This is a survival guide for parents who find themselves marooned among volatile and incomprehensible aliens on Planet Teen. Area maps cover the obvious ground--there are chapters on school, sex, suicide, and so on--but it's the title of Chapter 2, "What They Do and Why," that best captures the book's spirit and technique. Anthony Wolf's modus operandi is not so much to make pronouncements about what parents should do, as to explain adolescent behavior in a way that's bound to leave parents with a changed view of the plausible options. Wolf is a clinical psychologist, and his writing is clear--even witty--and he doesn't resort to jargon. The expository text is punctuated with snatches of illustrative dialogue, which serve as concrete examples and help parents learn how to see, anticipate, and avoid "bad strategies." (One key mistake is getting dragged into no-win conflicts instead of having the wisdom to shut up at the moment when shutting up would be most effective--albeit the least satisfying--thing to do.) There are also some nicely tongue-in-cheek samples of "ideal" communication--the stuff we imagine might get said if only we were better parents. After one such rosily cooperative and considerate interchange between a father and his adolescent son, Wolf offers the following two-edged comfort: "The above conversation has never happened. Never. Not in the whole history of the world." Message: Parenting adolescents is inherently difficult. Don't judge your efforts by otherworldly standards. --Richard Farr


From Publishers Weekly
This updated edition (a chapter on gay and lesbian teenagers and the ramifications of the electronic world have been added) will be as useful to parents as the 1992 version. Wolf, a clinical psychologist who works with adolescents (Why Did You Have to Get a Divorce? And When Can I Get a Hamster?), clearly has a feel for both the angst of young people who must deal with an evermore complex world and the difficulties parents face when a cooperative loving child morphs into a teenager who lies, talks back and avoids parental company. Humorous and insightful, Wolf describes what is, rather than what mothers and fathers of rebellious and thoughtless adolescents wish would be. He is forthright in stating that "you do not win the battle for control with teenagers... usually the best you get is imperfect control." Despite the best efforts of parents, today's adolescents frequently drink, experiment with drugs and are sexually active. According to the author, however, it is still important to have rules even though a teenager may break them. If parents clearly state their expectations of behavior and restate them when a teen disobeys, their son or daughter will, to some extent, internalize the rules and abide by them sometimes. In addition to providing excellent advice on particular situations, including divorce, school problems and stepparenting, he makes the often obnoxious manner in which teens communicate with their parents understandable as a rite of passage that they will eventually outgrow.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
A comprehensive guide to the care and emotional feeding of a teenager, this two-CD set offers a full compendium of teenage issues for parents who are looking for answers. We learn that this mysterious and frustrating creature, the teenager, is a lovable and challenging being, rife with conflicting emotions and desires. (Much like many adults.) Dr. Wolf, who is unfortunately endowed with a flat and droning voice, walks listeners through a practical and easy-to-understand course. Good marks for content, but delivery would be vastly improved by professional narration and, perhaps, including real teens discussing some of the issues to freshen the content. D.J.B. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


Review
"Funny, sound, and compassionate, Get Out of My Life will truly help you talk with your kids and not get mad . . ." --Beth Winship, The Boston Globe

Get Out of My Life has Spock's common sense, the insight of Freud, and the wit of Bombeck. I welcome this book." --Dorothy Zeiser, Ph.D., Chairman, Department of Child Study



Review
"Funny, sound, and compassionate, Get Out of My Life will truly help you talk with your kids and not get mad . . ." --Beth Winship, The Boston Globe

Get Out of My Life has Spock's common sense, the insight of Freud, and the wit of Bombeck. I welcome this book." --Dorothy Zeiser, Ph.D., Chairman, Department of Child Study



Book Description
A brand new edition of the bestselling guide to raising teenagers

When Anthony E. Wolf's witty and compassionate guide to raising adolescents was first published, its amusing title and fresh approach won it widespread admiration. Beleaguered parents breathed sighs of relief and gratitude. Now Dr. Wolf has revised and updated his bestseller to tackle the changes of the past decade. He points out that while the basic issues of adolescence and the relationships between parents and their children remain much the same, today's teenagers navigate a faster, less clearly anchored world. Wolf's revisions include a new chapter on the Internet, a significantly modified section on drugs and drinking, and an added piece on gay teenagers. Although the rocky and ever-changing terrain of contemporary adolescence may bewilder parents, Get Out of My Life gives them a great road map.



About the Author
Anthony E. Wolf, Ph.D., is a practicing clinical psychologist who has worked with children and adolescents for thirty years and lectures frequently on parenting topics. He lives in Suffield, Connecticut.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Teenagers today face a slew of challenges that many parents never had to deal with when they were growing up. Dr. Anthony E. Wolf, a practicing clinical psychologist, doesn't back down from the tough attitude teenagers put on. He offers practical advice and caring guidance for dealing with modern adolescence. The audiobook format makes Wolf's thirty years of experience accessible for busy parents, who will appreciate being able to listen to his recommendations while commuting to work or cooking dinner.

FROM THE CRITICS

Patrick O'Neill - The Oregonian

[A] wise and comforting classic.

Susie Wilde - The Chapel Hill News

A book that friends with adolescents have sworn is their survival bible ... One friend told me, 'I swear, it's like he was sitting in my kitchen writing down our exact words.' The dialogue and analysis are completely on-target and so full of sense ... Wolf's tone is playful, astute, and made me scurry to find his [other] book[s].

Beth Winship - The Boston Globe

Funny, sound, and compassionate, Get Out of My Life will truly help you talk with your kids and not get mad all the time.

Dorothy Zeiser

Get Out of My Life has Spock's common sense, the insight of Freud, and the wit of Bombeck. I welcome this book.

Joanne M. Cunard