Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, wrote the following (partial) foreword in 101 SECRETS!
I hated being a pre-teenager.
At the time, I thought I hated it because I was shy, and awkward, and had no idea how to interact with other kids or adults. I thought I hated it because school was hard, and people were mean. I felt that I had no special skills, and I fit in exactly nowhere.
Nowadays, I have come to realize the truth: I hated those years because I had no good map for navigating the world.
WAIT�THERE�S A MAP, you ask? Believe it or not, yes, there is. Actually, it�s not one map, but a lot of possible maps. In this book, you will find that Joe Sottile provides two kinds of navigational tools:
a) Things that you can do to make life good (or better) RIGHT NOW.
b) Principles for seeing and thinking clearly about situations you may encounter in the future.
Think of the first part as being given a nice clear map, with a 101 signposts highlighting the roads that are useful to take immediately. Joe�s secrets are strategies that anyone can learn, and his stories help you see that others have been there before. Follow some of these guidelines and, I promise, your life will improve in small or large ways. You want to know, RIGHT NOW, how to be a better friend, how to learn what you need to learn to be successful at school and in your career someday, how to avoid bullies, how to be happier? Read this book, find what is useful to you, and practice it!...
Think of the second part as being given a compass� As you read, you�re going to encounter a lot of big ideas, and a lot of small actions that are going to get you thinking and trying them out right away. The time just before the teens is a confusing time� Joe shows you how to think about the world, so you can focus on what it means to choose the right path for yourself...
Many people try to �do the right thing� so as not to get into trouble with the authorities. Or because they think it will get them some reward down the road�
But there�s a better reason. This book is special�Joe Sottile is special�because he knows something that a lot of people, even adults, don�t. And this is the main secret that is really behind this book:
The best reason to �do the right thing� is that IT WILL BENEFIT YOU: the you that is you now, and the you that is you as an adult. People who never figure out how to do the right thing are not�cannot be�happy. But if you get into a habit of consistently thinking things through, figuring out what solution will most move the world in a positive direction, what solution is creative rather than destructive� then you�ll have a happy life. I promise.
