This bestselling survival manual is for parents who find themselves marooned among volatile and incomprehensible aliens on Planet Teen. It looks at all the difficult issues of bringing up teenagers - school, sex, drugs and more. But it's the title of the second chapter, 'What They Do and Why' that best captures the book's spirit and technique, explaining how to translate teenage behaviour into its true, often less complictaed meaning.



One key mistake, for instance, is getting in no-win conflicts instead of having the wisdom to shut up when shutting up would be the most effective - albeit least satisfying - thing to do.



The message is clear: parenting adolescents is inherently difficult. Don't judge yourself too harshly!