TROUBLE AT HOME

If your parents fight or split up, if a new child threatens your place in the family (this for teenagers), if an older sister has run away or a brother's been arrested for dope-dealing, then you will be addressed, or your standin Kevin, Larry, Steve, or Karen alluded to, in Gilbert's compendium of sensible but glib advice. If a parent's death has left you with feelings of anger, relief, fear, or guilt, you too will see your feelings--or some vague approximation of your feelings--catalogued in a paragraph-long capsule. Attention to these particular problems is preceded here by a more general look at families and their dynamics, how different ones react to crises, how irritable parents might be reacting to ""stress points"" in their lives, and how trouble at home can show up in kids' behavior. Gilbert urges kids with trouble at home to recognize the problem, look for the cause, recognize their own feelings, and talk to someone about the situation. It's reasonable advice but easier to give than to apply to one's own case without more personal attention and some feedback. This of course applies to almost all self-help books, but then they're almost all worthless. If you know a real-life teenager who has recently experienced a brother's death, parents' divorce, or whatever, read this with him or her in mind and you'll recognize its inadequacy.