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Required Reading for All Teenagers
Growing up has never been easy, but nearly everyone would agree: these days it's harder than ever. This book is an exceptional guide to help teens get safely through the journey. Much-loved for its mix of heartfelt thoughts and positive messages, Required Reading for All Teenagers combines the words of Douglas Pagels (over 3 million books sold) with the writings of famous, insightful people from the realms of sports and entertainment. Now in an expanded, redesigned version, it is a better-than-ever source that caring and concerned parents who want to share some solid advice on how to both survive and thrive in the teenage years can rely on. With new illustrations to complement the perfectly chosen words, this is a treasure every parent will want to share with their teen.
96 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2005
3 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Pagels
70 books64 followers As the author and editor of numerous books, Douglas Pagels has been a popular and widely acclaimed writer for many years. He is one of the most quoted contemporary writers on the Internet today, his books have sold over 3.5 million copies, and his work has been translated into a number of foreign languages and enjoyed the world over.
How best to categorize his books? Some are self-help, many are intended as gifts for friends, family, and loved ones, and others combine his own philosophy with life advice from well-known personalities and wonderful others. If there were genre categories for “inspiring” and “heartwarming,” his books would fit perfectly into those.
“Douglas Pagels has a poet’s heart and a way with words that I rarely see in print... this is the type of book you can read over and over again and each time it will be meaningful.” -- recent review excerpt from an Amazon Hall of Fame, Top 500 Reviewer
One of the trademarks of Doug's work is that it is so accessible. It gives the reader a feeling of simply listening in on a conversation that comes from the heart and touches other hearts in many different ways. The more one reads his words and shares in his insights, the easier it is to understand his enormously popular appeal.
Doug's inspiration comes from many sources, including his enduring friendships and close-knit family. It comes from cherishing his forty-year relationship with his wife, from the devotion of being a father to two children, and from the many experiences he has had in his lifetime. While growing up, he lived in places as diverse as England and northern Montana before his family settled down for an extended stay in Colorado. Conversations around the dinner table were, at times, a four-generation affair, with ages ranging from eight to eighty-nine.
But other aspects of his background added insights that went beyond family and into a broader view of people — and life — in general. In his younger days, beginning at the age of ten and continuing throughout college and beyond, Doug worked various jobs — fourteen in all. They included delivering newspapers and working in stores and an auto body shop, along with jobs as a janitor, a groundskeeper, a forklift operator, a delivery man, and a variety of restaurant positions. Time spent with his fellow workers, both on and off the job, helped to foster a deeper understanding of — and compassion for — a wide segment of society.
If Doug has a keen insight into human nature, he credits it to his early and ongoing interaction with people from all walks of life, all types of jobs, and a variety of settings. From those relationships, he has developed an awareness of what makes people tick, how important their hopes and dreams are, how their entire universe can revolve around their loved ones, and, unfortunately, what a struggle their daily lives can sometimes be. His intuitive understanding of people cuts across social strata and leaves categories of age, economics, and nationality behind. There's no substitute for real world experience, and Doug readily acknowledges the enormous influence his experiences have had on the content of his work.
In recent years, in addition to writing, editing, and raising a family, he has managed to find the time for plenty of other interests. Doug has spent a great deal of time as an advocate for local environmental issues, and in years past he could be found volunteering in classrooms, coaching basketball, and building a cabin in the Colorado mountains. He and his wife are frequent travelers, and his family has been the host family for many visiting college students from around the world.
It has been said of Doug's writings that no one is better at touching on so many subjects that are deeply personal and truly universal at the same time. His words mirror those of our own innermost feelings and — in the end — it is our own special reflections that he helps us see.
How best to categorize his books? Some are self-help, many are intended as gifts for friends, family, and loved ones, and others combine his own philosophy with life advice from well-known personalities and wonderful others. If there were genre categories for “inspiring” and “heartwarming,” his books would fit perfectly into those.
“Douglas Pagels has a poet’s heart and a way with words that I rarely see in print... this is the type of book you can read over and over again and each time it will be meaningful.” -- recent review excerpt from an Amazon Hall of Fame, Top 500 Reviewer
One of the trademarks of Doug's work is that it is so accessible. It gives the reader a feeling of simply listening in on a conversation that comes from the heart and touches other hearts in many different ways. The more one reads his words and shares in his insights, the easier it is to understand his enormously popular appeal.
Doug's inspiration comes from many sources, including his enduring friendships and close-knit family. It comes from cherishing his forty-year relationship with his wife, from the devotion of being a father to two children, and from the many experiences he has had in his lifetime. While growing up, he lived in places as diverse as England and northern Montana before his family settled down for an extended stay in Colorado. Conversations around the dinner table were, at times, a four-generation affair, with ages ranging from eight to eighty-nine.
But other aspects of his background added insights that went beyond family and into a broader view of people — and life — in general. In his younger days, beginning at the age of ten and continuing throughout college and beyond, Doug worked various jobs — fourteen in all. They included delivering newspapers and working in stores and an auto body shop, along with jobs as a janitor, a groundskeeper, a forklift operator, a delivery man, and a variety of restaurant positions. Time spent with his fellow workers, both on and off the job, helped to foster a deeper understanding of — and compassion for — a wide segment of society.
If Doug has a keen insight into human nature, he credits it to his early and ongoing interaction with people from all walks of life, all types of jobs, and a variety of settings. From those relationships, he has developed an awareness of what makes people tick, how important their hopes and dreams are, how their entire universe can revolve around their loved ones, and, unfortunately, what a struggle their daily lives can sometimes be. His intuitive understanding of people cuts across social strata and leaves categories of age, economics, and nationality behind. There's no substitute for real world experience, and Doug readily acknowledges the enormous influence his experiences have had on the content of his work.
In recent years, in addition to writing, editing, and raising a family, he has managed to find the time for plenty of other interests. Doug has spent a great deal of time as an advocate for local environmental issues, and in years past he could be found volunteering in classrooms, coaching basketball, and building a cabin in the Colorado mountains. He and his wife are frequent travelers, and his family has been the host family for many visiting college students from around the world.
It has been said of Doug's writings that no one is better at touching on so many subjects that are deeply personal and truly universal at the same time. His words mirror those of our own innermost feelings and — in the end — it is our own special reflections that he helps us see.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 19, 2021
I read it in one sitting and it's a really comforting book. I know I can come back to it in the future if I want to. This is a really quick book but with a huge meaning, and it's also told in a really uncommon way.
The book also makes me feel as if I have any doubts about myself or life in general I come back and pick my self up again. 100% recommend every teenager read it.
The book also makes me feel as if I have any doubts about myself or life in general I come back and pick my self up again. 100% recommend every teenager read it.
December 26, 2014
*3.5*
This collection of quotes are very inspiring. Great for teens!
Things I did not care for-
This is a hard thing to rate. There were SO many quotes, so there were a few I thought didn't make sense because of personal opinion. Just a few.
Things I liked-
This book is filled with things to boost your mood. I loved the quotes by the author, Douglas Pagels, he is really good at making YOU feel special. So many things anybody, me included, could benefit from. Just a very inspirational read.
I would recommend this to teenagers-of course- but there are quite a few quotes in here that apply to anyone in a rough time. A lot of people could benefit from this collection.
This collection of quotes are very inspiring. Great for teens!
Things I did not care for-
This is a hard thing to rate. There were SO many quotes, so there were a few I thought didn't make sense because of personal opinion. Just a few.
Things I liked-
This book is filled with things to boost your mood. I loved the quotes by the author, Douglas Pagels, he is really good at making YOU feel special. So many things anybody, me included, could benefit from. Just a very inspirational read.
I would recommend this to teenagers-of course- but there are quite a few quotes in here that apply to anyone in a rough time. A lot of people could benefit from this collection.
October 11, 2012
The most inspiring quick read I've EVER read. I bought this book to give to my kiddos to read once they hit their teenage years. It would have been nice to hear things like this when I was a teen, better late than never. I will pass this book on to my kiddos with a note of my own and hope that they take it to heart and keep it a family tradition. It truly does express every hope, dream, and want in life you have for your children.
March 15, 2013
This book inspires me to be the best me possible. Mr.Pagels did a great job at accumulating all the quotes and putting them in a strategic order.
April 25, 2013
This is a very inspiring book full of quotes from famous people. It made me realize that everybody has hard times and if you just believe in yourself you can get through them.
July 1, 2013
My mom got it for me, before I turned 13, and well I read it and it was an amazing book, I am definitely reading it again!
March 12, 2021
Fantastic inspirational read for all ages
August 4, 2013
One thing I wish the author included would be a small snippet that described some of the famous people who had quotes in the book. I recognized some of the big ones (like Oprah Winfrey), but some of the other ones I didn't know who they were. I wish he had done something like this:
-- Oprah Winfrey, talk show host
-- Oprah Winfrey, talk show host
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews