The Self-Esteem Trap

“Wise and packed with insight ... If you’ve wondered how to cut through our culture’s obsession with perfect children, this is the book for you.” —Jean Twenge, PhD, author of Generation Me

Kids today are depressed and anxious. They also seem to feel entitled to every advantage and unwilling to make the leap into adulthood. As Polly Young-Eisendrath makes clear in this brilliant account of where a generation has gone astray, parents trying to make their children feel special are unwittingly interfering with their kids’ ability to accept themselves and cope with life.

Clarifying an enormous cultural change, The Self-Esteem Trap shows why so many young people have trouble with empathy and compassion, struggle with moral values, and are stymied in the face of adversity. Young-Eisendrath offers prescriptive advice on how adults can help kids—through the teen and young adult years—develop self-worth, setting them on the right track to productive, balanced, and happy lives.

“Her message rings true.” —Publishers Weekly