
An Intimate Understanding of America's Teenagers
Shaking Hands with Aliens
- 288 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
Alicia is so obsessed with being popular, she does things that would shock her parents, if they knew. Hector is aware the gang that wants him to join may be the death of him, but he will not decline. Sam was a baseball star, but can't play the sport he loves anymore because he is wracked from football injuries, a sport his father will not let him quit. They are just a few of the teenagers that readers will meet, in this candid book authored by a 34-year veteran high school teacher. Voted Teacher of the Year and Coach of the Year, Bruce Gevirtzman shares with us the results of his years spent talking with teenagers about topics from life and lust to depression and death. Revealing honest, poignant words shared in conversations, classroom talk, interviews, surveys, and journals, Gevirtzman takes us inside the minds of today's youths, and also contrasts them with teenagers of decades past. Topics include teen thinking and secrets on issues from sex, drinking, and drugs to peer pressure, self-imposed standards, and beliefs about what is important, and painful, in life. Including interviews with fellow teachers, Gevirtzman's book is threaded with one recurring truth: Sadly, instead of parents and teachers and lawmakers and the public looking out for our kids, today's kids are largely left to fend for themselves, he concludes. Not only will general readers and educators find great insight in this work, it will be of interest to students and scholars of adolescent psychology, clinical psychology, and social work.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1 Iâm, Like, All . . .
- 2 The Rebel Paradox
- 3 Mirror, Mirror
- 4 Lily Munster . . . or Whateverâs Cool
- 5 The Anti-Midas Touch
- 6 Dumb Stuff
- 7 Athletes, Arrogance, and Angst
- 8 The Slime Who Hurt Our Kids
- 9 When Party Became a Verb
- 10 Snitchinâ Ainât Bitchinâ
- 11 Hard-Bodied, Soft-Headed, and Stone Dead
- 12 Sex, Oral Sex, and âHey, Everybodyâs Doing It!â
- 13 Devouring Junk
- 14 They Bombed Hiroshima, Didnât They?
- 15 Good and Plenty
- 16 You Vil Go to Haâvid!
- 17 You Mean, When You Die, Youâre Dead?
- 18 Itâs a Matter of Philosophy: Remedies Times 10
- 19 Canât! Wonât! Not!
- 20 When All Is Said and Done
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index