Rating: 
Summary: Lots of invaluable guidance, written in an accessible way
Review: I just finished reading a library copy of this to see if it would be good for my teenage son. I am extremely impressed. It's very readable, and there are many chapters filled with wisdom it took me 35 years to attain...wouldn't it be nice if my son got a head start? I don't agree with every idea in the book, (sometimes Brain strikes me as a bit too conservative) but he's written the kind of book that could get a teen's attention, hold it, and serve as a good, solid, no-nonsense guide to life--from figuring out a career to getting respect, learning humility, understanding social forms, pursuing relationships, and being effective in whatever you choose to do. I'm placing my order for a copy now.
Rating: 
Summary: Someone needs to say stuff like this.
Review: I keep hearing about how it's wrong for the author of this book to say that teenage sex shouldn't happen. But when I think about it, there are so many other millions of sources out there that don't even touch the idea that it's OK and even recommended to wait. Many of these sources that teenagers look up to, like MTV, imply that being a virgin is for dweebs. That is why I think the author places so much emphasis on abstinence. Very few others have the guts or the inclination to do it. For all those who are open minded enough to read the rest of the book, they'll find topics covered that do indeed cover all teenagers. Rejection, peer pressure, getting a job, finding what you want to do in life, and a lot more. I will admit that it does appear to talk down to teenagers in some places, but at the same time some of those places seem that way because they say things that teenagers do not want to hear. (Like adults have more experience than teenagers) But whatever talking down is done is overshadowed by the amazing means of getting ideas across. My favorite is the metaphor of being at the burger joint and each food (a hamburger, a fish sandwich, and chicken nuggets) all walking up to you and saying "Would you like to have lunch with me, today?". It's to illustrate that most of the time rejection has nothing to do with you at all, but what the person needs/wants at the moment. Overall, check this book out at the library or something. You'll either like it or you won't. I liked it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good facts, but opinions could be more balanced
Review: Most of the book is solid, practical advice on preparing to become a working adult. There is lots of valuable information on how jobs, taxes, insurance, banks, apartments/houses, etc. really work. One particularly good chapter (which should have been placed earlier in the book) is entitled "Certain mistakes will ruin your life." Also well-written are some of the chapters on social issues, such as how to deal with conformity, the fact that appearance matters, and that sports, like it or not, are a huge part of American society. Unfortunately, many of the book's strengths are also its weaknesses: it is clearly aimed at people who respond to objective, quantitative facts, and will be less compelling to those who are more "feeling" rather than "thinking." The book is also clearly aimed at boys rather than girls; the few places where the text states, "If you are a girl, substitute the following words in the statements below..." seem artificial, like they were tacked on by an editor. What is more concerning, is what the book does not cover. There is little advice on how to choose a college or how and why to choose a course of study once you get there, despite the fact that this is ISSUE NUMBER ONE in most American teenagers' minds. Again revealing the bias towards boys, there is almost no information on what it takes to raise a child, except for the cost. And most disappointing is the author's clear Protestant Christian bias in the chapters on love and relationships. Mr. Brain assumes that teenagers will grow up to get married and have children, and never mentions other options. For instance, remaining single gives you social opportunities and career flexibility that married people do not have; yet the pros and cons of this choice are not explored. Catholic teenagers may be interested in religious vocations, a choice which has profound impact on both relationships and career; yet these are never mentioned. And gay teenagers -- the group most likely to commit suicide, which, ironically, is one of Mr. Brain's pet topics -- will find nothing here to convince them that "you are not alone" (one of the chapter titles). A reader who is good at separating facts from opinions will find this book useful. I hope that Mr. Brain considers writing a second edition with more balance.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome book for young adults
Review: On this book's website I read several passages from within it, and those alone helped me get motivated. If only I had the money, I would definitely purchase this book.
Rating: 
Summary: condescending and politically-influenced
Review: The author of this book does not seem to want to make himself liked by the teenagers who are reading his book. The whole book is very condescending towards teenagers, implying that teenagers are immature, naive, lazy, selfish, and ignorant. This doesn't seem to me to be a good way of getting your readers to listen to what you have to say. And what he has to say is not necessarily of much value. He makes statements that are dubious at best, such as that choosing someone to date is as random as choosing what to have for lunch. He is also very focused on monetary success and how to dedicate your life to making money, which, while it has its place, is not necessarily what everyone wants to focus on. His right-wing political views are clearly apparent from the book (and here I'm not alluding to the fact that he isn't in favor of teenage sex; I think that's a valid point of view and has merit), and clearly influence what he writes about and the advice he gives. One of the first chapters of the book also seems to be designed to scare teenagers away from the real world, by basically saying that no matter how much money adults make, money is always tight for them. While selected portions of this book have merit, on the whole I would say it isn't worth buying.
Rating:
Summary: an excellent book
Review: The author of this book presents some of the most essential and unchanging facts of life in a way that is easily accessible to high schoolers. Some of the chapters, such as the one on teenage sex, seems too out of our time, and I don't agree that "sex is just for reproduction", or that any teenagers will believe it. Other chapters though, such as the one on money, are excellent.
Rating:
Summary: definetly not for "every teenager"
Review: This book seems to have a great goal -- to present the realities of the world to teenagers. And on many practical matters, it's right on the mark, especially in it's discussion of finances. But any good points of this book are immediately negated by the very obviously conservative Christian perspective. The author is blatantly imposing his own morals and beliefs onto the readers, presenting them as "facts." Besides numerous references to Christian beliefs and Biblical quotes, the book is firmly rooted in gender stereotypes and completely heterocentric. There is no mention of the 2 in 20 teenagers who are lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgendered, though these are the kids who are most likely to need the encouragement offered in many of the chapters. Any mention of relationships is always about "the opposite sex." Gender and gender roles are taken as immutable facts -- girls play with barbies, boys play with trucks, and that's the way life is.
The author's moral preaching is only thinly disguised. In a chapter entitled "teenage sex is an option," he spends the chapter proving that teenage sex actually is NOT an option. For those who do choose that option, there is no discussion of safe sex -- thereby leading to more STDs and unintentional pregnancies, which is exactly what he is so against.
This had the potential to be a great book but unfortunately the author chose to figure his own conservative Christian beliefs prominently into everything he writes. If you want teenagers to have a narrow, singular perception of the world, that's fine. But if you are looking for a resource that applies to *all* teenagers, something non-discriminatory and open-minded, something which will give teenagers much-needed information without forcing ideas on them or talking down to them (which this book does plenty of), then you'll need to look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Required Reading
Review: This book should be the basis of a course for all teenagers. It covers all the subjects kids should know about but won't listen to from their parents: money, jobs, insurance, life in general. Buy it! (And tell me how you got your kid to read it!)
Rating:
Summary: AMAZING!
Review: This is the ULTIMATE guide for being a teenager! EVERY teenager should have this book, the world would be a better place if that was so. This book has changed my life, my goals, and the way i look at things. Forget EVERY other book out there(most of which are preachy and boring), this is a hands-on practical guide for living! Let me restate: If you are a teenager you _MUST_ have this book, i have nothing more to say, except i will personally give you a refund if you don't like it! Thank you Marshall Brain!!
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