Reviving Ophelia Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls

Adolescence in America has traditionally involved breaking away from parents, experimenting with the trappings of adult life, and searching for autonomy and independence. Today's teenagers face serious pressures at an earlier age than that at which teenagers in the past did. The innocent act of attending an unsupervised party can lead to acquaintance rape. Having a boyfriend means dealing with sexual pressures, and often leads to pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases. It's no wonder that girls' math scores plummet and depression levels rise when they reach junior high. As they encounter situations that are simply too complex for them to handle, their self-esteem crumbles. The dangers young women face today can jeopardize their futures. It is critical that we understand the circumstances and take measures to correct them. We need to make that precious age of experimentation safe for adolescent girls.

Watch the trailer for the Lifetime movie Reviving Ophelia, to premiere on October 11 at 9pm ET/PT.

"Mary Pipher takes on our planet's greatest problems with the skills of a truly gifted therapist. She knows why we avoid and deny the truth and she knows how we can heal ourselves and our communities even as we try to heal the earth. This book is a deep and true gift."—Bill McKibben, author of Eaarth

"Let this strong, honest book be your companion now in these tough times, as you make real your love for our planet home.  Mary Pipher spares us moral sermons and apocalyptic scenarios.  Instead she shares her own journey.  So we learn with her how to survive despair, how to feed the heart with beauty and the company of others, how to find balance together in the face of uncertainty and even moments of failure."—Joanna Macy, author, Active Hope: How to Face the Mess we're in Without Going Crazy

"Mary Pipher has been our wise and steadfast guide through the worlds of adolescence, aging and how families can teach humane values in a culture where everything is for sale. Now she's tackling the hardest question--how we can get past denial to reverse the human caused climate change that jeopardizes the habitability of the world. As we'd expect, she does it thoughtfully, passionately, and ultimately with hope."—Paul Loeb, author Soul of a Citizen

"Take a courageous, moving and inspiring journey aboard this green boat. Discover how hopefulness and empowerment and joy grow, and how to pass honorably through heartache to the vast love that connects us all." -Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart

“Mary Pipher has a genius for illuminating in plain and poetic language the fundamental challenges we face in our complex and often overwhelming world.  She maps out how we should wrestle with the realities of climate change and then shows us practical ways to both savor and help serve our planet. This is a life-affirming book full of clarity, compassion and hope.”—Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., author of Mindsight and The Developing Mind

“This book is filled with wisdom, compassion, and the reminder that we are all still tuned to relationship. It personifies the hope and solidarity that comes from action, reminds us that one of our most effective skills is sticking together, and is a fantastic revelation of the big tent that we can be in. If you believe in honesty, balance, democracy and taking care of the land, please read this book. It will be a tonic.” - Peter Forbes, senior advisor, Center for Whole Communities, and author of Our Land, Ourselves

“With penetrating psychological wisdom and great heart, Mary Pipher invites us on a journey of deepening awareness that can save our planet. This book is a passionate and eloquent wake-up call: Please read it, and share it with anyone you know who cares about our living world.”—Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge 

“A therapeutic analysis of global crises and enthusiastic ideas on how to implement changes.”—Kirkus Reviews

"Let this strong, honest book be your companion now in these tough times, as you make real your love for our planet home.  Mary Pipher spares us moral sermons and apocalyptic scenarios.  Instead she shares her own journey.  So we learn with her how to survive despair, how to feed the heart with beauty and the company of others, how to find balance together in the face of uncertainty and even moments of failure."—Joanna Macy, author, Active Hope: How to Face the Mess we're in Without Going Crazy

"Mary Pipher has been our wise and steadfast guide through the worlds of adolescence, aging and how families can teach humane values in a culture where everything is for sale. Now she's tackling the hardest question--how we can get past denial to reverse the human caused climate change that jeopardizes the habitability of the world. As we'd expect, she does it thoughtfully, passionately, and ultimately with hope."—Paul Loeb, author Soul of a Citizen

"Take a courageous, moving and inspiring journey aboard this green boat. Discover how hopefulness and empowerment and joy grow, and how to pass honorably through heartache to the vast love that connects us all." -Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart

“Mary Pipher has a genius for illuminating in plain and poetic language the fundamental challenges we face in our complex and often overwhelming world.  She maps out how we should wrestle with the realities of climate change and then shows us practical ways to both savor and help serve our planet. This is a life-affirming book full of clarity, compassion and hope.”—Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., author of Mindsight and The Developing Mind

“This book is filled with wisdom, compassion, and the reminder that we are all still tuned to relationship. It personifies the hope and solidarity that comes from action, reminds us that one of our most effective skills is sticking together, and is a fantastic revelation of the big tent that we can be in. If you believe in honesty, balance, democracy and taking care of the land, please read this book. It will be a tonic.” - Peter Forbes, senior advisor, Center for Whole Communities, and author of Our Land, Ourselves

“With penetrating psychological wisdom and great heart, Mary Pipher invites us on a journey of deepening awareness that can save our planet. This book is a passionate and eloquent wake-up call: Please read it, and share it with anyone you know who cares about our living world.”—Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge 

—Los Angeles Times

“A must-read for all of us who care about young women in our lives…Reviving Ophelia arms us with information we can use in helping our daughters grow to adulthood with their strength intact.”

—Lincoln Star Journal

“Pipher is an eloquent advocate…[she] offers concrete suggestions for ways by which girls can build and maintain a strong sense of self.”

—Publishers Weekly 

“Serious and thoughtful material presented with the fluidity of good fiction.”

—Kirkus Reviews

"Mary Pipher takes on our planet's greatest problems with the skills of a truly gifted therapist. She knows why we avoid and deny the truth and she knows how we can heal ourselves and our communities even as we try to heal the earth. This book is a deep and true gift."—Bill McKibben, author of Eaarth

"Let this strong, honest book be your companion now in these tough times, as you make real your love for our planet home.  Mary Pipher spares us moral sermons and apocalyptic scenarios.  Instead she shares her own journey.  So we learn with her how to survive despair, how to feed the heart with beauty and the company of others, how to find balance together in the face of uncertainty and even moments of failure."—Joanna Macy, author, Active Hope: How to Face the Mess we're in Without Going Crazy

"Mary Pipher has been our wise and steadfast guide through the worlds of adolescence, aging and how families can teach humane values in a culture where everything is for sale. Now she's tackling the hardest question--how we can get past denial to reverse the human caused climate change that jeopardizes the habitability of the world. As we'd expect, she does it thoughtfully, passionately, and ultimately with hope."—Paul Loeb, author Soul of a Citizen

"Take a courageous, moving and inspiring journey aboard this green boat. Discover how hopefulness and empowerment and joy grow, and how to pass honorably through heartache to the vast love that connects us all." -Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart

“Mary Pipher has a genius for illuminating in plain and poetic language the fundamental challenges we face in our complex and often overwhelming world.  She maps out how we should wrestle with the realities of climate change and then shows us practical ways to both savor and help serve our planet. This is a life-affirming book full of clarity, compassion and hope.”—Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., author of Mindsight and The Developing Mind

“This book is filled with wisdom, compassion, and the reminder that we are all still tuned to relationship. It personifies the hope and solidarity that comes from action, reminds us that one of our most effective skills is sticking together, and is a fantastic revelation of the big tent that we can be in. If you believe in honesty, balance, democracy and taking care of the land, please read this book. It will be a tonic.” - Peter Forbes, senior advisor, Center for Whole Communities, and author of Our Land, Ourselves

“With penetrating psychological wisdom and great heart, Mary Pipher invites us on a journey of deepening awareness that can save our planet. This book is a passionate and eloquent wake-up call: Please read it, and share it with anyone you know who cares about our living world.”—Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge 

"This study will be gratefully received by many for its advice on how our increasing understanding of adolescent development can be put to practical use in helping adolescents through emotional and behavioral tumult ... Steinberg's audience is as broad as his approach and includes parents, educators, politicans, businesspeople, and health care professionals. A clear and canny look into the adolescent brain that will help influence adolescent lives for the better." —Kirkus Reviews

"This is a convincing and eloquent call for change." —Publishers Weekly

"Steinberg forces us to rethink our assumptions, and ... includes some fascinating advice ... Steinberg's essential book serves the same purpose for parents of adolescents as the work of the late Louise Ames did for those of babies, toddlers, and young children: it makes sense of these mysterious creatures." — Huffington Post

"Simply the best book I have ever read about adolescence, and I say this as both the father of seven and as a scientist who works in this field. Steinberg guides us through truly novel findings on what happens during adolescence and tells us how, as parents and teachers, we should change our ways." — Martin E. P. Seligman, Ph. D., author of Learned Optimism and The Optimistic Child

"As a mother of two boys and an educator, I am so grateful Laurence Steinberg has written this amazing book. He not only clearly and elegantly communicates the newest insights into understanding teenagers' brains but also shows how adults can manage ourselves when we get frustrated with teens' behavior." — Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees and Wannabes and Masterminds and Wingmen

"If you need to understand adolescents — whether your own or anyone else's — you must read this book. Steinberg explains why most of our presumptions about adolescence are dead wrong and reveals the truth about this exciting and unnerving stage of life. Written with warmth, lucidity, and passion, Age of Opportunity will fill parents with relief by demystifying their children. Educators and policy-makers should study it carefully." — Jennifer Senior, author of All Joy and No Fun

"I love this book! Steinberg has blended the latest research with his decades of expertise to give us a bold new view of the perils and promise of adolescence." — Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., Clinical Professor, UCLA School of Medicine, and author of Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain

"Clear, evidence-based, and solutions-oriented, Age of Opportunity is the roadmap you need whether you already have a teen or young adult, or are preparing for one." — Madeline Levine, Ph.D., author of The Price of Privilege and Teach Your Children Well

"A fascinating and important book. What every parent, teacher and counselor MUST know about the adolescent brain, its vulnerabilities, and its tremendous possibilities." — Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology, Stanford University, and author of Mindset

"A masterful summary of what science has recently discovered about adolescence. I learned something new on every page." — Angela Duckworth, Ph.D., MacArthur Fellow and Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania

"This fascinating book gives us cause for concern, cause for hope and cause for celebration. Whether you're a parent or an adolescent yourself, you should read it. There's information in these pages that could change and improve your life." — Peg Tyre, author of The Good School: How Smart Parents Get Their Kids the Education They Deserve

"Steinberg explains how 'abnormal' adolescent behavior is actually 'normal.' This book belongs on the shelf of every parent, teacher, youth worker, counselor, judge — heck, anyone interested in pre-teens and teenagers." — David Walsh, Ph.D., author of Why Do They Act That Way?

"Based on cutting-edge research and the wisdom of a leading authority in the field, this magnificent book will captivate parents, teachers, policy-makers and adolescents themselves." — Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, Ph.D., Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College, London

This is the groundbreaking work that poses one of the most provocative questions of a generation: Why are American adolescent girls falling prey to depression, eating disorders, suicide attempts, and dangerously low self-esteem? Dr. Pipher posits that it's America's sexist, look-obsessed "girl-poisoning" culture-one in which girls are constantly struggling to find their true selves. In Reviving Ophelia, these girls' uncensored voices are heard from the front lines of adolescence. Personal and painfully honest, this is a compassionate call to arms, offering strategies with which to revive these Ophelias' lost senses of self.

"Mary Pipher takes on our planet's greatest problems with the skills of a truly gifted therapist. She knows why we avoid and deny the truth and she knows how we can heal ourselves and our communities even as we try to heal the earth. This book is a deep and true gift."—Bill McKibben, author of Eaarth

In Reviving Ophelia, Mary Pipher offered a paradigm-shattering look at the lives of adolescent women. Now Pipher is back with another ground-breaking examination of everyday life, this time exploring how to conquer our fears about the major environmental issues that confound us and transform them into a positive force in our lives.

Pipher emphasizes the importance of taking small, positive steps to preserve what’s important, drawing from her own experiences as part of a group fighting energy company TransCanada’s installation of the Keystone XL oil pipeline across the Midwest, which will sit atop the Ogallala Aquifer, the source of 40% of the United States’ fresh water. The challenges she confronts reveal surprising answers to the critical questions we face: How do we mobilize ourselves and our communities to work together to solve global problems? How do we stay happy amid very difficult situations?  And what is the true meaning of hope?

Both profound and practical, The Green Boat explains how we can attend to the world around us with calmness, balance, and great love.

"Mary Pipher takes on our planet's greatest problems with the skills of a truly gifted therapist. She knows why we avoid and deny the truth and she knows how we can heal ourselves and our communities even as we try to heal the earth. This book is a deep and true gift."—Bill McKibben, author of Eaarth

In Reviving Ophelia, Mary Pipher offered a paradigm-shattering look at the lives of adolescent women. Now Pipher is back with another ground-breaking examination of everyday life, this time exploring how to conquer our fears about the major environmental issues that confound us and transform them into a positive force in our lives.

Pipher emphasizes the importance of taking small, positive steps to preserve what’s important, drawing from her own experiences as part of a group fighting energy company TransCanada’s installation of the Keystone XL oil pipeline across the Midwest, which will sit atop the Ogallala Aquifer, the source of 40% of the United States’ fresh water. The challenges she confronts reveal surprising answers to the critical questions we face: How do we mobilize ourselves and our communities to work together to solve global problems? How do we stay happy amid very difficult situations?  And what is the true meaning of hope?

Both profound and practical, The Green Boat explains how we can attend to the world around us with calmness, balance, and great love.

The groundbreaking work that poses one of the most provocative questions of a generation: what is happening to the selves of adolescent girls?

As a therapist, Mary Pipher was becoming frustrated with the growing problems among adolescent girls. Why were so many of them turning to therapy in the first place? Why had these lovely and promising human beings fallen prey to depression, eating disorders, suicide attempts, and crushingly low self-esteem? The answer hit a nerve with Pipher, with parents, and with the girls themselves. Crashing and burning in a “developmental Bermuda Triangle,” they were coming of age in a media-saturated culture preoccupied with unrealistic ideals of beauty and images of dehumanized sex, a culture rife with addictions and sexually transmitted diseases. They were losing their resiliency and optimism in a “girl-poisoning” culture that propagated values at odds with those necessary to survive.   

Told in the brave, fearless, and honest voices of the girls themselves who are emerging from the chaos of adolescence, Reviving Ophelia is a call to arms, offering important tactics, empathy, and strength, and urging a change where young hearts can flourish again, and rediscover and reengage their sense of self.

A leading authority draws on new research to explain why the adolescent years are so developmentally crucial, and what we must do to raise happier, more successful kids.

Adolescence now lasts longer than ever before. And as world-renowned expert on adolescent psychology Dr. Laurence Steinberg argues, this makes these years the key period in determining individuals’ life outcomes, demanding that we change the way we parent, educate, and understand young people.

In Age of Opportunity, Steinberg leads readers through a host of new findings — including groundbreaking original research — that reveal what the new timetable of adolescence means for parenting 13-year-olds (who may look more mature than they really are) versus 20-somethings (who may not be floundering even when it looks like they are). He also explains how the plasticity of the adolescent brain, rivaling that of years 0 through 3, suggests new strategies for instilling self-control during the teenage years. Packed with useful knowledge, Age of Opportunity is a sweeping book in the tradition of Reviving Ophelia, and an essential guide for parents and educators of teenagers.