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Blame My Brain Amazing Teenage Brain
Blame My Brain: The Amazing Teenage Brain Revealed Contrary to popular opinion, teenagers are not lazy, unpleasant - frankly, spotty - louts they occasionally appear to be. This book includes chapters dealing with powerful emotions, the need for more sleep, the urge to take risks, the difference between genders and the reasons behind addiction or depression. Full description
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
September 1, 2017
I have a theory.
If you work long enough surrounded by 600 teenagers, your brain adapts to their way of (non)thinking. You develop most symptoms of a teenage brain:
- confusion (which lesson do I teach next, and what are those students called, and have I handed out that worksheet already, and where did I put my keys/bag/coffee mug?)
- irritability (can't you ever be on time, do we REALLY have another meeting after the last lesson? Who spilled coffee on my desk, why is it so noisy in here? I am going to kill whoever stole my whiteboard markers, I can't believe I have to explain this again!)
- anxiety (do I really have to come up with examples for all symptoms? Does this review even make sense? Did I forget to teach that class?)
- spontaneous joy and hilarity (Do I ever laugh as heartily as in a classroom full of adolescent stand up comedians?)
-peer bonding (No one understands me except for my colleagues, partners in insanity)
- irrational decisions (Let's change the lesson now...)
Reading about what goes on in an adolescent's brain can make all the difference to a teacher or parent who deals with the fallout of it each day. Understanding the mechanisms behind the strange behaviour makes you a better judge of the utterly bizarre situations in which teenagers find themselves all the time.
A perfect example occurred to me this week during a modern language class. I explained complicated grammar to a group of 15-year-old students. They were not overly pleased, of course, and moaned and complained about it. All of a sudden, one student understood the structure of the sentence we were going through, and could apply his knowledge to any other sentence in the workbook. He was incredibly pleased with himself, and bragged about it happily, as teenagers do. He also made a point of telling me how good it felt, and I agreed.
Two hours later, I met him in the hallway. He said:
"Do you remember how cool it was when I understood the grammar in class?"
"Yes, that was great", I agreed.
"You know what's really weird, though?" he continued. "I don't remember any of it now!"
We looked at each other, shrugged, and suddenly burst out laughing. Teenage brain at work.
Nicola Morgan's entertaining book is written for the teenagers themselves, to explain the phase they are going through, so they can develop tools to cope with the intensity of the teenage years. It is not meant to be read as an excuse for bad behaviour though, rather as a guideline to give support. As it targets people with a short attention span, it is very simply written, without deeper analysis or scientific underpinning. On days when I am suffering from contagious teenage brain, that is just perfect, as any complicated text is likely to make me drift off and stare at the wall while unconsciously destroying my fountain pen or knitted cardigan.
Recommended for teenagers who want to know what is going on, and likewise for parents and teachers who want to know what degree of craziness is normal when dealing with that particularly exciting kind of human - the teenager!
I am off to look for my keys now...
If you work long enough surrounded by 600 teenagers, your brain adapts to their way of (non)thinking. You develop most symptoms of a teenage brain:
- confusion (which lesson do I teach next, and what are those students called, and have I handed out that worksheet already, and where did I put my keys/bag/coffee mug?)
- irritability (can't you ever be on time, do we REALLY have another meeting after the last lesson? Who spilled coffee on my desk, why is it so noisy in here? I am going to kill whoever stole my whiteboard markers, I can't believe I have to explain this again!)
- anxiety (do I really have to come up with examples for all symptoms? Does this review even make sense? Did I forget to teach that class?)
- spontaneous joy and hilarity (Do I ever laugh as heartily as in a classroom full of adolescent stand up comedians?)
-peer bonding (No one understands me except for my colleagues, partners in insanity)
- irrational decisions (Let's change the lesson now...)
Reading about what goes on in an adolescent's brain can make all the difference to a teacher or parent who deals with the fallout of it each day. Understanding the mechanisms behind the strange behaviour makes you a better judge of the utterly bizarre situations in which teenagers find themselves all the time.
A perfect example occurred to me this week during a modern language class. I explained complicated grammar to a group of 15-year-old students. They were not overly pleased, of course, and moaned and complained about it. All of a sudden, one student understood the structure of the sentence we were going through, and could apply his knowledge to any other sentence in the workbook. He was incredibly pleased with himself, and bragged about it happily, as teenagers do. He also made a point of telling me how good it felt, and I agreed.
Two hours later, I met him in the hallway. He said:
"Do you remember how cool it was when I understood the grammar in class?"
"Yes, that was great", I agreed.
"You know what's really weird, though?" he continued. "I don't remember any of it now!"
We looked at each other, shrugged, and suddenly burst out laughing. Teenage brain at work.
Nicola Morgan's entertaining book is written for the teenagers themselves, to explain the phase they are going through, so they can develop tools to cope with the intensity of the teenage years. It is not meant to be read as an excuse for bad behaviour though, rather as a guideline to give support. As it targets people with a short attention span, it is very simply written, without deeper analysis or scientific underpinning. On days when I am suffering from contagious teenage brain, that is just perfect, as any complicated text is likely to make me drift off and stare at the wall while unconsciously destroying my fountain pen or knitted cardigan.
Recommended for teenagers who want to know what is going on, and likewise for parents and teachers who want to know what degree of craziness is normal when dealing with that particularly exciting kind of human - the teenager!
I am off to look for my keys now...
August 19, 2020
One of a number of books that highlights the important research being done on the development of the teenage brain and how it explains a lot of typical adolescent behaviour and mood. Although the best source for that is probably the TED talk by Sarah Jane-Blackmore (https://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_jayne...) and I didn't learn anything much new here.
More unusually though this book is very much pitched at teenagers themselves and in that regard it is a 4 star read. As an adult I found it all a bit cheesy and (as per above) containing little new, but it is then useful to read in parallel with your teenager(s).
More unusually though this book is very much pitched at teenagers themselves and in that regard it is a 4 star read. As an adult I found it all a bit cheesy and (as per above) containing little new, but it is then useful to read in parallel with your teenager(s).
July 17, 2013
I was really keen to read this book as soon as I read the blurb. My long term plan post finishing my degree is to work in a library where I get to work with teenagers, I thought this would be a really useful addition to my personal library.
The first thing I must say about this book is how very accessible it is. It is aimed at teenagers and the adults around them, the book is written in a way that both groups will find interesting and helpful but never feel talked down to or overloaded with information. Relevant scientific research is included wherever it is relevant, this again is discussed in a great manner, there’s no need to have a scientific background to be able to understand it.
The book covers six key areas; Emotions, Sleep, Risk-taking, Gender differences, Mental health issues and Brain development in older teens. Each section includes a case study, a description of what’s going on in the teenage brain, some theories of why the teenage brain might work the way it does, some useful facts and hints to help teenagers and parents survive this stage, and a quiz or activity to do. I really liked this structure, I’m sure different readers will particularly like different sections but by presenting the information in a range of ways there will definitely be something for everybody.
I’m obviously no longer a teenager myself, nor a parent of a teenager, but I found it fascinating to be able to think back to my own teenage years and my experiences (and those of some classmates) and finally understand why some people acted the way that they did.
I think this is a really valuable book, since reading it I’ve recommended it to a number of friends who work with teenagers. I know I’ll be referring back to it for years to come.
The first thing I must say about this book is how very accessible it is. It is aimed at teenagers and the adults around them, the book is written in a way that both groups will find interesting and helpful but never feel talked down to or overloaded with information. Relevant scientific research is included wherever it is relevant, this again is discussed in a great manner, there’s no need to have a scientific background to be able to understand it.
The book covers six key areas; Emotions, Sleep, Risk-taking, Gender differences, Mental health issues and Brain development in older teens. Each section includes a case study, a description of what’s going on in the teenage brain, some theories of why the teenage brain might work the way it does, some useful facts and hints to help teenagers and parents survive this stage, and a quiz or activity to do. I really liked this structure, I’m sure different readers will particularly like different sections but by presenting the information in a range of ways there will definitely be something for everybody.
I’m obviously no longer a teenager myself, nor a parent of a teenager, but I found it fascinating to be able to think back to my own teenage years and my experiences (and those of some classmates) and finally understand why some people acted the way that they did.
I think this is a really valuable book, since reading it I’ve recommended it to a number of friends who work with teenagers. I know I’ll be referring back to it for years to come.
November 16, 2014
Blame my Brain is a well intentioned shortish romp through the teenage mind. The strongest part of this piece is the simplification of developmental neuroscience and non-judgmental approach to adolescence.
The downside is the book is a pretty brief treatise on the subject and lacks thorough analysis on the subject. The examples were a little on the cheesy side and maybe some real case-studies would have been better.
The downside is the book is a pretty brief treatise on the subject and lacks thorough analysis on the subject. The examples were a little on the cheesy side and maybe some real case-studies would have been better.
February 4, 2012
Very interesting, I wish I could recall more of what I was like during my teenage years. As my son is approaching this age, this book provides valuable insight. It's written for the teenager to read, but this does not detract from the content. Pretty much essential reading! Got it from the library after hearing the author on the radio talking about why teenagers have untidy bedrooms.
January 19, 2020
Interesting read, has raised some things about my teenagers development that I wasn't aware of. I'm going to make her read it next as it's aimed at teenagers!
April 2, 2021
Fascinating and useful insight into the complex workings of the brain.
May 18, 2021
This is brilliant and is a must read for all parents of an adolescent.
It made me think, reflect and plan. Some of what is covered in this book will, hopefully, help me understand what my children are going through during this particular time.
It made me think, reflect and plan. Some of what is covered in this book will, hopefully, help me understand what my children are going through during this particular time.
July 24, 2022
This book was recommended to me on separate occasions by a couple of experts on mental health so I decided to read it. Really informative and backed by science to understand the teenage brain. Now I've handed it to me teenage daughter so she can read it herself.
July 28, 2013
'Blame my brain' has confirmed to me that I was not demented after all or angst-ridden just for the hell of it back when I was a hormonal teenager. It is also a great relief to me to know now that the earth was not resting its weary weight on my shoulders but there was in-fact a logical explanation for the way I was feeling. The insights into the young brain supplied by Nicola Morgan on her roller-coaster ride of the teenage mind and why they do the things they do, almost convince you that it was OK to pour juice over your brother because he was pressing all the wrong buttons or to write on your sisters jewellery box because you couldn't quite understand why she annoyed you so much. Well, almost.
From strops to tantrums to Neanderthal behaviour in boys and princess-like diva nonsense in girls - this should be read by every teenager, sibling and parent in the world. It offers a more feasible answer instead of 'that's just the way he/she is'.
My new 'how to cope' guide will not be in use for a few years yet but I will hold it close when the time comes. Thank you for writing this Ms Morgan - you are truly an inspiration.
From strops to tantrums to Neanderthal behaviour in boys and princess-like diva nonsense in girls - this should be read by every teenager, sibling and parent in the world. It offers a more feasible answer instead of 'that's just the way he/she is'.
My new 'how to cope' guide will not be in use for a few years yet but I will hold it close when the time comes. Thank you for writing this Ms Morgan - you are truly an inspiration.
February 23, 2022
I originally got this book for my son to help him to navigate the inevitable changes that the teen years bring! It sat on his shelf unopened for weeks so I decided to give it a go myself! I honestly wish I had this book when I was a teen. While it describes the science behind the changes in emotion, behaviors, habits, etc., it does so in easy-to-understand terms that any layperson can grasp. For teens, it will bring them solace that all the frustrations, emotions, etc that they are experiencing is normal and expected and will settle down. For parents of teens, especially first timers, it will give them a better understanding of what is going on and, why their once sweet, angelic child has suddenly become grumpy, cheeky, know it all teen!!! It also has the added bonus that, despite us trying to delude ourselves that we, ourselves were perfect teens, never getting into trouble, never giving cheek, never taking risks or defying authority, we in fact were not and gave our own parents just as much anxiety as we are now feeling ourselves with our own teens! It's just part of the process. A mandatory read for parents before their kids hit the teens!!!
March 17, 2010
This book is an absolute must for anyone with children (pre-teen so that you can prepare ahead and during teen so that you know what's going on)! It really does help explain what is happening inside your teenager's brain but never offers an excuse, claiming that full responsibility for a person's brain remains with its owner. It helped me as a mother and I'm hoping it will help my 14 year-old daughter. Please read it!
February 5, 2012
This really is a very interesting book and so easy to read and understand. I liked the examples of the teenagers going through the different emotional states and the explanations after. As its written for both adults and teenagers to read it doesn't patronise you in anyway and there's lots of humour in it too. I would definitely recommend this to everyone with children coming up to the teen years as I think its a great help to understand whats going on.
January 4, 2017
Very informative book! I recommend it to any parent, teen or person who interacts with teenagers on a regular basis. This book really helps understand what is going on inside the heads of teenagers.
It's also quite a light read, it's short and uses simple language.
A book written about science by not a scientist for not scientists. Does it get any better than that?
It's also quite a light read, it's short and uses simple language.
A book written about science by not a scientist for not scientists. Does it get any better than that?
November 14, 2012
Really useful book for anyone with approaching teenage children or who works woth teenagers. The book itself is written for teenagers, and although I bought it originally for my almost 12 yr old, I'd probably not want him reading about things like alcohol, drugs and self-harm quite yet.
January 22, 2017
I realised partially through the book that it was aimed at teenagers. Nevertheless I still felt that it was very light on information and seemed anecdotal in places. I do not feel it would be of use to my 13 year old son, and it certainly was not of use to me.
September 3, 2016
Its written more for teenagers, and the depth of information was lacking. I was left disappointed.
June 19, 2018
Some interesting insights, but a bit thin.
July 22, 2024
I started reading the 2013 edition and didn’t want to finish it. I work therapeutically with children and young people and it’s useful to be able to offer them a book to help them and their parents understand the very important changes that are happening within the brain during adolescence, and to an extent this book was explaining that well. However, I’d be interested to read a newer edition - I found a lot of the information in this edition outdated and stereotyped, and I may even go as far to say patronising in some areas. The section on the differences between male and female brain makes a lot of assumptions, especially when explaining neurodivergence as being more prevalent in males than females - this has been proven to be very much wrong eleven years after this edition was published, so hopefully this has been put right in the more recent edition. I think more recent research has shown that the differences between male and female brains are very much dependent on socialisation and are actually a lot more subtle than being made out here (even the cited research could possibly be flawed - I wonder if further experiments have been carried out to explore this further - this is only my opinion though) and also this text is from a very heteronormative viewpoint. I also found the quiz about risk-taking to be ‘leading the witness’ creating judgements about creativity, and also marriage as being a norm of maturation. Unfortunately I wouldn’t want to give this edition of the book to teens I work with, which is a shame because I was hoping it would be the opposite. Maybe the more recent edition would prove a better resource?
December 22, 2021
I enjoyed this book and although my teenagers haven’t read it yet I know they’ll like the interactive experiments which are interspersed through the pages.
That said I read it with a slight pinch of salt. While the generalisations are fascinating, and the basic biology explained well, it is not written by a scientist and a lot of the assessments are very simplistic. For example girls absolutely have autism but it is far more likely to go undetected and many attempt to mask their ‘different ness’ which causes other mental health problems. The book makes no reference to this and just asserts that autism is more likely in boys - a more nuanced explainer would have really helped. And perhaps bearing in mind the current debates around transgender, referencing this and how it plays into the debate would have also showed a more contemporary view of how we view the differences in individual teenage brains.
That said I read it with a slight pinch of salt. While the generalisations are fascinating, and the basic biology explained well, it is not written by a scientist and a lot of the assessments are very simplistic. For example girls absolutely have autism but it is far more likely to go undetected and many attempt to mask their ‘different ness’ which causes other mental health problems. The book makes no reference to this and just asserts that autism is more likely in boys - a more nuanced explainer would have really helped. And perhaps bearing in mind the current debates around transgender, referencing this and how it plays into the debate would have also showed a more contemporary view of how we view the differences in individual teenage brains.
March 10, 2024
Lugesin raamatu eestikeelset versiooni "Süüdi on mu aju. Avastusretk teismeliste hämmastavas ajus" (Ühinenud Ajakirjad 2024, inglise keelest tõlkinud Pirkko Põdra). Goodreadsis seda valikut polnud.
https://rahvaraamat.ee/p/suudi-on-mu-...
Tundub, et autor kirjutab läbisegi kõigile. Näoilmete test kuni 12-aastastele (lk 82), veidi hiljem soovitus hoiduda täielikult alkoholist (lk 98), sest "kuigi see võib uniseks teha, häirib alkohol tegelikult und väga".
Tõlkes mainitakse oluliste kalkunisöömise pühadena nii jõule kui ka tänupüha ning kasutatakse näiteks skisofreenia tutvustamisel vanamoodsat väljendit vaimuhaigus (lk 223), mida Peaasi.ee (korduvalt tõlkes soovitatud) nimetab stigmatiseerivaks.
Peaasi.ee järgi tuleks vaimuhaige asemel öelda näiteks psüühikahäirega inimene, psüühilise/vaimse tervise probleemidega inimene. Sellest ka kahtlus, kui hästi ülejäänud materjali edastamisega on toime tuldud, kuna konsultanti tõlke juures ei mainita.
https://rahvaraamat.ee/p/suudi-on-mu-...
Tundub, et autor kirjutab läbisegi kõigile. Näoilmete test kuni 12-aastastele (lk 82), veidi hiljem soovitus hoiduda täielikult alkoholist (lk 98), sest "kuigi see võib uniseks teha, häirib alkohol tegelikult und väga".
Tõlkes mainitakse oluliste kalkunisöömise pühadena nii jõule kui ka tänupüha ning kasutatakse näiteks skisofreenia tutvustamisel vanamoodsat väljendit vaimuhaigus (lk 223), mida Peaasi.ee (korduvalt tõlkes soovitatud) nimetab stigmatiseerivaks.
Peaasi.ee järgi tuleks vaimuhaige asemel öelda näiteks psüühikahäirega inimene, psüühilise/vaimse tervise probleemidega inimene. Sellest ka kahtlus, kui hästi ülejäänud materjali edastamisega on toime tuldud, kuna konsultanti tõlke juures ei mainita.
January 2, 2021
I would not give this to my adolescents to read. Over simplified and very little actual science. I did glean a couple of interesting insights - about recognising emotions, and sleep - but the premise that you can blame teenage behaviour on their brains is deterministic and depressing! No mention of diet, parenting, peer pressure, social media etc., and a lack of positive, practical advice. I was particularly unimpressed with the advice to ‘treat yourself to the cd your parents wouldn’t let you have’. The chapter on mental health is worse than useless - suggesting the answer is ‘pills’ (medically, anti-depressants are not recommended for under 16s as they can increase risk of suicide). Will be looking for a better book on this topic.
January 28, 2022
Fascinating I would rate this book a 5/5 stars and recommend to everyone! Never have I seen such a clear and easy to understand discussion on neuroscience research. This book explains teenager's behavior through looking at the structure of the brain and includes theories for the reason why the brain has adopted this structure. I find the research especially compelling and the writing style to be so phenomenal and easy to read. This book gives you all the information without being overly scientific or confusing. My only complaint is that sometimes the author introduces statistics and brain imaging techniques without considering the faults with these methods (ie, she is basing her conclusions on only reported cases of mental illness in boys and girls when we know as scientists that this is an under reported area and we also know that fMRI's can only show where there is brain activity based in response to a stimuli and not exactly what the brain is thinking at that time). Even so this book is excellent- I want to share what has been written with everyone! I would highly recommend .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2019
This book is about the way your brain changes while you're a teenager and how these changes can account for behaviours such as risk-taking, difficulty going to sleep early and a tendency to react emotionally as opposed to rationally. It's aimed at teenagers wanting to find out more about the way their brain works but is of course of interest to anyone who works with teenagers. Morgan includes fictional vignettes that exemplify some of the behaviours discussed and details of research that psychologists have done in the field. It's a fascinating and often funny read - highly recommended.
July 22, 2021
An excellent read. So much so that I have now bought myself a physical copy to have in my office at work.
Aimed directly at teenagers, it is pitched just right - with the correct balance between facts, theory, and guidance.
Morgan breaks scientific ideas down into manageable and interesting chunks, and uses a combination images and quizzes to aid her explanations.
I would strongly recommend this read to teenagers and their parents, but also to anyone who works with adolescents; it has certainly given me a fresher perspective on the students I see day-to-day.
Aimed directly at teenagers, it is pitched just right - with the correct balance between facts, theory, and guidance.
Morgan breaks scientific ideas down into manageable and interesting chunks, and uses a combination images and quizzes to aid her explanations.
I would strongly recommend this read to teenagers and their parents, but also to anyone who works with adolescents; it has certainly given me a fresher perspective on the students I see day-to-day.
March 25, 2018
Interesting information in very simple language. Geared for the teenager but I still learned a lot of generalities about the pruning process in the brain, how emotions and hormones come into play, as well as some simple why and how answers. If you are thinking about limiting screen play time or encouraging/requiring sport or other development of interests - DO IT! The patterns forged now are what will be more easily maintained/harder to quit when they are adults.
October 8, 2018
Highly recommended for parents of teenagers wondering why they can never seem to say ANYTHING right... Good, clear, researched and referenced explanations of the science behind adolescent brain development. Refreshingly simple for a non-scientist to understand. Oh yeah, great for teens to read too if you can find one who won’t call it “urgh, one of those stupid self-help books you like, Mum. You’re so lame...”
November 17, 2018
I honestly wish I had read this book when I was younger and just going through all the things described in the book, because it would have helped me understand what is going on in my brain and how to help deal with it all.
The information was presented in a really nice easy to read way and I think the stories that are presented also help to make it a more interesting read and help to put it into real life perspective rather than just facts on a page.
The information was presented in a really nice easy to read way and I think the stories that are presented also help to make it a more interesting read and help to put it into real life perspective rather than just facts on a page.
May 12, 2021
Really useful book for teens and those working with them or parents of teens. Lots of accurate info conveyed simply. My main issue with this was the references in the book to ‘successfully committing suicide’ saying ‘commit’ is outdated as suicide is not a crime now and we are encouraged to move away from talking about a suicide attempt as successful or failed and rather to say completed instead, I would have given more stars but for this.
January 2, 2023
A good review of the basics of the teenage brain - definitely would be helpful for parents of teens and teens themselves but a bit reductionist in some spots for example in the brief section on neurodivergence (ASD/ADHD) the author states that you are more likely to have these if you are male rather than point out that girls are chronically under diagnosed and often present symptoms differently. But all in all a good and easy read.
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