The first year out : understanding American teens after high school /

Clydesdale (sociology, Coll. of New Jersey) admits to a personal fascination with high school students' first year out of school because his own "first year out" was "a time of significant personal change." Having clearly spent a great deal of time gathering information via interviews, he tracks the daily lives of 50 young people making the transition to life after high school. His findings? Predictably, some go on to college, while others start working full-time. Some develop substance-abuse problems, some are sexually active, and some have financial difficulties. The day-to-day significance of parents fades, and college students begin to lose touch with high school friends. In Chapter 16, the author discusses the implications of his research for parents and teens and provides suggestions to educators and clergy (e.g., lowering their expectations). All in all, Clydesdale fails to provide any new or insightful information about this formative period. Not recommended.-Tim Delaney, SUNY at Oswego (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.