WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE. . ."" STOP!

Oh, dear. This is just the sort of book that would make any self-respecting college student STOP (that's an acronym for Student Tunes Out Parent). The authors are two Californians, a guidance expert and a professor of education and they want to build bridges across that generation gap. Alas, they're part of the problem, not part of the solution: the book reads like it was written by a computer. Chock full of data-processed cliches. Why does one semester at college turn Billy into a sullen, long-haired, pot-smoking stranger? Why does Billy want to drop out, join a commune, stage a sit-in in the college president's office? Don't worry Dad, it's perfectly normal, part of Billy's search for self. Billy really cares: about honesty, individualism, racial equality, peace, student government, Robert's rules of order, relevant education, love, truth and human dignity. Dad and Bill have many ""shared values"" though ""they may interpret them differently."" To help ease the strains of communication the authors provide song interludes -- rock lyrics are true barometers of how students really feel. And maybe Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones can express it better (but not if they're misquoted -- which should tip you off to the authors' tin ear). Or maybe Billy and Dad will agree that this sort of trite generalization does a disservice to both their lifestyles. That'll give them something to talk about.