Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Covering all disciplines and specialties, and addressed to anyone involved with young people, this practical reference summarizes current information, research findings, facts, and figures on some 200 topics, examining behavior patterns, biological factors, social pressures, environmental influences, sex differences, parental relationships, social programs, educational approaches, research studies, test results, court and social work systems, peer behavior, moral values, adult attitudes, society's expectations, and other subjects. The entries are thoroughly cross-referenced and include citations to works that provide more detailed coverage of the topic. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

The critical and often stormy span of life known as adolescence is superbly covered in these two hefty volumes that provide up-to-date research findings, ranging across disciplines from psychology to medicine to history. While definitely not a basic guide for the concerned parents of teenagers, this reference becomes the first place to consult for information on topics as diverse as teenage fathers and mothers, phobias, Hispanic adolescents, and academic achievement. There are more than 200 entries by over 200 contributors in this clearly laid out and organized work. Current medical and psychological research summaries by experts abound--on cystic fibrosis, scoliosis, AIDS, drug dependency, eating disorders, etc.--all carefully cited and cross-referenced as necessary. Charts and graphs are used in several articles to good effect; excellent bibliographies follow all entries. Historical background has not been neglected either, as three long articles survey adolescence from colonial times to the present. Prominent persons in theory development are subjects of brief biographies--Erickson, Freud, and Robert J. Havighurst, for example. G. Stanley Hall, a founder of the scientific study of adolescence in the early 1900s, receives no separate entry but is discussed in several sections. Although a subject index is included, one should delve into the various articles to discover the wealth of material available (Hall, for instance, is not an index entry). Highly recommended.-- Ken Barksdale, Eastern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Richmond (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

In the preface to this two-volume encyclopedia, the editors define the special importance of adolescents as a valuable national resource. They highlight the increase in scholarship on adolescents during the past decade as evidenced by publications, by the formation of the Society for Research on Adolescence, and by the fact that government agencies and private foundations are actively supporting youth research. Moreover, an increasing number of medical and social programs are being focused on youth problems, e.g., teenage pregnancy, eating disorders, suicide, and drug and alcohol abuse. In order to consolidate available data, a topical, short-entry encyclopedia was chosen as the best medium for use by multidisciplinary scholars, practitioners, and teachers. The editor specialists received assistance from a highly qualified editorial advisory board which aided in content, and contributor, selection. The result is an authoritative reference on teens. The writers, their credentials, and their entry titles are listed at the beginning of Volume 1. The alphabetically arranged essays average 4 pages each and number more than 200. The subjects are timely and wide-ranging. Sample articles are "Aids and Adolescents"; "Fathers, Teenage"; "Menarche and Body Image"; "Moral Development in Adolescence"; "Parental Influence"; "Piaget, Jean"; "Puberty, Sport and Hallucinogens" and "Unemployment." Following each article, there is extensive cross-referencing and book and journal citations for further research. A comprehensive subject index concludes the set. Spacing, clear print, and boldface subtopic headings make for easy readability. Worth its price and recommended for all libraries. -C. H. Handy, Westfield State College