The Teenager's Guide to the Real World

by Marshall Brain

"The Teenager's Guide to the Real World" starts from the central reality that teenagers get to design their own lives. Many of the choices that teenagers make as teenagers will affect them for the rest of their lives. This book is designed to help teenagers see the amazing freedom they have to control their lives and their destinies, and to then help them make good decisions about the future. After reading this book teenagers understand a great deal more about themselves and the world around them. They are able to think about their choices with a new clarity and understanding, and are therefore able to begin planning a path toward success.

Genres: Young Adult, Self Help

368 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1997

About the author

Marshall David Brain II was an enthusiastic American author, public speaker, futurist, entrepreneur, and professor, who specialized in making complex topics easier to understand for the general public. Brain was the founder of HowStuffWorks.com and the author of the How Stuff Works book series. He hosted the National Geographic channel's Factory Floor with Marshall Brain and Who Knew? With Marshall Brain.

Reviews

[Liu Zhen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cons
- the tone is mean in a sense that it proves its points
- the data are outdated, so much has changed since year 1999
- creates some type of pressure, especially when mentioning about money and loans
- it feels like a lecture from a grown up complaining about how hard life is
- the author tends to bullet point out a lot of the things that he wants to say
- the information are sometimes not correlated

Pros
- good insight for a teenager to look forward into an adulthood
- teaches manners and the likelihood of to be successful
- great explanations on the bank related topics: checking, saving, joint account, loans...etc
- pin points the importance of money, and how it affects people genuinely
- he makes it easier for teenagers to understand why parents always said, "you will understand it one day."

Overall, it's a good book for a teenager who thinks ahead of his/her future.

[Kari McDowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very logical and rational approach to life and success, helpful for teenagers and young adults. Was assigned excerpts of this book in high school and decided to finish it as a young adult. Very interesting!
I will say that the tone can be a bit negative. The book also really downplays the importance of enjoying the fun and freedom and youthful vitality of the teenage and young adult years. However probably this is counterbalanced by the messages young adults typically hear in our culture.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most teenagers struggle to figure out the world and their place in it. The job is made more difficult because of the values held by the teenage culture, which really are of little importance. The author tries to show teenagers what is really important and how they can obtain it.