Adolescent Health titles ...

GOODNIGHT MIND FOR TEENS by Colleen E. Carney is part of the New Harbinger Instant Help   Books imprint. Carey, a professor and researcher,  writes here specifically to teens. She notes that their sleep problems are distinct from others’ and offers “solutions that use sleep science and consider the unique biology and life demands of young adults.” Her tone is generally non-judgmental and soothing throughout; she encourages teens to take an approach of “tracking your sleep, learning about your sleep, coming up with a plan for a change, and checking whether you are satisfied with the results of your plan.” Her focus seems to be on individual goal setting – plus, readers are welcome to create an account and view related accessories. The text itself is organized so that each chapter centers around a tip (e.g., establishing a wind down routine or making a plan for getting out of bed in the morning) and that should help teens to break up their approach in a manageable (and hopefully successful!) manner. Carney assists in this by providing a well-organized summary and plan for the week at the end of each chapter. As she says, “this book focuses on creating an environment for change rather than inflexibly dictating standards for sleep behaviors.” GOODNIGHT MIND FOR TEENS may be a good starting point for some students, although others may find her advice (references to substance abuse, for example) to be too simplistic.  In any case, sleep is an important topic in our health classes and students could benefit from exploring Carney’s efforts to build “Skills to Help You Quiet Noisy Thoughts and Get the Sleep You Need.” The book could use more illustrations – maybe a fun class assignment would be to create those more memorable messages?

THE NEW ADOLESCENCE by Christine Carter is subtitled “Raising Happy and Successful Teens in an Age of Anxiety and Distraction.” It seems even more relevant in these days of COVID as we try to navigate uncertainty and more “together” time than usual. Carter knows what she is talking about due to her training as a sociologist, her role as a senior fellow at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, and her practical experience as a Mom of four teenagers. The book is certainly geared towards parents and while it refers to numerous scientific findings, it is written in an accessible manner with bold type throughout for key ideas. I do think that teens may be put off a bit by some of the suggestions (no phone, tablet or computer in your bed does not seem reasonable in times of remote learning) and also with some of the language (e.g., her driving and technology contracts start out “Dear Sweet Child of Ours”). However, the statistics to which she points are certainly significant ones and worthy of discussion. The book itself is divided into three parts, with the first providing a Foundation which provides background and discusses helping teens to set up good systems and supporting them when they miss the mark. In the second section, she discussions Three Core Skills for the Digital Age (i.e., connection, focus (“a twenty-first-century superpower”), and rest. Part three covers talking points for the new sex talk, drinking and drugs, and money.  The conclusion provides a useful summary about parenting strategies and tactics to support reconnection for tweens, teens, and college students. There is about twenty pages of source notes and an index. To me, this work further highlights a need for educators to be thinking about how to help teens find meaning and connect, especially if traditional options (like Fall sports or other extra-curricular activities) are limited due to COVID. 

DECODING BOYS by Cara Natterson describes the “New Science Behind the Subtle Art of Raising Sons.” A pediatrician, Natterson shares a great deal of medical information, particularly about brain development and effects of testosterone hormone. An entire chapter discusses how puberty for boys is beginning earlier, too, at roughly 9 or 10. Another section is titled, “When They Look Like Adults, But Don’t Think Like Them.” That one begins humorously with stories involving her own children, but carries some serious messages as do subsequent sections on pornography, consent, addiction, and aggression. This is uncomfortable reading at times, but Natterson’s emphasis on listening and communication would be echoed by Lisa Damour, author of Untangled and Under Pressure as well as a recent FAN speaker, who says, “If you're raising a boy, you need this brilliant book.”  The text concludes with an objective, alphabetical (acne, body odor, etc.) list of body changes that occur as well as “a relatively brief explanation of the behind-the-scenes biology.” Overall, a useful resource with a science slant.

 

You're about to Make a Terrible Mistake by Olivier Sibony

YOU'RE ABOUT TO MAKE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE by Olivier Sibony focuses on biases in business decisions and strives to address business leaders’ growing acknowledgment of the need to address this issue. In part one of his text, Sibony argues that we are predictably irrational and outlines “nine decision traps into which our biases drive us.” In the second part, he states that collaboration and process are essential to help organizations “produce choices that are less biased and more rational than our individual decisions would be.” And, in the third section, Sibony explores a leader’s role as a “design architect” and offers over three dozen practical techniques to consider applying. A key idea: give some thought to deciding how you will decide. 

Sibony’s writing is actually quite entertaining and even humorous at points.  After all, he has so many failed strategic decisions from which to draw! There is also plenty of critical thinking to take into consideration – one pattern is the “storytelling trap” where executives may believe that are checking the facts, but are actually seeking to confirm (instead of disprove) a story presented to them. In other cases, psychology students will be interested in examples of terms like “halo effect,” a “anchoring,” or “risk perception.” Each of the nine decision traps is explained in a chapter with case studies and then summarized in a “thirty second” one or two page overview.  

YOU'RE ABOUT TO MAKE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE is recommended by authors of business and psychology works such as Thinking, Fast and Slow, Grit, and Loonshots; consider pairing it with one of those (by Kahneman, Duckworth, and Bahcall, respectively) or with another leadership text -- maybe What’s Your Problem? by Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg.

College Admission Essentials by Ethan Sawyer

COLLEGE ADMISSION ESSENTIALS by Ethan Sawyer does an excellent job of providing its promised “Step-by-Step Guide to Showing Colleges Who You Are and What Matters to You.” Sawyer encourages learning by doing; he begins with a chapter focused on Essence Objects, Values, and Core Memories Exercises. I was struck by his conversational voice and students will likely appreciate the “you can do this - let’s get to work tone” tone. Throughout the book Sawyer refers to the Treasure Trove of resources on his website which is indeed full of valuable information. In addition, he provides student samples in the book and often defers to another college admissions or counseling expert such as when discussing financial aid, completing the FAFSA, and analyzing award letters. The information in this text is well-organized, with specific chapters on topics like Early Decision and Early Action, Artists and Athletes, First Generation and Low Income students (see his Matchlighters mentoring program), LGBTQ+ students, Transfers and Veterans, plus an appendix with a detailed College Planning Timeline, beginning in 9th grade.

Obviously, this book was written prior to the pandemic’s impact with its shifts towards remote learning, fewer opportunities for traditional extracurricular activities, and restrictions on college visits. However, Sawyer does encourage students to find their passion and that clearly parallels the Making Caring Common Project where in June 2020 College Deans offered suggestions on admissions in response to COVID-19.  Overall, Sawyer understands students, speaks to them effectively, and truly seems to be concerned about them, as when he writes, “I told you at the start of this book my goal was to make this process easier, more fun, and more meaningful. I hope I’ve done that. I also hope this book has helped you discover more about who you are and what you care about.” COLLEGE ADMISSION ESSENTIALS is an exceptionally useful tool that I encourage all of our students to investigate.