“At moments of extreme exasperation, parents may think that there’s something wrong with their teenagers’ brains. Which, according to recent books on adolescence, there is…. [Jensen] offers a parenting guide laced with the latest MRI studies…. Packed with charts and statistics.” — Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker
“It’s charming to see good science translate directly into good parenting.” — New York Times Book Review
“Frances Jensen, a neuroscientist and single mother of two boys. . . delved into the emerging science of the adolescent brain [and] came out with provocative new insights for parents, educators, public policymakers and teens themselves.” — Washington Post
“Why’s your child so self-absorbed? Give him time, writes neurologist Jensen: Empathy comes with age.” — Good Housekeeping
“My favorite quote from this marvelous book: ‘The truth of the matter is… adolescents are not an alien species, just a misunderstood one.’ Dr. Jensen uses her considerable expertise as a neuroscientist and a mother to explain the recent explosion of adolescent brain research and how this research can help us better understand and help young people. This book also highlights biologically inherent opportunities to enhance the health and well-being of young people during the second decade of life… opportunities we should not be missing.” — Carol A. Ford, M.D. President, Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine; Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania; and Chief, Division of Adolescent Medicine at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
“In The Teenage Brain, neurologist Frances Jensen has brilliantly translated academic science and clinical studies into easily understandable chapters to highlight the many changes in connections and plasticity of the brain. The book is a ‘must read’ for parents, teachers, school nurses, and many others who live with or interact with teens.” — S. Jean Emans, MD. Chief, Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital; Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
“Meticulously documented and reported, the studies offer proof that it’s not just parents who think their teenagers don’t quite have it all together.” — Kirkus Reviews
“This well-written, accessible work surveys recent research into the adolescent brain, a subject relatively unexplored until just this past decade.… Speaking as one parent to another, she offers support and a way for parents to understand and relate to their own soon-to-be-adult offspring.” — Publishers Weekly
“A captivating chapter, ‘The Digital Invasion of the Teenage Brain,’ calls attention to computer craving and adolescent addiction to the Internet.… [A] sensible, scientific, and stimulating book.” — Booklist
“Recommended for readers who enjoyed Laurence Steinberg’s Age of Opportunity.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“A valuable resource for parents, youth workers, educators, and anyone involved with teens in any way. The book is engaging, understandable, and extremely informative.” — New York Journal of Books
“Marvelous…. Dr. Jensen uses her considerable expertise as a neuroscientist and a mother to explain the recent explosion of adolescent brain research and how this research can help us better understand and help young people.” — Carol A. Ford, M.D. President, Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine; Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania; and Chief, Division of Adolescent Medicine at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
“Frances Jensen has brilliantly translated academic science and clinical studies…. A ‘must read’ for parents, teachers, school nurses, and many others who live with or interact with teens.” — S. Jean Emans, MD. Chief, Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital; Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
“This well-written, accessible work surveys recent research into the adolescent brain.…Chapter by chapter, Jensen covers essential topics….Speaking as one parent to another, she offers support and a way for parents to understand and relate.” — Publishers Weekly
For many years, scientists believed that the adolescent brain was essentially an adult one. Over the last decade, however, neurology and neuroscience have revealed that the teen years encompass vitally important stages of brain development.
Interweaving clear summary and analysis of research data with anecdotes drawn from her years as a clinician, researcher, and public speaker, renowned neurologist Frances E. Jensen, MD, explores adolescent brain functioning and development in the context of learning and multitasking, stress and memory, sleep, addiction, and decision making.
The Teenage Brain explains how these eye-opening findings not only dispel commonly held myths about teens but also yield practical suggestions for adults and teenagers negotiating the mysterious and magical world of adolescent biology.
“It’s charming to see good science translate directly into good parenting.”—New York Times Book Review
“This well-written, accessible work...offers support and a way for parents to understand and relate to their own soon-to-be-adult offspring.”—Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Frances E. Jensen, MD, is Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. She was Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, Director of Translational Neuroscience and Director of Epilepsy Research at Boston Children’s Hospital, and Senior Neurologist at Boston Children’s and Brigham and Women’s Hospitals. She lectures widely about the teen brain at science museums, TEDMED, and high schools.
Amy Ellis Nutt is a science journalist at the Washington Post and the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize in feature writing. Her most recent book is Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family.
