration shared by peers as they attempt to deal with adults during this time of enormous physical, emotional, and psychological changes. With a "Doctor Spock" approach, the book discusses in separate chapters seventeen teen-related topics, including drinking and driving, date rape, drugs, race relations, eating disorders, divorce, being gay, making decisions, love relationships, depression, and death. Each chapter is divided into three elements: Narrative, Conversation, and Notes Home. Narrative recounts milestones and experiences that teens commonly face, whether precarious or ambitious. Conversation‹a dialogue between teens or a teen and an adult‹dramatizes a situation with ideas for guidance and mentoring. Notes Home clarifies and provides further topical insight while offering counsel for improving communication with the teen. Four appendixes are broken down chronologically into developmental years from fourteen to eighteen and highlight what one should expect from teens at a particular age. Freshmen experience the "Where Am I?" period, feeling lost at school, worrying about lunch and what to wear, and anxiously trying to adjust to new educational expectations. The sophomore "Who Am I?" stage finds teens associating freedom with getting their driver's licenses, questioning authority everywhere, and beginning their "season of experimentation." Juniors, in their "What Are You Looking At?" cycle, can handleabstract thinking and intensified relationships, and begin to see their families more realistically. Seniors, in their "Where Am I Going & Where Have I Been?" finale, are at last adults, ready to face the world, and can conceive of adults as friends. A fount of information with a thorough bibliography of impressive sources, Field Guide valiantly shepherds the travelers through this developmental junket of bumps, ditches, and fender benders, trying to leave as few scratches as possible. Purchase for your parenting or professional collection for use in the trenches. |