
What Are They Thinking?!
The Straight Facts about the Risk-Taking, Social-Networking, Still-Developing Teen Brain
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Aaron White
About this listen
Groundbreaking developments in adolescent brain research underpin this straightforward guide to understanding - and dealing with - teen behavior.
Adolescence has long been characterized as the “storm and stress” years, and with recent developments in digital communication, it seems today’s teens are in for a more complicated journey than ever before. Even the most sympathetic, “in-touch” parents might throw their hands up in frustration at their teen’s unpredictable and risky behavior and ask: what are they thinking?!
It turns out that teens’ thrill-seeking activities and quests for independence aren’t just the result of raging hormones, but rather typical effects of the unique structure and development of the adolescent brain. In easily navigable chapters full of practical anecdotes and examples, acclaimed scientists Aaron White and Scott Swartzwelder draw from the most recent studies on the teen brain to illuminate the complexities of issues such as school, driving, social networking, video games, and mental health in kids whose crucial brain connections are just coming online.
©2013 Aaron M. White and Scott Swartzwelder (P)2013 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Why We Sleep
- Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
- By: Matthew Walker
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life, wellness, and longevity. Until very recently, science had no answer to the question of why we sleep, or what good it served, or why we suffer such devastating health consequences when we don't sleep. Compared to the other basic drives in life - eating, drinking, and reproducing - the purpose of sleep remained elusive.
-
-
I recommend this to EVERYONE
- By M. Balfour on 12-11-17
By: Matthew Walker
-
Keep Sharp
- How to Build a Better Brain at Any Age
- By: Sanjay Gupta MD
- Narrated by: Sanjay Gupta MD
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Throughout our life, we look for ways to keep our minds sharp and effortlessly productive. Now, globetrotting neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta offers “the book all of us need, young and old” (Walter Isaacson, number-one New York Times best-selling author of The Code Breaker) with insights from top scientists all over the world, whose cutting-edge research can help you heighten and protect brain function and maintain cognitive health at any age.
-
-
A Master Class in Brain Resilience
- By Chad B Wickland on 01-06-21
By: Sanjay Gupta MD
-
ADHD 2.0
- New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction - from Childhood Through Adulthood
- By: Edward M. Hallowell M.D., John J. Ratey M.D.
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Now, most people have heard of ADHD and know someone who may have it. But lost in the discussion of both childhood and adult diagnosis of ADHD is the potential upside: Many hugely successful entrepreneurs and highly creative people attribute their achievements to ADHD. Also unknown to most are the recent research developments, including innovations that give a clearer understanding of the ADHD brain in action.
-
-
Wonderful but beware heavy on product placement
- By Amazingon Customer on 01-13-21
By: Edward M. Hallowell M.D., and others
-
The Teenage Brain
- A Neuroscientist's Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults
- By: Frances E. Jensen, Amy Ellis Nutt
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert, Frances E. Jensen
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on her research, knowledge, and clinical experience, internationally respected neurologist--and mother of two boys--Frances E. Jensen, MD, offers a revolutionary look at the adolescent brain, providing remarkable insights that translate into practical advice both for parents and teenagers.
-
-
Preachy and Uninformative
- By endlessemma on 05-16-16
By: Frances E. Jensen, and others
-
Spark
- The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain
- By: John J. Ratey MD, Eric Hagerman - contributor
- Narrated by: Allan Robertson
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Did you know you can beat stress, lift your mood, fight memory loss, sharpen your intellect, and function better than ever simply by elevating your heart rate and breaking a sweat? The evidence is incontrovertible: Aerobic exercise physically remodels our brains for peak performance. In Spark, John J. Ratey, MD, embarks upon a fascinating and entertaining journey through the mind-body connection, presenting startling research to prove that exercise is truly our best defense against everything from depression to ADD to addiction to aggression to menopause to Alzheimer's.
-
-
I wish to give it 5 stars but…
- By Anonymous User on 06-24-22
By: John J. Ratey MD, and others
-
Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers
- The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping - Now Revised and Updated
- By: Robert Sapolsky
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 17 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Now in a third edition, Robert M. Sapolsky's acclaimed and successful Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers features new chapters on how stress affects sleep and addiction, as well as new insights into anxiety and personality disorder and the impact of spirituality on managing stress. As Sapolsky explains, most of us do not lie awake at night worrying about whether we have leprosy or malaria. Instead, the diseases we fear-and the ones that plague us now-are illnesses brought on by the slow accumulation of damage, such as heart disease and cancer.
-
-
The narrator is awful
- By Amazon Customer on 12-15-14
By: Robert Sapolsky
-
Why We Sleep
- Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
- By: Matthew Walker
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life, wellness, and longevity. Until very recently, science had no answer to the question of why we sleep, or what good it served, or why we suffer such devastating health consequences when we don't sleep. Compared to the other basic drives in life - eating, drinking, and reproducing - the purpose of sleep remained elusive.
-
-
I recommend this to EVERYONE
- By M. Balfour on 12-11-17
By: Matthew Walker
-
Keep Sharp
- How to Build a Better Brain at Any Age
- By: Sanjay Gupta MD
- Narrated by: Sanjay Gupta MD
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Throughout our life, we look for ways to keep our minds sharp and effortlessly productive. Now, globetrotting neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta offers “the book all of us need, young and old” (Walter Isaacson, number-one New York Times best-selling author of The Code Breaker) with insights from top scientists all over the world, whose cutting-edge research can help you heighten and protect brain function and maintain cognitive health at any age.
-
-
A Master Class in Brain Resilience
- By Chad B Wickland on 01-06-21
By: Sanjay Gupta MD
-
ADHD 2.0
- New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction - from Childhood Through Adulthood
- By: Edward M. Hallowell M.D., John J. Ratey M.D.
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Now, most people have heard of ADHD and know someone who may have it. But lost in the discussion of both childhood and adult diagnosis of ADHD is the potential upside: Many hugely successful entrepreneurs and highly creative people attribute their achievements to ADHD. Also unknown to most are the recent research developments, including innovations that give a clearer understanding of the ADHD brain in action.
-
-
Wonderful but beware heavy on product placement
- By Amazingon Customer on 01-13-21
By: Edward M. Hallowell M.D., and others
-
The Teenage Brain
- A Neuroscientist's Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults
- By: Frances E. Jensen, Amy Ellis Nutt
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert, Frances E. Jensen
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on her research, knowledge, and clinical experience, internationally respected neurologist--and mother of two boys--Frances E. Jensen, MD, offers a revolutionary look at the adolescent brain, providing remarkable insights that translate into practical advice both for parents and teenagers.
-
-
Preachy and Uninformative
- By endlessemma on 05-16-16
By: Frances E. Jensen, and others
-
Spark
- The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain
- By: John J. Ratey MD, Eric Hagerman - contributor
- Narrated by: Allan Robertson
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Did you know you can beat stress, lift your mood, fight memory loss, sharpen your intellect, and function better than ever simply by elevating your heart rate and breaking a sweat? The evidence is incontrovertible: Aerobic exercise physically remodels our brains for peak performance. In Spark, John J. Ratey, MD, embarks upon a fascinating and entertaining journey through the mind-body connection, presenting startling research to prove that exercise is truly our best defense against everything from depression to ADD to addiction to aggression to menopause to Alzheimer's.
-
-
I wish to give it 5 stars but…
- By Anonymous User on 06-24-22
By: John J. Ratey MD, and others
-
Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers
- The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping - Now Revised and Updated
- By: Robert Sapolsky
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 17 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Now in a third edition, Robert M. Sapolsky's acclaimed and successful Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers features new chapters on how stress affects sleep and addiction, as well as new insights into anxiety and personality disorder and the impact of spirituality on managing stress. As Sapolsky explains, most of us do not lie awake at night worrying about whether we have leprosy or malaria. Instead, the diseases we fear-and the ones that plague us now-are illnesses brought on by the slow accumulation of damage, such as heart disease and cancer.
-
-
The narrator is awful
- By Amazon Customer on 12-15-14
By: Robert Sapolsky
-
Your Brain on Porn
- Internet Pornography and the Emerging Science of Addiction
- By: Gary Wilson
- Narrated by: Noah Church
- Length: 5 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When high speed Internet became widely available a few years ago, growing numbers of people began to worry that their porn use was running out of control. Far from preparing them for fulfilling relationships, viewing an endless stream of porn videos led to unexpected symptoms.
-
-
very informative!!!!
- By Blacktino!!!!! on 11-16-20
By: Gary Wilson
-
The Hacking of the American Mind
- The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains
- By: Robert H. Lustig
- Narrated by: Robert H. Lustig
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
While researching the toxic and addictive properties of sugar for Fat Chance, Robert Lustig made an alarming discovery - our pursuit of happiness is being subverted by a culture of addiction and depression from which we may never recover. Dopamine is the "reward" neurotransmitter that tells our brains we want more; yet every substance or behavior that releases dopamine in the extreme leads to addiction. Serotonin is the "contentment" neurotransmitter that tells our brains we don't need any more; yet its deficiency leads to depression.
-
-
6 stars
- By Andrew in Ohio on 10-07-17
By: Robert H. Lustig
-
The Molecule of More
- How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity - And Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race
- By: Daniel Z. Lieberman MD, Michael E. Long
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity—and will Determine the Fate of the Human Race, George Washington University professor and psychiatrist Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD, and Georgetown University lecturer Michael E. Long present a potentially life-changing proposal: Much of human life has an unconsidered component that explains an array of behaviors previously thought to be unrelated, including why winners cheat, why geniuses often suffer with mental illness, why nearly all diets fail, and more.
-
-
Did you know conservatives have more orgasms?
- By Josh on 10-21-20
By: Daniel Z. Lieberman MD, and others
-
Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (Revised and Expanded)
- The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Lack of Focus, Anger, and Memory Problems
- By: Daniel G. Amen M.D.
- Narrated by: Daniel G. Amen M.D.
- Length: 16 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, renowned neuropsychiatrist Daniel Amen, M.D., includes new, cutting-edge research gleaned from more than 100,000 SPECT brain scans over the last quarter century and scientific evidence that your anxiety, depression, anger, obsessiveness, or impulsiveness could be related to how specific structures work in your brain.
-
-
Don't buy!
- By Chris Howell on 11-01-16
-
Brain Energy
- A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health—and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
- By: Christopher M. Palmer MD
- Narrated by: Christopher M. Palmer MD
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We are in the midst of a global mental health crisis, and mental illnesses are on the rise. But what causes mental illness? And why are mental health problems so hard to treat? Drawing on decades of research, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer outlines a revolutionary new understanding that for the first time unites our existing knowledge about mental illness within a single framework: mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain. Brain Energy will transform the field of mental health, and the lives of countless people around the world.
-
-
Arguing brain health theory to medical profession
- By Maya H Saric on 03-10-23
-
The Upward Spiral
- Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time
- By: Alex Korb PhD.
- Narrated by: David deVries
- Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Depression can feel like a downward spiral, pulling you down into a vortex of sadness, fatigue, and apathy. Based in the latest research in neuroscience, this audiobook offers dozens of little things you can do every day to rewire your brain and create an upward spiral towardsa happier, healthier life.
-
-
Practical & Positive
- By Sara on 07-05-15
By: Alex Korb PhD.
-
Neuroscience: Learning about Hallucinations, Emotions, and Intelligence
- By: Jane Hampton
- Narrated by: Jordan Gunner
- Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This guide will help shed some light on these subjects, and suggest/provide some treatment options: Phobias are a worldwide phenomenon, but why do we have them? What is manic depression? Tourette’s Syndrome has various causes and manifestations, using this audiobook you can learn how to detect and began to manage it. Hallucinations, everyone’s heard of them, but most don’t know the full extent. Bulimia is something that is more well known. Aphasia, if you know what this word means, then either you, or someone you love has suffered from it. And much more!
-
-
I loved this
- By Anonymous User on 02-24-20
By: Jane Hampton
-
Neuroscience
- Boost Your Knowledge About Memory and the Human Brain
- By: Sally Stephens
- Narrated by: Tom Bowdler
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Three books in one! Title 1: Why do we have phobias? Why can they be so intense and irrational? Is there a difference between being afraid of something, and having a phobia of it? Are there any signs to indicate a phobia? What exactly is manic depression? What causes Tourette’s Syndrome? Title 2: Hallucinations are sensations that are perceived as real, when in reality, they are not. Learn about the myths and truths that surround bulimia. Title 3: Learn about aphasia, the amygdala, anorexia, the inner thought process, and testosterone.
-
-
Interesting stuff
- By Theresa on 01-15-20
By: Sally Stephens
-
Healing ADD Revised Edition
- The Breakthrough Program That Allows You to See and Heal the 7 Types of ADD
- By: Daniel G. Amen M.D.
- Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd
- Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Attention deficit disorder (ADD) is a national health crisis that continues to grow - yet it remains one of the most misunderstood and incorrectly treated illnesses today. Neuropsychiatrist Daniel G. Amen, MD was one of the first to identify that there are multiple types beyond just purely hyperactive or inattentive ADD, each requiring a different treatment. Now, in this all-new, revised edition, Dr. Amen again employs the latest medical advances in the field, including the largest brain imaging study ever completed on patients with ADD.
-
-
Amazing Book
- By Jennifer on 11-24-14
-
The Telomere Effect
- A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer
- By: Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, Dr. Elissa Epel
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Have you wondered why some 60-year-olds look and feel like 40-year-olds and why some 40-year-olds look and feel like 60-year-olds? While many factors contribute to aging and illness, Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn discovered a biological indicator called telomerase, the enzyme that replenishes telomeres, which protect our genetic heritage. Dr. Blackburn and Dr. Elissa Epel's research shows that the length and health of one's telomeres are a biological underpinning of the long-hypothesized mind-body connection.
-
-
I expected so much more
- By Innate on 01-28-17
By: Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, and others
-
Unbroken Brain
- A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction
- By: Maia Szalavitz
- Narrated by: Marisa Vitali
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Challenging both the idea of the addict's "broken brain" and the notion of a simple "addictive personality", Unbroken Brain offers a radical and groundbreaking new perspective, arguing that addiction is a learning disorder, and shows how seeing the condition this way can untangle our current debates over treatment, prevention, and policy.
-
-
Not what I expected
- By Jennifer Sader on 08-28-16
By: Maia Szalavitz
-
Born for Love
- Why Empathy Is Essential - and Endangered
- By: Bruce D. Perry, Maia Szalavitz
- Narrated by: Corey M. Snow
- Length: 11 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From birth, when babies' fingers instinctively cling to those of adults, their bodies and brains seek an intimate connection - a bond made possible by empathy, the remarkable ability to love and to share the feelings of others. In this unforgettable book, award-winning science journalist Maia Szalavitz and renowned child psychiatrist Bruce D. Perry explain how empathy develops, why it is essential both to human happiness and for a functional society, and how it is threatened in a modern world.
-
-
Born for Love is a Rallying Call for Caring and Cry for Help
- By Jeffrey Olsen on 09-24-18
By: Bruce D. Perry, and others
What listeners say about What Are They Thinking?!
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- L. B. Kacir
- 05-14-15
Accurate, helpful and engrossing
I am an ADHD specialist and I spend a lot of time in my office reassuring parents and teens about the frequent occurrence of exactly the issues discussed in this book.
The data presented is up to date and, indeed, more recent than that I have been using with my patients and their parents. It is made clear when evidence is supportive, but not definitive. When there are no "gold standard " randomized controlled studies, that lack, too, is overtly stated.
My only negative criticism lies in the vignettes that start each chapter and are used to illustrate occasional other information. Maybe it's just me, but it took me a few chapters to realize that the author/ narrator was quoting other parents and not giving his own experience. Until I wised up, I was amazed at the stress he must be under!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful