An Intimate Understanding of America's Teenagers: Shaking Hands with Aliens

Gevirtzman, Bruce J. An Intimate Understanding of America's Teenagers: Shaking Hands with Aliens. Praeger. 2008. c.288p. bibliog. index. PSYCH~Verdict: This rambling and cranky memoir from former teacher Gevirtzman is unfunny, overly long, and unhelpful. Not recommended. Background: Gevirtzman draws on 35 years of classroom teaching experience to deliver meandering and bizarre advice punctuated with bad humor. On anticipating his own daughter dating, the author writes, ""I'll be sitting on the front porch, shotgun cradled in my arms, ready to blast away at the first pimple-faced male adolescent who comes within 10 feet of our house."" His topics are wide-ranging-cell phones, oral sex, academic standards, MySpace, snitching, gangs, and more. He recommends few sources for help, one of them The O'Reilly Factor for Kids.-Linda Beck, Indian Valley P.L., Telford, PA.