Smart Choices

This thick resource book offers both information and a point of view, helping adolescents to understand their family dynamics. The authorsa social worker, a physician and a psychotherapistcover a broad range of the usual (drugs, sex, relationships with friends) and other, not-so-usual topics (a 10-point plan for resolving crises, setting oneself up to fail, oral sex, body language). Some coverage, such as that on puberty, could have been more thorough, but offbeat inclusions are balanced by valuable, practical information. Comments and questions from teenagers (e.g., ""Is it OK to be average?''), an up-to-date, extensive bibliography and a tone of respect make Smart Choices a ``smart choice'' to have on hand. (12-up)