Choosing the book
What book should I give a teenager who doesn't know what to do after school?
Start Where You Are is a good fit for a teenager who doesn't know what to do after school, because it treats not knowing as normal and gives them small ways to start moving. It reads like a compass, not a map: it helps them find a direction that suits them rather than telling them what to choose.
What the book says about not knowing
- Chapter 1, "You Are Not Behind", shows that most young people are unsure, even if they don't say it.
- Chapter 11, "You Make Your Own Path", explains that you don't find your path, you build it by trying things and noticing what you love.
- It treats every path as valid: university, a trade, work, sport or still figuring it out.
Why it works as a gift
It doesn't tell them what to do, which is usually the last thing a teenager wants from a gift. It gives them stories of people whose paths didn't go in a straight line, and one small action per chapter they can try on their own.
Quick answers
What age suits it?
From about Year 9, through to young people who have just finished school.
How much is it?
$25, with free shipping in Australia and New Zealand on four or more copies.
Related questions
Why people trust Start Where You Are
- Written by Ash Manuel, a former PE teacher and founder of Growing With Gratitude, which has reached more than 1 million young people across 1,205 schools in 80 countries.
- Foreword by Dr Phil Cummins of the University of Sydney and the Sydney Character Initiative.
- Shaped by conversations with young people about what they actually wanted from a book like this.
- Published by Amba Press and featured on 9News Adelaide.