Description

Drawing on a decade of psychological research, Coming of Age gets beneath the recent myths and age-old stereotypes of adolescence to reveal the real reasons why teens behave as they do.

‘Fascinating, moving . . . clear-eyed, unerringly sensible . . . there is insight and kindness throughout this book’ Daily Mail

Why do teens take risks? What is it that makes them anxious? How do they think about sex, love, bullying and friendship? Adolescence is often difficult and it shapes us for life, but psychologist Lucy Foulkes shows that too often we fear, dismiss or even try to prevent aspect of it that are crucial to our development.

Overturning many mistaken assumptions, she shows that apparent recklessness is usually calculated; that teenagers are socially conservative as much as rebellious; that being popular can be just as hard as being lonely; and that self-consciousness and sensation-seeking are not just normal but useful. Above all, she shows that adolescents have an extraordinary capacity for resilience, empathy and mutual support, and that even the most challenging experiences are part of an essential process of self-discovery.

‘Excellent and insightful . . . expertly presented . . . Foulkes is steeped in knowledge about, as well as respect for, teenage life’ Observer

‘Wonderful and deeply moving . . . shows us the potentially positive aspects of adolescent experiences so often seen as negative’ MARK HADDON

‘Wise and compassionate, well-researched and straight-talking . . . shows how today’s adolescents can be helped to flourish in life’ Dr Gavin Francis, author of Recovery

‘Hopeful, inspiring . . . leaves you with a greater understanding of your own adolescence, and greater compassion for those currently in its throes’ Camilla Nord, author of The Balanced Brain

‘Myth-busting . . . eye-opening . . . delivers many counter-intuitive insights’ Guardian

‘Thank goodness . . . for this timely . . . and eminently sensible book . . . You will read this book and sigh in recognition . . . just knowing that everything they – and we – struggle with is normal, and necessary, is helpful’ Telegraph

‘A must read for everyone interested in what is going on with adolescents’ Essi Viding, Professor of Developmental Pyschopathy, UCL

‘Comprehensive, accessible and super useful’ Dr Tara Porter, clinical psychologist and author of You Don’t Understand Me

‘Compelling, useful and fascinating . . . revealing adolescence’s unwritten rules’ JO BRAND

Publisher Review

A compelling, useful and fascinating exploration of the emotional earthquake that is adolescence, revealing its unwritten rules and some really vital insights — Jo Brand Lucy Foulkes’s wonderful and deeply moving book shows us the potentially positive aspects of adolescent experiences so often seen as negative. You will almost certainly find yourself reassessing your own teenage years — Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Wise and compassionate, well-researched and straight-talking – Lucy Foulkes shows with stories and with science why the teen years are so intense, and how today’s adolescents can be helped to flourish in life — Dr Gavin Francis, author of Recovery Hopeful, inspiring – whatever happened in your teenage years, Coming of Age gives you power over those experiences to better shape who you are today, leaving you with a greater understanding of your own adolescence, and greater compassion for those currently in its throes — Camilla Nord, author of The Balanced Brain This is a must read for everyone interested in what is going on with adolescents. Scientific findings are discussed incisively and illuminated with real life accounts of adolescent joys and sorrows. This book is full of insight and compassion — Essi Viding, Professor of Developmental Pyschopathy, UCL This is a compelling read, deploying an engaging combination of narrative and science to make important points about a much misunderstood and maligned age group — Tasmin Ford, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Cambridge The adolescent years are probably the most dramatic period in human life, and yet they are still the least studied. Lucy Foulkes is an ideal and compassionate guide to unlock this secret world — Uta Frith, Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Development, UCL Captivating and novel, providing valuable insights into the physical, psychological and emotional changes that teenagers navigate — Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, author of Inventing Ourselves: The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain Comprehensive, accessible, and super useful — Dr Tara Porter, Clinical Psychologist Offers a refreshing lens on adolescence as a profound developmental period that shapes how we become, and understand, who we are This book is essential reading for researchers, parents, professionals, and anyone seeking to better understand themselves — Ola Demkowicz, Senior Lecturer in Psychology of Education, University of Manchester Beautiful writing and robust science rarely travel together; they do so in this remarkable book by Foulkes who will guide you through the complex world of adolescence and its science — Argyris Stringaris, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UCL I loved this book. Lucy writes so thoughtfully and movingly about this uniquely challenging and exhilarating period of life – to help us better understand and support our teenagers, and as adults, to give our own teenage selves a break. — Polly Waite, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Oxford