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Everyone thinks they know why adolescents make poor choices, take risks, and generally go bonkers during the teen years (and even beyond). There are many preconceived notions about the teen brain, and Dr. Shatkin sets the story straight in a book that will help parents and caregivers learn the vocabulary needed to walk teens through a deeper understanding of their own developmental state. Taking the reader on a journey through science and medicine, Shatkin gently prods the viewer to take a broader look at why teens act the way they do. Not just inexperienced adults, teens haven't yet built the skills that will allow them to become level-headed decision makers in future. For example, Shatkin gives examples that demonstrate that it's not about teens failing to think about the consequences of their actions, it's that they think of far too many outcomes and therefore fall prey to choice overload, which leads to fatigue. An accessible and compelling look at a frequently misunderstood developmental stage that will provoke talk around the family dinner table.--Howerton, Erin Downey Copyright 2017 Booklist

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Adolescent psychiatrist Shatkin (child psychiatry & pediatrics, New York Univ. Sch. of Medicine) argues that our -understanding of teen risk-taking -behavior is completely wrong, having resulted in programs that simply don't work (think D.A.R.E.). Essentially, according to the author, we are fighting evolution, which has selected adolescents, whose brains and hormones all scream and encourage risk at every turn, to embrace a certain amount of danger in life. All is not lost, however, because teens do respond to positivity and immediate rewards. In other words, Shatkin suggests that instead of saying, "If you don't study hard, you won't get into a good college," try, "Study hard in school so that you can apply to any college you like." The author makes a strong case for not only understanding a teen's "natural state" but also for intervening in situations in which mental illness or instability are at play, advocating for increased mental health services in schools. For example, one reason anxiety and depression skyrocket during adolescence is the "relative hyperactivity of the amygdala, which induces fear, and the relative passivity of the prefrontral cortex, which exerts emotional control." Shatkin's readable style, complete research, and useful case studies all combine cohesively to help parents sort out what's normal, what's a stage, and what's cause for greater concern. VERDICT Recommended for both public and academic collections. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.