Books by Dr. Marlin S. Potash
Am I Weird or Is this Normal?
by Marlin Potash and Laura Potash Fruitman
AM I WEIRD OR IS THIS NORMAL? ADVICE AND INFO TO GET TEENS IN THE KNOW.
Simon and Schuster, 2001.
Finalist, 2001 Books for Better Living Award, National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Also published in Thailand.
Dr Potash on CBS click here to watch
"Wouldn't it be fantastic if you could talk to your mom honestly and frankly about topics like first French kisses, or what boys look like naked? Well, high school teen Laura Potash Fruitman can, and she has decided to share these conversations with girls everywhere in this self-help manual for female teens, Am I Weird or Is This Normal? Laura's mom is Manhattan psychotherapist Marlin S. Potash, and using tag-team techniques, she and Laura give a crash course in Teen Trauma 101, covering every topic from puberty and sex to making friends and choosing colleges. Both Potashes emphasize the positive message that being weird is normal, because "everyone feels that they are different," but the book is at its best when the two disagree, resulting in humorous interchanges that often lighten their serious subject matter. What mother-daughter team Lynda and Area Madaras did for puberty (the revolutionary What's Happening to My Body? books) Marlin and Laura Potash have done for 21st century grrrlhood. But grrrls, keep in mind that this no-embarrassing-stone-unturned treatment of teen issues and sexuality is probably best kept among best girlfriends--parents may blush over the detailed section on oral sex. While the exuberant authors needed a little more help with chapter placement (the sections on sex, STDs, and rape precede the chapter that should probably come first--puberty, periods, and nutrition) there's no doubt that they sincerely care about their female adolescent audience, and that Am I Weird is an excellent girl guide for the thoroughly modern miss. (Ages 14 to 18).”
Jennifer Hubert Amazon.com's Best of 2001
"In Am I Weird or Is This Normal?: Advice and Info to Get Teens in the Know, Marlin Potash and her 16-year-old daughter, Laura Potash Fruitman, with Lisa Sussman, touch on, among other things, dating, drugs, money, college admissions, eating disorders, friendship and sex. Pressing questions are followed by honest answers from the psychologist and the teenager, each experts in their own way. Sidebars provide helpful tips, checklists and straightforward discussions.”
Publishers Weekly, Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
"Gr. 8-12. Of the many current books about relationships and sex for teenage girls, this one is unique in that its authors are a mother and her teenage daughter. Largely written in question-and-answer format, the book provides frank information, using both scientific and slang terms, on the physical and emotional aspects of sex, including graphic descriptions of orgasm, oral sex, masturbation, birth control, and sexually transmitted diseases. (The page with drawings of genitalia was unlabeled in the review copy.) Other aspects of adolescence covered include: appearance, emotions, peer pressure, making and keeping friends, living with parents and siblings, surviving high school, and preparing for college. Handy bulleted lists appear throughout, and there is a directory of organizations, including some hotlines. The handful of cartoon illustrations are more annoying than illustrative, but curious teenagers will appreciate the frankness of the information and the authors' points of view.
Booklist, Catherine Andronik Copyright © American Library Association
"Everyone feels strange, embarrassed, and just plain weird at times. This book is for every girl who has ever wondered whether all the stuff that’s happening to her body, feelings, and relationships is normal. This dynamic mother-daughter duo gives a lowdown on everything that a teenage girl goes through by offering answers and advice about all the stuff that’s on her mind. By giving a look into other girls’ experiences, the authors have handled sticky situations that crop up on the way to womanhood with aplomb. The authors discuss sensitive issues like puberty, crushes, dating, school, communicating with peers and handling extreme emotions. They urge every girl to break stultifying stereotypes and develop their own personality by being proud of their unique interests and ideas, of their differences from boys and from each other. With uplifting mantras you can pull out whenever you need them, the authors help teenage girls – and their families – get through life by seeing that weird is normal. Think of this book as a caring guide to help you determine what kind of relationships, education, career, goals, values, beliefs, status – what kind of life you want."
HealthLibrary.com
"This book is a must have for anyone who has ever dealt with teen drama (My guess is that is probably everyone reading this right now.) The authors are a mother-teen team and they can answer all your questions about the embarrassing, distressing and confusing issues of teendom."
Teenreads.com
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