Customer Reviews
Every Adult Should Read!! 
2005-10-13
This is an outstanding presentation of quality research that has practical application! Youth NEED adults. They need a supportive, safe environment.
Chap Clark does a great job of opening our eyes to the reality of the life of high school students. A change needs to happen in the societal view of how to help youth become healthy, happy, successful adults...and this is a good start!
Fantastic Book! 2005-10-07
You MUST read this book if you have or work with teenagers! Mr. Clark's insights are fresh and deep. There is no surface content in this book, yet the writing is clear and accessible for anyone. His research and conclusions are of the utmost importance and will change the way you view the teenagers you thought you knew, or reinforce both your greatest hopes and worst fears. I heard Mr. Clark speak at a youth worker conference shortly after reading this book and was moved by his heartfelt concern for the youth of our nation.
Right on. 2005-09-25
This book delved not only into some of the issues teens face but why and how to help. Its well rounded and beneficial to anyone that works with teens.
HURT: Inside the World of Today's Teenagers 2005-07-26
Clark does an excellent job of identifying both the culture of mid-adolescence, and reason why it is the way that it is. The abandonment issue that alomost every teenager feels and their reaction to it explain many of the behaviors of teens. Clark makes this book of research findings very readable and applicable.
Thought Provoking Book on Today's Youth 
2005-02-25
My roommate was given this book a few months back. Since I work with the Jr. High group at church, I figured I might find it helpful, so picked it up. What I found was a thought provoking book on today's youth sub-culture.
The book focuses most on high school students or mid-adolescents as the author calls them. His premise is that adults have started abandoning kids early in life, making the transition from childhood to adulthood a longer and harder process. Teens draw away from adults, not as much out of rebellion, but to cope. The majority of this book is devoted to various aspects of teen life and how it develops and plays out. Chapters such as Peers, School, Family, and Sports hit the nail on the head. And I'll confess I found some shocking stuff in the chapters on Sex, Ethics, and the Party Scene.
I did have some problems with this book. At times, it seemed to go too far into the self-esteem trap. Yes, we need to care for kids, but we also need to acknowledge that not everyone is created equal, something that seemed to be over looked at times. Still, most his examples were of things going too far in the other direction, which makes his points very valid.
Another area was the various ethics discussions. While many of these chapters were eye opening for me, he never addressed ways to teach morals. In fact, he seems to blame adults for problems such as cheating but never blames the kids or discuss how the problem should be addressed.
The last two chapters are a discussion of ways to solve the problem of abandonment, but they seem to be impractical and fall short. City wide meetings for everyone involved with youth? What we really need is a radical shift in our entire culture. Not that I'm exactly sure how to go about doing that, either. So I'm probably little better then he is.
On the whole, this book is an eye-opener about the problems today's high schoolers face. While not perfect, it should be read by anyone who cares about today's teens. Maybe then we can come up with workable solutions to let them know we do care.
Hurt 2008-02-15
Awesome book! However, I find it hard to follow his writing at times because he's using a lot of technical terms. I think this book is very relevant to our teens today and you would be wise to take time to read it.
Eye-Opening 2007-04-13
This book was recommended to me by my youth pastor, and as a senior pastor I'm glad I've read it. If you thought you understood youth and their lifestyles, then think again. Chap Clark reveals that the youth of today are greatly different than the youth of twenty or even ten years ago. Combining hard sociological data with a Christian compassion for young people, the author enlightens anyone who comes into contact with teenagers. I strongly recommend this book to any parent, pastor, church leader, or other adult who is working with teens. We can't truly minister to younger generations until we've taken the time and effort to understand their unique needs and wants. Clark does an excellent job here of summarizing them both.
a book for every parent, or person who works with kids! 2007-03-25
Very sobering look at the state of adolecent thinking. Well researched and informative. A must read!!
Sociology, not theology 
2006-01-11
I bought this book expecting to get a healthy dose of sociology along with some seriouse theological reflection on the sociological data. I was wrong. In my opinion this book was too heavy on sociology and too lite on theology. If Clark would've spent more time connecting the sociological conclusions to theological implications, the book would've been a gem.
If you love youth, you'll read this book. 2005-10-19
Below is the book review I submitted to Group Magazine regarding this book.
This is an academic resource that differs from most in that it describes what the adolescent culture of today looks like through the eyes of those who live it.
Dr. Chap Clark has given those who care for, and work with youth another gem. This resource is for any adult (parents, counselors, teachers, professional youth workers) that has significant interaction with teenagers. Most importantly, this book offers wisdom and insight as to how to connect with teens that are abandoned and hurt. A major premise (and proof) of this book is that these abandoned and hurt teens are not just the "at-risk" youth, but a shockingly large group of students that have been left behind by well intentioned adults and their created programs. You will not find "over-talked" postmodern rhetoric in this book. You will find compelling, hard-hitting data that clearly states the crisis that teenagers are experiencing today. Hurt will be difficult for some to read because it challenges the very landscape its readers have created. Further, it is a deep book and could be challenging for some with limited reading skill level.
