The Romance of Risk: Why Teenagers Do the Things They Do - Tapa dura

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In the tradition of Irvin Yalom's "Love's Executioner, " Dr. Lynn Ponton's remarkable book takes readers inside the minds of 15 troubled adolescents to provide a compelling look at today's teenage experience. Included are Jill, a 13-year-old thrill-seeking runaway; Hannah, a privileged daughter of suburbia who suffers from anorexia; and Joe, a high school senior with a serious drinking problem. The case studies vary from the puzzling to the horrifying, but with her confident and engaging voice, Ponton brings out the unifying themes in all of them. She proposes that teenage "acting out" can be understood in terms of "risk-taking, "and that by redirecting this natural impulse into healthy channels parents can minimize the dangers inherent in today's teen culture and help their children develop into mature individuals. Challenging the traditional views of adolescence and offering a constructive new model for understanding teenage behavior, "The Romance of Risk" is an essential book for parents concerned about their children's well-being in this age of drug abuse, rampant violence and AIDS."Lynn Ponton has managed to become an expert on adolescence without losing her sympathy for risk and rebellion. She is able to bring out the best in distraught teenagers and their distraught parents. "The Romance of Risk" is one of those rare books that clarifies the nature of adolescence."(Peter D. Kramer, author of "Listening to Proazac" "A wise, compassionate portrait of teenagers today by a gifted physician who admires their courage and integrity, understands the terrible messes they get into, and, ultimately, helps them grow up."(Judith Wallerstein, author of "Second Chances" and "TheGood Marriage" "A valuable contribution to understanding adolescents who take risks. It will encourage rather than dishearten most parents. This is a very fine book by a very fine clinician."(Jean Shinoda Bolen, MD, author of Close to the Bone "Experimentation is the hallmark of adolescence. ... Lynn Ponton's compelling volume shows how parents can help adolescents manage their risk-taking in ways that enhance, rather than endanger, the healthy growth of identity."(Edward Zigler, Ph.D., Sterling Professor of Psychology, Yale University "A book brimming with humanity... Lynn Ponton paints vivid portraits and then openly and honestly offers refreshingly pragmatic strategies for addressing dangerous behaviors in teens."--Lenore Terr, M.D., author of "Too Scared to Cry" and "Unchained Memories" "The Romance of Risk" rings with truth. Adolescent risk-taking can make for searing reading, but this book's knowledge empowers the reader as Dr. Ponton empowers her patients."--John Schowalter, M.D., Albert J. Solnit Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Yale Child Study