Books: New in Print

Teen Angst: First-Person and Otherwise

Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation , by Neil Howe and William Strauss ( Vintage Books, a division of Random House, 299 Park Ave., New York, NY 10171; 368 pp., $14 paperback ). Introduces the much-heralded high school classes of 2000 and beyond, for which the authors have coined the term "Millennials" (people born from 1982 to the present). Unlike rebellious teenagers of the past, the book argues, the Millennials will rebel by being better than their predecessors, not worse. They describe themselves as diligent, dedicated, energetic, spirited, and optimistic. Having written several previous works of generational history, the authors differentiate this generation by its positive attitude and forward-looking vision of possibility. In fact, they venture to suggest that this "Millennial" generation will take on the mantle of the "heroic."

The Sex Lives of Teenagers: Revealing the Secret World of Adolescent Boys and Girls , by Dr. Lynn Ponton ( Dutton, a member of Penguin Putnam, 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014; 285 pp., $24.95 hardcover ). From her experience as a psychiatrist treating patients in the teenage years, the author gives readers an opportunity to "listen in" on what young people have to say on the subject of sex. The book examines the effects of today's media explosion of sexual images on teenagers and includes an appendix listing specific tips to help parents and their children talk...