I heard a longish npr interview with mr. Epstein, and found his theories to be so startlingly simple and obvious, so in line with all my experiences, that I was utterly confounded as to how nobody had mentioned it before.
Most compelling were his discussions about the -numerous- societies around the world who don't even have a word for "teen". That, and his observations regarding how young adults are segregated from society and are basically barred from work (excepting the most menial and unfulfilling), completely changed my conception of then entire issue.
If I could be bothered to read a book about parenting, it would be his.
> numerous societies around the world who don't even have a word for "teen"
Arabic doesn't have a word for teens (not even a loan word), but they have a word for adolescence.
This may be a bit embarrassing, but I only recently understood the real meaning of "teenager". I used to think it's just an arbitrary word that has the same meaning as "youth".
societies around the world who don't even have a word for "teen".
But isn't that just a matter of how they count? Admittedly it would be nicer if we said, tenie one, tenie two, tenie three, tenie four, etc... But he's saying that this is the crux of the problem?
Most compelling were his discussions about the -numerous- societies around the world who don't even have a word for "teen". That, and his observations regarding how young adults are segregated from society and are basically barred from work (excepting the most menial and unfulfilling), completely changed my conception of then entire issue.
If I could be bothered to read a book about parenting, it would be his.