Customer Reviews

Teenagers: A Natural History

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David Bainbridge has written a very readable and informative text on that time period known as adolescence. As a veterinarian, scientist, and human being - he gives a clear and sensible viewpoint of why adolescents are - well - adolescents.
The writing does get quite technical, but Bainbridge seems to understand when his readers are baffled and gives clear explanations so that we continue to follow his theme.
He divides the book into five areas of study about teenagers - all of which focus on the whys and hows of the human condition. I have found this an excellent text for background information for teaching education grad students why adolescents should be tolerated. Bainbridge helps us to understand the motivations of the average teenager and gives an evolutionary basis for some of the things many adults consider to be just adolescent angst.
What's refreshing is that he does not come down positively on the causes of teenager behavior - but offers a variety of reasons emphasizing those which are more likely to be true. He makes no assumptions or declarations without giving us specific background research and knowledge.
An excellent book recommended for anyone in the field of education who deals with teenagers, and for parents who want to know how their teen works.

I found Bainbridge's book on teenagers to be a fun and funny read on the social, cultural, and biological uses for the teenager. While the book itself is a little jumpy, as it's designed to give you the "grand tour" rather than explain the science in rigorous detail, there's a very comprehensive list of articles in the back for anybody who wants to do more digging.

Weaknesses? Too much about evolutionary theories, not enough consideration of how scientific functions have changed with respect to historical and sociological, and even methodological contexts. Some argue that the "teenager," as a social concept, didn't really come into play until the 20th century, along with the development of public high schools. This development, along with developments in the academic fields of psychology, evolution, etc. seem crucial in our understanding of "teenagers" and the paradigms that guide contemporary scientific inquiry.