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2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
What Your Mother Never Told You Nov 18, 2009
In "What Your Mother Never Told You," Dudum addresses issues that many young women will not come to understand until after graduating high school (or even college). His advice regarding confidence, self-respect, individuality, and independence provides the underpinnings to his "guide for teenage girls," and offers direction that applies to both the purest and promiscuous girls. Dudum's advice may be in some sense paternal, but it is not naive or idealistic. He understands the modern obstacles that are being presented to young women today (online indecency, drugs, etc.) and speaks with first-hand experiences and examples. His guidance is relevant, insightful, and to the point. Dudum sometimes apologizes for "being to blunt," but he really isn't. His words are relatable and honest--so you aren't just having "the talk" with your dad. Every young woman should pick up this book; there's something to take away for every type.
--Morgan, college sophomore
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Good present for young teens Feb 04, 2009
This was for a co-workers daughter who talkes to me sometimes when she is fussing with her Mom. The parents loved the frank discussions and she is avidly reading it due to the title.... the content discussions are open and honest, something teens can instantly tell. Thank you for a good tool for my adopted neice!
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
EVERY teenage girl needs this book! Sep 24, 2008
I must admit when I first received this offer I was intrigued because I've read lots of books for teenage girls, mostly when I was a teen, but never one written by a guy. So I was very interested in reading what a guy had to tell a teenage girl.
This is the BEST guide for teen girls I have ever seen and even though my kids are only 1 and 2, I'll be saving it for when they are teens. I wish I had this guide when I was younger.
This is a no-nonsense, no-bull&*%! book that tells it like it is, which is exactly what teen girls need and exactly what all the other guides are lacking. As a parent of a teen, you may be shocked at what the author says but you would need to realize that teens aren't stupid and they know when you are just giving them lectures disguised as advice.
For example, most books tell teens they shouldn't drink and why. This book tells you that AND says that if despite all this info, you still decide to drink (because let's face it, many will,) than at least drink SAFELY and here's how.
Also the author helps the teen think about how the parents feel or think and to consider that when they decide to do something or not.
Each chapter is short, which is good because talking too much on one tough subject will just make the teen tune out. Here is a brief list of topics covered: Body Language, Never Assume, Mean Girls, Confidence and Self-Esteem, Stereotypes, How to Tell Your Parents (anything), Watch Your Back, Gossip, Sex, Alcohol, Drugs, Facebook/Email/Webcams, Porn, Free Will, Love and much more. You will also find some appendices with these titles: Specific Drug Details, Sexual Assault - Steps to Take, Signs to Watch For, A Friend in Need and Take Some Time.
I cannot make it clear enough how much EVERY teenage girl needs a copy of this book. If you think that having your child read about alcohol, drugs and Sex or talking about it will make him or her try it, you are mistaken. Statistics have proven that having an open conversation and not holding back on real facts will help your teen make better choices.
If you happen to be a teen and are reading this, you NEED this book. If you have money, buy it. Otherwise ask a trusted adult to get it for you as a gift.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
A powerful read that touches the heart and mind of young women Jun 26, 2008
This is a warning that the review you are about to read is not my typical review. Every once in a while you read a book that is so powerful and touches you in such a way that you must talk about it in that fashion.
Such is the case with "What Your Mother Never Told You: A Survival Guide for Teenage Girls" by Richard M. Dudum.
When I began reading this book I kept thinking, "Gee, all this advice sounds like common sense. Why would anyone want to buy it?" But I'm a month shy of 40 years old, of course it all seems like common sense to me; I've already lived through it.
As soon as I got to the section titled How to Handle Yourself, however, everything changed. Suddenly, I was no longer a wife and mother with all my wordly experiences. I was back in high school trying to fit in, struggling to figure out who I was while dealing with the loss of my mother who died of cancer my freshman year. I had no confidence, no idea what I should or shouldn't be doing, and no one to guide me into adulthood because my father and I rarely spoke.
What a difference this book would have made in my life had it only been available back then!
"What Your Mother Never Told You" teaches young women about the importance of self-respect, removing themselves from situations they have no business being in, and how to get out if they happen to find themselves in one of those sticky situations. It talks about sex, drugs, alcohol, boys, personal safety, Internet safety, and many other topics that young women must know about in order to survive and thrive in today's world.
Dudum should be applauded for his dead-on, practical advice that he shares in a direct manner that young people will appreciate. There's no hand holding going on here, just a straightforward approach that reaches right to the hearts and minds of young women everywhere.
Also included are five Appendices including links to specific drug details; steps to take if the reader or someone she knows has been assaulted; signs to watch for that will help the reader identify if one of her friends is participating in self-destructive behavior; how to help a friend in need; and the lyrics to a song written by the author's son that summarizes the messages Dudum is trying to impart to the reader.
"What Your Mother Never Told You" is a must read for every young woman and should be available in school libraries and at your high school's guidance office. I encourage parents and daughters to read it together. I'll be tucking my copy away so that I can share it with my daughters when they are old enough.
These final words come from Page 221 and 222 of "What Your Mother Never Told You" and sum up my exact thoughts on how I feel as a mother of two girls growing up in a world that is sometimes less than safe:
"I want you to have fun, go to parties, meet boys and girls, dance, laugh, sing, and have a great time. At the same time, I want you to always anticipate and avoid potentially harmful people, places, situations, and the type of fun that can blur your reputation. I want you to always be smart and safe...I want you to be confident, elegant, and hold yourself to the highest standard, a standard that is beyond compare. A standard that YOU can and will always be proud of...I want you to always respect yourself."
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
A Definite Must Read May 21, 2008
Richard Dudum does a fantastic job of talking to young women in this book. The language, on occasion, is blunt and may put off some parents reading this book, but please do not let that stop you.
I have a 14 year old daughter who will be starting high school in the fall and she WILL be reading What Your Mother Never Told You this summer. Mr Dudum makes so many great points in this book. This book is broken up into 10 parts (11 if you include the section of Appendices) beginning with "Perceptions and Communication Skills" which deals with, in part, "Body Language". I think few girls understand that how they dress and act (flirting, etc) effect how boys will treat them. Should everyone treat everyone else the same, yes, do they, no.
With other subjects, such as "Your Parents", Mr Dudum let's the girls in on the secret that they didn't come to us with a manual. We don't know what we're doing most of the time; most of us are winging it. He gives them tricks and tools for dealing with us.
In the Prologue Richard M Dudum states his wish that this book would become required reading for middle school girls. I wholeheartedly agree with him. This book is chock full of helpful and important information for young girls/women. In my humble opinion, this book should be in every middle school library for 8th grade girls to read. It should be in every high school library as well. What Your Mother Never Told You should become a reference book for these young women. A book to turn to when they are having trouble, because let's face it, as much as we wish and want our children to turn to us when they have a question, they don't always feel like we'll listen to them. With this book in your home, you have a tool for your girls to begin a dialogue with you in an effortless manner (leave it out in the living room/kitchen with a bookmark in the appropriate chapter).
Thank you Richard M Dudum!
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