The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager

In this thoughtful and eye-opening study -- chosen as the American School Board Journal 1999 Notable Book in Education -- journalist Thomas Hine paints a historic picture of the American teenager, showing how the questionable, difficult behavior we associate with this age is not only not inevitable, but the unfortunate result of society's tendency to dismiss adolescence as an irrelevant period between childhood and adulthood. He illustrates his point with fascinating examples of teenagers through the years -- from the spiritual trials of young Puritans and the vision quests of native Americans to the media-blitzed consumerism of today's youth. In a time when concern for America's troubled adolescents has reached a fever pitch, here is a groundbreaking appreciation of young people that not only challenges stereotypes but forces readers to reconsider the lives and abilities of those who represent our future.