Prior Presenters' Books

Kevin Breel
Boy Meets Depression: Or Life Sucks and then You Live

Dr. Leonard Sax
The Collapse of Parenting: How We Hurt Our Kids When We Treat Them Like Grown Ups

Dr. Leonard Sax
Girls on the Edge: The Four Factors Driving the New Crisis for Girls

Shawn Achor
The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles that Fuel Success and Performance at Work

Amy Blankson
The Future of Happiness: Five Modern Strategies for Balancing Productivity and Well-Being in the Digital Era

Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age
Click here to view the film's trailer.

Parenting 10-14 years olds can be the most challenging of all the stages of development. Middle school is a time of tremendous change for families. Critical Connection is for parents of young teens who have said:

While this may seem overwhelming, the truth is that being a young teen can be wonderful. Kids at this stage of development may not admit it, but they need a stronger connection with their parents than ever before. Wise parents must seek after a better understanding of the age and try new ways to connect with and guide their children. Critical Connection offers practical advice that will help parents raise healthy young teens, inside and out.

Public and Permanent by Richard Guerry
Public and Permanent is the first book to boldly address the very dark areas of the digital world and shows how all digital citizens can avoid becoming victims of any cybercrime. If offers a raw and uncensored glimpse into the digital black market and sheds light on the terrifying reality that digital citizens are often the victim of cybercrime because of their friends, family and neighbors hand-deliver their private content to criminals.  

Cleaning House by Kay Wills Wyma
Dismayed at the attitude of entitlement that had crept into her home, Kay Wyma got some attitude of her own.  Cleaning House is her account of a year-long campaign to introduce her five kids to basic life skills and the ways meaningful work can increase earned self-confidence and concern for others.

Boys Adrift by Dr. Leonard Sax
Dr. Leonard Sax delves into the scientific literature and draws on more than twenty years of clinical experience to explain why boys and young men are failing in school and disengaged at home.  He shows how social, cultural, and biological factors have created an environment that literally is toxic to boys.  He also presents practical solutions, sharing strategies which educators have found effective in re-engaging these boys at school, as well as handy tips for parents about everything from homework to video games, to medication. 

Clean by David Sheff
Sheff asserts that addiction is a preventable, treatable disease, not a moral failing.  As with other illnesses, the approaches most likely to work are based on science -- not on faith, tradition, contrition, or wishful thinking.  These facts are the foundation of Clean, a myth-shattering look at drug abuse by the author of Beautiful Boy.  Based on the latest research in psychology, neuroscience and medicine, Clean is a leap beyond the traditional approaches to prevention and treatment of addiction and the mental illnesses that usually accompany it.

Life Beyond Your Eating Disorder by Johanna Kandel
Johanna Kandel, founder and executive director of The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness, struggled with her eating disorder for ten years before finally getting help.  Now, fully recovered, Kandel knows firsthand how difficult the healing process can be.  Through her work with The Alliance--leading support groups, speaking nationwide and collaborating with professionals in the field--she's developed a set of practical tools to address the everyday challenges of recovery.