10 to 25

10 to 25

The Science of Motivating Young People

Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Acclaimed developmental psychologist David Yeager reveals the new science of motivating young people in this groundbreaking book. It is a must-read for parents, educators and mentors.


In 10 to 25, David Yeager explains the emerging science of adolescent and young adult brains to reveal how we can engage, teach and support the young people in our lives. Neuroscientists have discovered that around age ten, changes in the brain spur young people to crave socially rewarding experiences, such as pride, admiration, and respect, and to become highly averse to social pain. This sensitivity to status and respect continues into the mid-twenties. 10 to 25 helps adults to use this science to learn how to encourage young people and avoid frustrating patterns of miscommunication and conflict.

Yeager explains how to adopt the mentor mindset – a leadership style that’s attuned to young people’s need for status and respect – by following a few highly effective and easy-to-learn practices. These include validating young people’s perspectives (rather than dismissing them), asking them questions (rather than telling them what to do), and holding them to high standards (rather than coddling them). Yeager’s scientific experiments have shown these practices reduce a wide variety of behaviour problems, including mental health issues, unhealthy eating, stress and purposelessness.

Young people in this age group are poised to learn, grow, and accomplish incredible things – if only we can tap into the basic neurobiological systems that drive their motivation and behaviour. 10 to 25 offers long-term strategies to help nurture well-adjusted, independent, accomplished young adults, and is necessary reading for all parents, educators and mentors.

‘Required reading for anyone who aspires to be a wise influence on the young people they care about.’ Angela Duckworth

‘One of the most fascinating and important books of the past decade . . . It will change millions of lives.’ Carol Dweck

‘This book is life-changing . . . a must-read for anyone who works with young people.’
Laurie Santos, Professor of Psychology at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast

'An important and extremely useful book.' Andrew Huberman


© David Yeager 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024

Reviews

  • Here, Yeager gets into the nitty-gritty: how the adolescent brain differs from ours, his top tips for communicating with the next generation, and the different mindsets we take when interacting with those younger than us.
    Oprah Daily

About the author

David Yeager

David Yeager, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and the cofounder of the Texas Behavioral Science and Policy Institute. He is best known for his research conducted with Carol Dweck, Angela Duckworth, and Greg Walton on short but powerful interventions that influence adolescent behaviours such as motivation, engagement, healthy eating, bullying, stress, mental health, and more. He has consulted for Google, Microsoft, Disney, and the World Bank, as well as for the White House and the governments in California, Texas, and Norway. His research has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, CNN, Fox News, The Guardian, The Atlantic, and more. Clarivate Web of Science ranks Yeager as one of the top 0.1% most-influential psychologists in the world over the past decade.


Prior to his career as a scientist, he was a middle school teacher and a basketball coach. He earned his PhD and MA at Stanford University and his BA and MEd at the University of Notre Dame. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and their four children.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more