Cognosco Learning Publishers releases the first self-empowerment book for teens-by a teen; Brain Snacks for Teens on the Go! 50 Smart Ideas To Turbo-Charge Your Life, by Alex Southmayd

BOSTON, MA, November 15, 2010

In 2009, Americans spent more than $11 billion on self-improvement products; the average reader clearly believes he has room to grow. Brain Snacks for Teens on the Go! 50 Smart Ideas to Turbo-Charge Your Life by Alex Southmayd, has just entered the fight vying for
a piece of this large pie. At the tender age of seventeen, the author now finds himself fighting
behemoth brands such as Who Moved My Cheese and Rich Dad, Poor Dad; as it turns out, he
fares quite well.

Compared with titles like Women are Crazy, Men Are Stupid and Chicken Soup for the Soul:
Living Your Dreams, Mr. Southmayd's book is welcomely understated avoiding both aggressive
Maureen-Dowd-like sassiness and spiritual-healer earnestness. The author is not selling any
revelations or divinely inspired epiphanies. He collects useful wisdom and helpful tips—the
aforementioned Brain Snacks—and unassumingly shares them with the world. The book's
humble premise sets it apart from the solipsism of The Secret and other life-changing books; as
the author himself acknowledges, he is "turbo-charging," not remodeling, the reader's life.

The book's hook is simple: "Written for teens, by a teen," and the author stays true to his
promise. He understands the wide variety of "teen issues" and jumps around covering all of
them, from time management to acne. Luckily, the author never falls into self-seriousness
thereby losing his connection with his audience. At the end of a potentially preachy Brain Snack
about compound interest, Mr. Southmayd appends two silly couplets "O, there hath not been
more of a fickle friend!/It may bring you to your demise, your end;/ Or, treat it kindly and it will
treat you same,/Bringing with it health, wealth, wisdom and name" to lighten the tone.
Each pithy brain snack/chapter brings together a variety of sources, from "my Headmaster at
Groton School, Mr. Commons" to the American Dental Association, to illustrate a greater point.

The author's eclecticism ultimately sets Brain Snacks apart as an authentic book. By handling
all these different sources from completely different contexts, Mr. Southmayd weaves a fabric
that clearly shows the mind of an adolescent at work. The book is devoid of ideology because
it puts together so many different stimuli—coaches, books, blogs—with the author compiling
them rather than structuring them around a thesis. The reader could almost imagine a day in the
life of Alex Southmayd by reading the book: class with "[his] English teacher Mr. Fry," squash
practice with his coach Mr. Taylor, training for crew, peer tutoring, early bedtime.

Mr. Southmayd's day highlights the most controversial aspect of the book. While the author is
clearly in touch with universal teen problems, self-doubt or apathy, his examples often stray
toward preppy. In "Brain Snack #40: Changing the World, One Pair of Shoes at the Time,"
Mr. Southmayd tells the story of TOMS Shoes creator Blake Mycoskie, an entrepreneur who
donates a pair of shoes for every pair he sells. Unfortunately, the story loses all of its impact
thanks to the sentence "When he was in Argentina on vacation, playing polo and having fun
in the sun." Mr. Mycoskie is a great example of a responsible CEO, but the simple mention of
polo—without any snide remark attached to it—will turn away readers from one of the book's
most interesting brain snacks.

After researching the self-improvement world, I found Brain Snacks to be a breath of fresh air.
It is simple, direct, and well-documented. Mr. Southmayd offers a rich picture of all of his stimuli
and influences creating a very readable product. Since the book's message cannot be summed
up by a catchphrase, it is a worthy read from "Brain Snack #1: How to Feel Great" to "Brain
Snack #50: Make-a-Difference Day."

Brain Snacks for Teens on the Go, will certainly make a
great holiday gift for any teenager, and can be found at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

Review by: Edoardo Saravalle

Teens today need every edge they can get to compete for the highest grades and for
acceptance at the best universities. They require direction and support from their parents,
family members, teachers and friends. According to an article in The Baltimore Sun, the
competition to get into selective colleges has become a complex, multi-year process that
leaves high achievers and their families plotting strategies to get "the letter" from a top college.

The U.S. Department of Education projects there are roughly 200,000 more high school
graduates than there were five years ago. Most highly selective colleges now accept a third
or less fewer of their applicants. Further, The Ivy League universities accepted less, fewer
than 10 percent this year.

Brain Snacks for Teens on the Go! 50 Smart Ideas to Turbo-charge
Your Life. -- written for teens, by a teen, it is an invaluable resource for young adults who are
focused on building a meaningful, successful and healthy future. Brain Snacks for Teens on
the Go! is now available in all retail bookstores, and Amazon.com