1001 Things Every Teen Should Know Before They Leave Home: (Or Else They'll Come Back) (Paperback)

by Harry H. Harrison Jr. (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Adult teens think they're ready to live on their own, but are they?
Will they know how to pick a good room mate? Buy a car? Create a budget and actually live on one? From changing the oil to applying for jobs, best-selling author Harry H. Harrison, Jr. has compiled the definitive book for preparing your teen to live on their own. Or else they might come back!

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; 1 edition (March 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1404104321
• ISBN-13: 978-1404104327
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 4.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #309,993 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Useful, but with an Agenda, September 2, 2007

By	Christopher Wood "Filmmaker and Avid Reader" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I got this as a senior in college, to teach myself some valuable nuances of adult life. What I got was little bite-sized bits of information and advice (with little to no explanation as to how to accomplish what is being advised), as well as something a little more repulsive. The author includes advice tinged with religious conservatism (496: "They should know that an abortion will haunt both parents for the rest of their lives" and 520:"They should know the most intimate act a couple can do together is pray together.") and rabid Pro-Americanism ( 115: "They should know what Marxism is, and why a Marxist candidate for dogcatcher is not a good idea."). This says to me, "Let's teach our children to fear God and automatically reject anything that goes against our American Status-Quo." As an atheist and free-thinker, this is not the sort of blind advice I would like passed down to my children, the kind of advice that turns us into complacent zombies without the ability to question or think for themselves. However, there are some decent nuggets of advice for young people that could save a lot of time, money, and embarrassment down the road, and any bit of advice a parent doesn't agree with can be safely ignored.

I would think this book a useful tool for parents raising pre-teen children and for young adults who want to lead an independent life. If anything, it helps one to find oneself as a parent.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars very disappointed in pro-god preachiness, January 17, 2009

By	Brad773 (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

I bought this book for my teenage daughter at the Bed-Bath-&-Beyond checkout counter. I didn't think about it too much until she started browsing it and asking me questions like "What does it mean to invite God into the bedroom"? I did a double-take, and asked her to show me what she was reading:

#476: They should know that if they can't invite God into the bedroom, then it's no place for them either.

#520: They should know the most intimate act a couple can do together is pray together.

#521: They should know that once they get married, God has an interest in seeing them stay married.

etc.

Anyway, we had a constructive little talk about all of this, and our joint conclusion was that this is a pretty superficial book, without a lot of practical substance or relevance on the very deepest & most important topics. (Unless of course, you're an extremely faith-based parent or teenager.)

I thought for a second that perhaps this was a new reprint from a 1940's or so original, but in fact the copyright is 2007. There is no indication on the back-cover blurb that Harry's idea of "help[ing] parents understand exactly what every teen needs to know to survive in the adult world" is to reinforce the primacy of God / prayer / faith.

I would certainly not recommend this book to anyone.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creative and Fun!, June 12, 2007

By	Nicole Smith (Suwanee, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

1001 Things... is a creative and fun way to prepare teens for life after they leave home. As a mother of a teenage boy, I appreciated the tips.

Submitted by Nicole Smith, Author: Box of Chocolates - Box of Chocolates