Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)more than any other single book i have read in the past decade, this book has rocked my thinking about youth and youth ministry. epstein's contention -- extremely well documented -- that we "infantilize" teenagers, keeping them in a protracted form of childhood, resonated with me (not that it sits easily, though, or is simple in any way). he claims (and, again, documents) that adolescence as we know it in the states (and, increasingly, in cultures impacted by american adolescent culture and the systems that exist to perpetuate it), does not exist in many, if not most, cultures around the world. we have invented it, and we are lengthening it, keeping teenagers (and now young adults) from living into the adult world that most of them possess the competencies for. the stereotypical brooding, emotionally-volatile, irresponsible, short-sighted teenager is a creation of our own invention. this book will call for a longer post or two from me, i think, than i have space for here. but i'll say this: if i've ever said another book was a must-read for parents and youth workers, ignore that, until you have read this book. i'm already thinking, almost daily, about the implications for my own home (with two teenagers), my small group of 7th grade guys, and the many arenas i have for speaking to and (occasionally) influencing the thinking and practice of youth workers.
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National Indie Excellence Awards, first prize in the Parenting and Family category
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