Field Guide To The American Teenager: A Parent's Companion [Paperback]

Michael Riera (Author), Joseph Diprisco (Author), Ph.D. Michael Riera (Author), Ph.D. Joseph Di Prisco (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 7, 2001

Addressing the isolation, fear, and silence parents endure during their child's adolescence, authors Michael Riera and Joseph Di Prisco get beyond the stereotypes to expertly guide parents to a better appreciation of their teenager's frustrating if not completely troubling behavior.Through stories and conversations, Field Guide to the American Teenager dramatizes teens living their lives on their own terms, illuminating for bewildered and sometimes beleaguered parents what is extraordinary in the ordinary reality of everyday teenage life. Complete with suggestions for parents to improve communication, Field Guide lets parents stand briefly in their teenager's shoes, ultimately guiding families toward genuine mutual respect and understanding.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

While the Field Guide to the American Teenager offers titular hope of guidance for the parents of teens, a more accurate title would be "Field Observations of the American Teenager." Authors and educators Michael Riera and Joseph DiPrisco, both Ph.D.s, present insights into many issues that are commonly confronted by teens today: drug use, weapons at school, homosexuality, romance, eating disorders, and race relations, to name a few. But rather than confronting the issues with a laundry list of do's and don'ts, the authors try to help readers understand what teens are thinking and why they act as they do. A discussion of date rape, for instance, doesn't offer any specifics on how to help teens avoid this situation; instead, it looks at why teens choose to engage in the kind of risk-taking behavior that might lead to date rape. "What is frightening about adolescence," they write, "is how close to the margins of irreparable damage and loss teenagers routinely place themselves, how close they come to the shore of no return." These types of observations aren't necessarily reassuring to parents who may be looking for a pat formula to help them navigate the teen years. Many chapters, with titles like "Drinking and Driving" or "Race and Adolescence," have little to do with the named topics. Instead, the authors use such topics as jumping-off points for discussions of underlying issues like trust, communication, self-esteem, integrity, friendship, ambiguity, peer pressure, and responsibility.

Any parent who has raised a teen knows that there is no one formula for success. Field Guide will help parents better understand their teens--but it leaves the hard work of finding parenting strategies that fit a particular teen firmly in the hands of the parent. --Virginia Smyth --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Seasoned educators Riera and Di Prisco cover many of the heavy-hitting topics that teens face, including drinking and driving, sexual issues, eating disorders, decision-making, violence and drugs. In fact, as the authors recognize, these issues "come with the territory of adolescence." It's not easy being a teenAor the parent of a teen. Riera and Di Prisco use an unusual format to present each issue, employing extended anecdotes and simulated conversations to illustrate each teen dilemma. This method is unique, but it may frustrate parents searching for easy answers; the truth is there are no pat answers when it comes to teens, for "every teenager is happy and moody and tense and confused in different ways." Still readers will find intelligent observations about teens; the authors have a solid grasp on what makes adolescents tick. The issue-oriented organization of the text is helpful, though each chapter's attention to the details of a particular teen's problem may leave some readers wishing that more time was spent on a general analysis of the problems all teens confront. The appendixes, which break down teen behavior into developmental characteristics, are particularly useful. The authors' over-riding themesAthat parents should influence, not control their teen's life; that teens need to be trusted, guided, and lovedAare invaluable for parents facing this challenging time in their child's life. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (August 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738205192
• ISBN-13: 978-0738205199
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,041,780 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful information for parents and educators, April 19, 2001

By 

David E. Levine (Peekskill , NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Field Guide to the American Teenager: A Parent's Companion (Hardcover)

I like the style in which this book is written. Each chapter is self contained, i.e., you don't have to read earlier chapters for any other chapter to be useful. Thus, the book need not be read cover to cover if certain topics are not of interest to you. Each chapter deals with a specific topic such as drinking and driving, motivation, taking responsibility, date rape, eating disorders, etc. Each chapter starts of with a realistic scenario in which a problem dealt with by the chapter is set forth. Then, the authors discuss the general subject matter of the chapter in analytical terms. Finally, the discussion returns to the scenario and how the problems can best be dealt with and resolved.

The scenarios include dialogues between a teen and friends, teachers, parents or others who would play a role in the situation set forth. The authors later analyze how well the subjects of the dialogues handled the situations in the scenario. The book is very readible and the advice is genarally good, albeit not always in the greatest depth. As a parent and a school board of education member, I find the book useful and recommend it.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In Appreciation of FIELD GUIDE TO THE AMERICAN TEENAGER, November 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Field Guide to the American Teenager: A Parent's Companion (Hardcover)

As the subtitle indicates, FIELD GUIDE TO THE AMERICAN TEENAGER is all about Appreciating the Teenager You Live With. That's a big concept: Appreciating the kid (not always an easy thing to do when you feel like you're at your wits end). Not dictating behavior or choosing career paths or keeping your kid from harm's way -- as if any of that were even possible by the time s/he's a teenager.

Riera and DiPrisco make it clear that there is no way to 'follow-the-dots' and come up with pat answers to the difficult subjects they tackle. Instead, this beautifully written book presents teens in their natural habitats. Real situations are depicted -- ones that anyone can identify with -- but rather than attempting to proscribe behavior, Riera and DiPrisco discuss each topic and scenario in an insightful section called Notes Home that will surely help parents bring a new slant to their thinking. It definitely opened my mind to new approaches.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with a teen -- or a soon-to-be teen. You won't be disappointed.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These guys have done thier homework BINGO, October 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Field Guide to the American Teenager: A Parent's Companion (Hardcover)

I work with teenagers and so it is extremely exciting for me when I find a book or people whose dedication, intelligence and true understanding of teens is obvious. I am very excited about this book ,as I am about allof Mike Riera's works.I don't know his co-authors work as well but what I have read here is very impressive. This book is important for parents and for teens because it is time we start listening to those who not only understand this transitional period of life but respect it. These authors do both and as a bonus they make it very easy and clear for us to understand as well. I really can't say enough about how exciting it is for me that there are books like these available for parents of teens. I am a parent of a 15 year old. I don't know what the future holds for us and would never pretend to think I got it all figured out. Far from the truth. BUT< I do have great amazing moments with my son and he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is respected and trusted. He has yet to betray that. It is an awesome feeling. Get the book. The respect they have for teens is contagious.