The author of this expensive but beautifully produced book states his thesis: ‘That the great internal turmoil and external disorder of adolescence are universal and only moderately affected by cultural determinants.’ He proceeds to prove this convincingly by the use of autobiographies, diaries, and letters dating from the first century to the present, and culled from all over the world.

Following a useful review of the literature on adolescent psychology and personal documents, he groups his material into chapters dealing with such topics as psychosexual characteristics, the conflict of generations, the peer culture, the adolescent intellect,