Book Review: Have a New Teenager by Friday by Dr. Kevin Leman

Publisher: Revell
Publication Date: September 1, 2011

Book Synopsis as provided by the publisher: 

Do you know this person? He eats cereal out of a large mixing bowl. Her bedroom looks like a garbage dump . . . on a good day. If there were an Academy Award for eye-rolling, he'd win. She changes outfits three times before breakfast. Congratulations! You have a teenager in your home.

With his signature wit and commonsense psychology, internationally recognized family expert and New York Times bestselling author Dr. Kevin Leman will help you

• gain respect--even admiration--from your teenager
• establish healthy boundaries and workable guidelines
• communicate with the "whatever" generation
• turn selfish behavior around
• navigate the critical years with confidence
• pack your teenager's bags with what he or she needs for life now and in the future
• become the major difference-maker in your teenager's life

MY REVIEW

Have a New Teenager by Friday is chock-full of common-sense, practical wisdom that manages to keep your attention at the same time. I greatly enjoyed Dr. Leman's writing style, and the anecdotes contained in the book, such as in the "It worked for me" sections, were interesting and insightful. It is a book that I plan on revisiting numerous times in the future, and I truly believe that parents of teenagers and pre-teens will benefit from reading this book. The latter half of the book, which contains 75 topic areas on everything from texting to pregnancy to mouthing off to using social media, is particularly useful, as is the index in the back that lets you quickly look up a subject should you need to consult the book on a certain matter. The material throughout the book is incredibly relevant to the current generation of teens, and acknowledges that they are facing a world very different than the one their parents grew up in. 

One comment I want to make on the book is the claim of having a new teen in only 5 days. While I do not doubt that such change is possible, some families have very complex histories, and issues like abuse or divorce or mental illness are so pervasive that quick change may not always be possible. Regardless, I do believe that the advice contained in the book is useful and timely, and parents should strongly consider adding this book to their "must read" list. I highly recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.