Many of today's teenagers are tired of the pressure to compete and consume and are looking for a different way to live their lives. This book addresses such relevant topics as peer pressure, emotional difficulties, stress, fostering peace, and protecting the environment. It offers advice on: discovering truth in a world of hype, finding peace amid the ups and downs of life, accepting ourselves, working with difficult emotions, how to meditate, dealing with temptations, making the right decisions about sex and drugs, and on volunteering.

"Through acts of compassion, our wisdom grows - we see interconnections more clearly - " (Winston, 2003, p. 258)

Buddhism is not a simple topic to tackle, especially for a beginner. But, this terrific book by Diana Winston, does a great job of connecting to adolescent readers. The language and concepts of Buddhism can be complicated, but Winston is able to deliver the material with fitting and appropriate language and examples to suit her audience - teens. This is a great 'gateway' book for teens and beginners interested in world religions, and specifically Buddhist philosophy and practice. ( )

Buddhist concepts explained for the teenage audience.