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Teen Secrets to Surviving & Thriving:
How to Deal with Stress, Be Confident and Feel Great by Lori Hanson SheWolf Press
book review by Deborah Straw
"My teen years were the pits—a time filled with a desire to fit in with the jocks combined with a need to be independent, a desperate need to get my parents... off my back and a chronic feeling that I couldn't breathe because of all the control in my life."
Lori Hanson was an unhappy teenager. She didnt fit in; she suffered from bulimia for close to 34 years. She was not beautiful. The author of Teen Secrets to Surviving & Thriving, Hanson was a businesswoman for many years before turning her attention to the needs of teenagers who have some of the same problems. She feels that teens today face even more problems in a complex world. Today most everyone is living on autopilot. Everyone is plugged in all the time. Hanson is also a speaker and consultant who focuses on eating disorders, weight and stress management for teens.
Her advice is so enthusiastic. She believes that anyone can do anything he/she wants: You are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Perhaps this advice does not cover victims of poverty, abuse, or physical or mental problems, but Hanson makes a strong case for her philosophy. She advocates healthy diet, keeping a journal, being grateful, being more honest, getting over teen romances more quickly, laughing more, and other pointers gleaned from her teen and adult years. Her "Resources for Teens" section is useful.
We appreciate the list of signs of low-esteem, including over-commitment, always being late, promiscuity, loneliness, and others such as too much TV and poor grades. The book would appeal to teens who are struggling with self-identity in a time in their lives when conformity is key, as well as adults who live with or teach them.