A solid book on parent-teen communication, with a bit of slightly dated cultural content.
The only reason this book doesn't get four stars is because it contains a few eyebrow-raising statements that aren't exactly up to date. For starters, the assertion that girls don't really play video games is laughably absurd, especially in the wake of GamerGate. Slightly more troubling, however, is the short shrift given to gay teens. The chapter is woefully short, and focused almost solely on boys. Girls' queer sexuality is treated as a minor issue, as if it didn't happen very often, which is just not cool. The advice given boils down to "be accepting," which, if you're reading a book on parenting in the first place, you probably already are, or are willing to be.
The communication parts of the book, however, are top notch, and if you can forgive the author for his missteps, you can glean a lot of good techniques for actually communicating with teenagers instead of getting sucked into pointless arguments. After explaining why kids are mouthier these days, and why that's actually a good thing, Wolf devotes chapters to important things like knowing when to shut up, how to get your teens to do things they don't want to do, how to talk about sex/drugs/alcohol, and how to set rules/enforce consequences. Explanations of what phrases like "I hate you" and "It's not fair" actually mean, and how to respond to them without completely freaking out, are incredibly helpful. The main take-away here seems to be, "Don't start none, won't be none": no matter how much your teen tries to get you to engage in the argument, you just say what you want to see happen, make it clear that that's what you expect, and don't let anything they say in return derail you. You need to remember, at all times, that you're the grown-up, and make sure your parenting is clear, firm, consistent, and level-headed. Teenagers secretly want that, even if currently they hate you and think it's not fair.
The tone is what really make Wolf's advice shine. There were times, in the many examples he used, where I put the book down just to crack up for a minute, because the scenarios were so tongue-in-cheek hilarious or blown-up satirical. When you describe this book for people, make sure you indicate that it's slightly dated, and should be read mainly for the communication principles, but DO talk up the principles, as they are useful/helpful. This is also a really good book for parents who don't do well in impromptu confrontations and need to rehearse scenarios before they happen. Just make sure to supplement with something a little more recent, and/or for parents of LGBTQ+ teens if your RA interview reveals that this is needed/warranted.