Product Description

Based on a nationwide survey, this book describes 40 developmental assets all teens need to succeed in life, then gives hundreds of ideas for building assets at home, at school, in the community, in the congregation, and with friends.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #96966 in Books
• Published on: 1998-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 361 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-Psychologist Benson and former teacher/counselor Galbraith based their writing on surveys of over 350,000 U.S. teens to provide a unique look at "positive assets"-good things that contribute to an individual's success in life. External assets include families, peers, spiritual support systems, schools, neighborhoods and their wider communities, while internal assets are defined as motivation, honesty, responsibility, decision-making skills, resistance skills, and more. Quotations from other Free Spirit self-help books and Search Institute findings are significant parts of this title, as are charts, graphs, quizzes, checklists, facts and statistics, illustrative and factual anecdotes, and myriad resources (Web sites, books, pamphlets, and contact organizations). Densely formatted, the typeface varies in size with lists, source notes, and bibliographic citations often reduced in size. A comprehensive index helps alleviate the sense of an overwhelming amount of information. A useful resource for teens and those who work with them.
Gail Richmond, San Diego Unified Schools, CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Outstanding book for both parent & child to read.
This book should be a requirement in every home. It is wriiten for a teen but shoul dbe read by both parent and child. The concept of the 40 assets is fundamentally simple. The book defines the assets and then gives advice on how the adolescent, parent(s), community,school, and congregation can help to ensure that a child is brought up with all of the assets they need to be a successful person. It has examples of the successes that communities across the country have had setting the concepts of the assets into into motion. The excellence of the book is reinforced by a lecture I attended by Dr. Benson 2 months ago. The concept of the developmental assets being the framework for a successful, well-rounded person makes perfect sense. It should be adopted as a National standard.

A wonderful book for teens and their parents!
We like the book so much that we are adopting the asset building concepts featured!

As the Red Ribbon Chair for the Red Ribbon Coalition, I will urge volunteer coordinators to put at least one copy in their school library!

Irvine Unified School District's Guidance Resources will include the list of 40 Developmental Assets (from the book) in our 1999/2000 parent handbook.

This is an excellent resource for anyone who cares about helping youth succeed!