Field Guide to the American Teenager, a book by veteran Bay Area teachers and counselors Mike Riera and Joe DiPrisco, offers a user's manual to the teenager's mind.
The book draws back the curtain on daily teen life to reveal youths less sure of themselves and more in need of guidance than their behavior might lead adults to believe.
Subjects run the gamut of the often emotionally confusing teenage life, including such factors as divorce, drugs, date rape, integrity, motivation and difficult decisions. In each experience, the authors point out the developmental issues at play, and the deeper levels of significance and meaning for adolescents.
The book allows adults to break the code of the signals that teens are sending them, bewildering as they may seem. "Adolescence can be more than just a difficult phase to get through," note the authors. "It can be a rewarding time for teens and the adults who love them."
The cost of the book is $25. For more information, contact Perseus Publishing, (617) 252-5215, or visit the Web site[www.perseuspublishing.com].
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