Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens Through the Twenties

Rating:
Summary: A "must" for parents
Review: I am the mother of two daughters, ages 22 and 17. I have always read parenting books in order to understand the stages of development my children were going through. But until Dr. Arnett's book came out, I knew of nothing to help me comprehend "emerging adulthood," a very confusing life stage I never experienced myself. (I knew exactly what I wanted to study when I started college, married at 21, and got a full-time job in my field immediately after graduation.) The attitudes of my older daughter and her friends often baffled me during her college years, and they continue to do so now that she has graduated. I was also surprised by the behavior I observed when visiting the university my younger daughter will be attending soon.

In general, I try not to be judgmental or to give my children advice unless they ask for it. This strategy has worked well in the past. But until I read Dr. Arnett's book, I found it increasingly difficult to "keep my mouth shut" as I listened to my daughters talk about their lives. Now that I have read "Emerging Adulthood," I have more of a grasp on where my children are psychologically. The book has given me the tools to be a better mother.

I think Dr. Arnett's work can be useful to emerging adults themselves by validating their own experiences. It can also be helpful to grandparents, who may find the behavior of their EA grandchildren incomprehensible.

Rating:
Summary: a critical guide to understanding years 18 to 25
Review: This book is a critical guide. It is useful for understanding the experiences, the challenges, and the potential of those who have left adolescence and have not yet entered adulthood.

I have read this book thoroughly and have recommended it to many. As a professor of psychology, I assigned this book to my students last semester. The reviews of the book were unanimous-- Dr. Arnett 'has some how stepped inside my brain, experienced my 21-year-old life, and has written a book about exactly....me.'This book is not a self-help book, but instead provides emerging adults with research and information about development during these years. Students found the most helpful aspect of this book to be the way that Dr. Arnett has described emerging adulthood as a normative stage of development, rather than a cohort experience (think "Gen X") associated with low productivity and apathy.

Many students have told me that their Baby Boomer parents found this book most helpful in understanding what their emerging adult children were going through. Students also told me that they "made" their friends and boyfriends and girlfriends read the book and that it helped them to understand what they were all going through collectively.

If nothing else, this is a book that makes you think, encourages you talk, and really makes you want for more on this very interesting topic.