Dan Siegel has a new book out on the "power and purpose" of the teenage brain - Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain. Yesterday morning, Siegel appeared on NPR's The Diane Rehm Show.

Daniel Siegel: "Brainstorm: The Power And Purpose Of The Teenage Brain"

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Monday, January 6, 2014

Ninth-grade honors English students Jennifer Smith, left, Ruth Thomas, and Jaleesa Thomas, no relation, work on laptop computers during class at Philadelphia High School for Girls in Philadelphia, Thursday, May 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Adolescence is universally recognized as a trying time for parents and children. But new brain research suggests this period of immature and often reckless behavior is more than just a stage for parents and teens to endure. It is a vital time for adolescents to chart the course for the adults they will ultimately become. One brain researcher points out that it is during our teen years that we learn how to navigate the world outside the safety of home, how to connect deeply with others and how to safely take risks. He says that by understanding how the brain functions, teens can improve their own lives and those of their parents. Diane and her guests discuss the power and purpose of the teenage brain.

Guests

Daniel Siegel, clinical professor of psychiatry, UCLA School of Medicine and co-director, UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center.

Read An Excerpt

Excerpted from "Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain" by Daniel Siegel. Copyright © 2013 by Daniel Siegel. Excerpted by permission of Tarcher/Penguin. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.