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jamz02's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Jensen does an exceptional job exploring a variety of topics extremely relevant to adolescents in today's society. With each topic, they provide extensive albeit easy to digest research and testimonials that solidify the readers grasp of the content. A super engaging read!
audacityspork's review against another edition
2.25
A bit basic? I’m a therapist. I don't remember what I learned from this book. I also don't trust the way it talks about drug use.
b00kieboo's review against another edition
4.0
Great read for anyone with teenagers. Basically their brains handle so much (emotions, stressors, alcohol, drugs, experiences, concussions) differently than adults! Really good to understand these highly emotional, smart yet sometimes scatter brained teens we live with now. This gives me more empathy for my teenagers while also reinforcing my opinion that drug use including alcohol is a very bad idea for teen brains to be exposed to. Would recommend to all parents of teens and even teens themselves to better understand how their brains function during these vitals years.
fiesty_sympathy's review against another edition
3.0
This was a book I read, I am unsure the amount of regret I feel. The book was aimed at parents but was surprisingly insightful, it taught me that I don't like neurology and that authors need to fact check books accurately. Their were a couple outright lies for one the author claimed that smoking joints of pot regularly leads to schizophrenia, I googled it, it is actually advanced paternal age at time of birth and genetics. It is true that those who are schizophrenics are more likely to have smoked pot in there youth but in actuality that is more likely used as a pre diagnosis coping strategy than a cause for the condition. Regardless I am still glad I read it, the book explored the neurology of addiction and how teenagers are SOOOO much more susceptible to it. Due to the book being written in 2015 it didn't acknowledge the topics of mental health but the neurology of addiction can definitely be applied to contemporary applications.
lauraborkpower's review against another edition
3.0
Jensen's book is a fascinating and oddly suspenseful look at the biology of the teenage brain. It answers questions like, "Why did my smart teenage son/daughter/niece do such a dumb thing?" and "Why, when I was a teenager, did I think that was a totally fine idea?"
I'd recommend this for everyone who has a kid of any age and for everyone who spends a lot of time with adolescents (specifically: teachers). I hope to have more patience with my students (especially my male students, whose brains take longer to cook) when they act like dummies.
It's also a good book for anyone who might be thinking about having kids; those kids will grow up to be teenagers, and this is definitely material to prepare you for how you can react when your kid acts like an idiot. Because it's going to happen.
Finally, it's a must read for anyone who has decided to not have kids, because it will absolutely, positively solidify your decision. Teenagers are scary as shit.
The science is specific enough to answer questions, but accessible enough to still be considered 'popular science.' Jensen is a reliable writer because of her credentials as a neuroscientist and as a mother of two boys who (apparently) have grown up to be successful young men.
A word of warning, though: the narrator, Tavia Gilbert, has a robotic narration style. Her delivery is stiff and automated, and some of her pronunciation is off (she puts a hard emphasis on "DI" in "diagnose" and this drove me crazy).
I'd recommend this for everyone who has a kid of any age and for everyone who spends a lot of time with adolescents (specifically: teachers). I hope to have more patience with my students (especially my male students, whose brains take longer to cook) when they act like dummies.
It's also a good book for anyone who might be thinking about having kids; those kids will grow up to be teenagers, and this is definitely material to prepare you for how you can react when your kid acts like an idiot. Because it's going to happen.
Finally, it's a must read for anyone who has decided to not have kids, because it will absolutely, positively solidify your decision. Teenagers are scary as shit.
The science is specific enough to answer questions, but accessible enough to still be considered 'popular science.' Jensen is a reliable writer because of her credentials as a neuroscientist and as a mother of two boys who (apparently) have grown up to be successful young men.
A word of warning, though: the narrator, Tavia Gilbert, has a robotic narration style. Her delivery is stiff and automated, and some of her pronunciation is off (she puts a hard emphasis on "DI" in "diagnose" and this drove me crazy).
jenmangler's review against another edition
2.0
I enjoyed and learned from the first third of the book.
effortlessly_uncool's review against another edition
Just not terribly helpful. "Distractions are problematic for teens." No shit! Same for grown ass adults! I looked through it and most of the book is some obvious shit.
bookph1le's review
5.0
Extremely interesting, but a bit repetitive at times. More complete review to come.
Full review:
For several years now, I've been aware of research showing that teenagers' brains are wired differently than adult brains. This research shows that teenagers don't process risk the same way adult brains do, and that teenagers' sleep cycles work differently. As a former teacher, I found this information important, a means of better understanding my students. As a parent I find it critical. Better understanding what's going on in my kids' heads will help me to respond in a more effective manner--and that's the crux of the matter, for me.
Despite this evidence, little has changed about the way we treat teenagers, to the detriment of everyone. Since teenagers are our future leaders, it's imperative that we use what we've learned about brain functioning to better provide the tools teenagers need to be successful. We have enormous respect for child development studies and use them to inform many of our views and policies, yet we ignore what we've learned about adolescent development. If you're a parent looking for a place to start, this book is an excellent resource.
My one real critique of this book is that it's repetitive at times, and the author tends to be more emphatic than is strictly necessary. The information she provides is eye-opening without needing to be repeated. It's also a pretty dense book. That was okay for me as I'm interested in the hard science behind studies. I wouldn't say the book is incomprehensible to a layperson like me, but I can see how it would be a bit thick if someone was just looking for some explanation and advice without wanting to dive into the complicated science of the brain.
That aside, this book is one that anyone who deals with teenagers would benefit from reading. If I can summarize in one sentence, it would be this: the actions of teenagers often seem so inexplicable to adults because they are--teenagers don't think the way adults do. Instead of blaming this on their hormones, we need to understand that it's due to the way their brains work, as Jensen points out. I don't mean to suggest that teenagers shouldn't be held accountable for their actions, and I didn't get the impression this is what Jensen is saying either, but it is important to understand that we tend to blame them for things that are physically beyond their control. How can you penalize someone for failing to assess risk when their brain function makes it extremely difficult for them to assess that risk? Punishing teenagers as we punish adults simply doesn't make sense because we're dealing with two distinctly different situations. Jensen doesn't get a lot into the law side of things, but she does point out that legal standards are different for people with mental impairments, yet teenagers, whose brains are different from adult brains, are expected to behave as a responsible and law-abiding adult would. It's not a realistic expectation.
Jensen also delves into the topic of sleep, something I think doesn't get nearly enough attention. Because of the changes adolescents undergo as they transition from childhood, their sleep cycles become vastly different from those of children or adults. This is why teenagers tend to stay up so late. The science behind it, Jensen explains, has to do with brain chemistry. Melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone, isn't released in a teenager's brain until two hours later than in an adult's brain, and it lasts longer, making it harder for teenagers to wake up.
I've long been interested in this research because, as a former high school teacher, I was a first-hand witness to how difficult it was for my students to stay awake during those early classes. I can't overstate the effect this has on education. The CDC recommends that teenagers get 8.5 to 9 hours of sleep a night, but they can't get to sleep until late. Then they're forced to rise sometime around 6 to prepare for the typical American school day. This means that American teens are suffering from chronic sleep deprivation. As Jensen says, only about 15 percent of teens get the amount of sleep they need each night. Sleep is essential to learning because the brain uses that time to strengthen memories and to organize them in order of emotional performance. Jensen cites experiments in Minnesota, where pushing the start time of the school day back by 70 minutes led to a statistically significant effect on grades. In Jessamine County, Kentucky, moving the start of the school day back by an hour improved attendance and standardized test scores. In this day and age, when we're so obsessed with student performance and test scores, altering the school day seems like a no-brainer (pun intended), and yet there continues to be stubborn resistance to the idea.
Especially scary for me, as a parents, were the sections in which Jensen delves into why risky sexual behaviors and the use of alcohol and drugs are particularly appealing and dangerous for teenagers. Again, it has to do with brain chemistry and the effects addictive substances have on a teenager's brain. Early use of alcohol and drugs has been linked with a quicker descent into addiction and life-long brain effects. Since a teenager's brain is wired in such a way that makes the effects of these substances stronger on them, their use of drugs and alcohol is far different from an adult's use. Jensen also cites studies that show that these substances may rewire a teenager's brain, permanently altering its pathways. Obviously it's not a good thing for a person of any age to become a substance abuser, but I think it's important for people to understand how much more pernicious the effects are on teenagers.
I would recommend this book to any parent because it will help you to become both more informed and better prepared to help your child through the struggles of the teenage years. Educators would definitely benefit from reading it as well, along with anyone who has regular contact with teenagers. I think Jensen has done a great thing by publishing this book. Hopefully, as more and more scientists speak out and raise public awareness, we'll start looking at adolescence as a distinct developmental age, just as we do with childhood.
Full review:
For several years now, I've been aware of research showing that teenagers' brains are wired differently than adult brains. This research shows that teenagers don't process risk the same way adult brains do, and that teenagers' sleep cycles work differently. As a former teacher, I found this information important, a means of better understanding my students. As a parent I find it critical. Better understanding what's going on in my kids' heads will help me to respond in a more effective manner--and that's the crux of the matter, for me.
Despite this evidence, little has changed about the way we treat teenagers, to the detriment of everyone. Since teenagers are our future leaders, it's imperative that we use what we've learned about brain functioning to better provide the tools teenagers need to be successful. We have enormous respect for child development studies and use them to inform many of our views and policies, yet we ignore what we've learned about adolescent development. If you're a parent looking for a place to start, this book is an excellent resource.
My one real critique of this book is that it's repetitive at times, and the author tends to be more emphatic than is strictly necessary. The information she provides is eye-opening without needing to be repeated. It's also a pretty dense book. That was okay for me as I'm interested in the hard science behind studies. I wouldn't say the book is incomprehensible to a layperson like me, but I can see how it would be a bit thick if someone was just looking for some explanation and advice without wanting to dive into the complicated science of the brain.
That aside, this book is one that anyone who deals with teenagers would benefit from reading. If I can summarize in one sentence, it would be this: the actions of teenagers often seem so inexplicable to adults because they are--teenagers don't think the way adults do. Instead of blaming this on their hormones, we need to understand that it's due to the way their brains work, as Jensen points out. I don't mean to suggest that teenagers shouldn't be held accountable for their actions, and I didn't get the impression this is what Jensen is saying either, but it is important to understand that we tend to blame them for things that are physically beyond their control. How can you penalize someone for failing to assess risk when their brain function makes it extremely difficult for them to assess that risk? Punishing teenagers as we punish adults simply doesn't make sense because we're dealing with two distinctly different situations. Jensen doesn't get a lot into the law side of things, but she does point out that legal standards are different for people with mental impairments, yet teenagers, whose brains are different from adult brains, are expected to behave as a responsible and law-abiding adult would. It's not a realistic expectation.
Jensen also delves into the topic of sleep, something I think doesn't get nearly enough attention. Because of the changes adolescents undergo as they transition from childhood, their sleep cycles become vastly different from those of children or adults. This is why teenagers tend to stay up so late. The science behind it, Jensen explains, has to do with brain chemistry. Melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone, isn't released in a teenager's brain until two hours later than in an adult's brain, and it lasts longer, making it harder for teenagers to wake up.
I've long been interested in this research because, as a former high school teacher, I was a first-hand witness to how difficult it was for my students to stay awake during those early classes. I can't overstate the effect this has on education. The CDC recommends that teenagers get 8.5 to 9 hours of sleep a night, but they can't get to sleep until late. Then they're forced to rise sometime around 6 to prepare for the typical American school day. This means that American teens are suffering from chronic sleep deprivation. As Jensen says, only about 15 percent of teens get the amount of sleep they need each night. Sleep is essential to learning because the brain uses that time to strengthen memories and to organize them in order of emotional performance. Jensen cites experiments in Minnesota, where pushing the start time of the school day back by 70 minutes led to a statistically significant effect on grades. In Jessamine County, Kentucky, moving the start of the school day back by an hour improved attendance and standardized test scores. In this day and age, when we're so obsessed with student performance and test scores, altering the school day seems like a no-brainer (pun intended), and yet there continues to be stubborn resistance to the idea.
Especially scary for me, as a parents, were the sections in which Jensen delves into why risky sexual behaviors and the use of alcohol and drugs are particularly appealing and dangerous for teenagers. Again, it has to do with brain chemistry and the effects addictive substances have on a teenager's brain. Early use of alcohol and drugs has been linked with a quicker descent into addiction and life-long brain effects. Since a teenager's brain is wired in such a way that makes the effects of these substances stronger on them, their use of drugs and alcohol is far different from an adult's use. Jensen also cites studies that show that these substances may rewire a teenager's brain, permanently altering its pathways. Obviously it's not a good thing for a person of any age to become a substance abuser, but I think it's important for people to understand how much more pernicious the effects are on teenagers.
I would recommend this book to any parent because it will help you to become both more informed and better prepared to help your child through the struggles of the teenage years. Educators would definitely benefit from reading it as well, along with anyone who has regular contact with teenagers. I think Jensen has done a great thing by publishing this book. Hopefully, as more and more scientists speak out and raise public awareness, we'll start looking at adolescence as a distinct developmental age, just as we do with childhood.