“AI promises to transform the lives of teenagers in many ways, inside and outside the classroom,” notes Allen. The book opens with diagrams that show how young people use generative AI and how they feel about it. (Confusingly, statistics presented just four pages apart differ dramatically and are presented without clarifying context: An opening uncited pie chart indicates that 41% of teens and young adults have never used generative AI, while a 2024 Common Sense Media survey in Chapter 1 gives a figure of 30%.) The introduction describes positive and negative examples of uses of AI, such as monitoring for warning signs of worsening mental health and the distressing discovery that early ChatGPT models “discussed suicide plans with young users and helped them write suicide notes.” Later chapters cover education (cheating concerns, personalized tutoring), deepfakes and cyberbullying (sextortion, the Take It Down Act), chatbots (app-based companions, unhealthy obsessions), leisure (personalized entertainment recommendations, more immersive gaming) and job market applications (developing “skills that AI cannot match,” career coaching). The clear sentences, text boxes, infographics, and stock photos with descriptive captions keep the flow of information organized. The chapters begin with real-life examples and quotations, followed by evenhanded explanations of the power, limitations, unintended consequences, and outright misuse of AI tools.

This accessible short text, illustrated with full-color stock photos, tackles reasons for the toxic atmosphere that exists in the U.S. Allen explains that the internet has accelerated the spread of conspiracy theories long understood as dangerous, through unfiltered social media platforms that spread disinformation and untruths. AI-generated content, such as deepfakes, adds to the problem. Students must be able to consider information sources, analyze them, and evaluate their use. This book provides information about several controversial issues that have divided the public along party lines, primarily the facts and fictions swirling around recent presidential elections and health care issues such as the efficacy of vaccines to combat Covid-19 and their connection (or lack thereof) with autism. The author describes each side’s views, and quotations from journalists and a variety of experts (which are sometimes highlighted in colored text boxes) allow readers to trace how technology has amplified or exposed falsehoods that influence legislation, stoke violence, and cause harm to individuals. Allen’s source notes show that he largely drew upon secondary sources published in 2024 and 2025, making this an up-to-date resource on a fast-changing topic.

Roland opens in the post–World War II era, tracing the innovations that led to what many consider the first true video game—Tennis for Two—before charting the rise of Atari’s Pong in the 1970s and the ensuing golden age of arcades, an era defined by Space Invaders and the advent of battles for high scores. As home consoles boomed in the 1980s, arcades declined; early systems from Magnavox and Atari ceded ground to Nintendo and Sega. In the late 1990s, Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox ignited console wars, with each new generation marked by leaps in graphics, storage, controller design, and online connectivity. Roland also surveys the evolution of handheld gaming, from the Game Boy to today’s smartphones and hybrid systems. Throughout, he considers gaming’s deep cultural influences on language, fashion, popular culture, and social interactions. Roland’s view of the contemporary gaming industry is largely optimistic; he frames it as a professionalizing, diversifying field with increasing opportunities for women, although one that’s still hampered by gender inequity. Notably absent, however, is any discussion of widespread racism in gaming communities and coordinated misogynistic harassment campaigns such as Gamergate, significant omissions in a work seeking to present gaming’s social dynamics. While text boxes touch on controversies involving violence, bullying, and addiction, they skirt these major issues.

Unfolding across five chapters, the text first explores Prevost’s early life as a child who “wanted to play priest” and chose to attend junior seminary after eighth grade. This dedication to rigorous study marked the beginning of his path to priesthood. What followed was a meteoric rise within the global Catholic community and as a result of these successes, including many years serving the church in Peru, his nomination to the papacy in 2025. The text strikes a balance between attempting to humanize Prevost and presenting the Vatican’s pontiff; anecdotes injected with humor contrast, sometimes jarringly, with stories of his virtuous achievements and his great intelligence. Steffens addresses criticisms of Leo’s ideological approach; however, some complex scenarios surrounding Prevost’s handling of sexual assault accusations toward clergy are condensed, to the detriment of nuanced treatment of the subject, and the resolution of these sections feels lukewarm. Discussions of Leo’s stance on contemporary issues, such as AI and environmental concerns, ground the text. Quotes from Prevost’s classmates and peers appear throughout, adding fresh perspectives. Religious terminology is sometimes defined in the text, and frequent photographs complement or expand upon the information provided in the text.

In the prologue to this collection, the author explains that what lies beyond is “an absurd recounting of my nonsensical life presented with the intent of making you smile.” There follows a whirlwind of pieces featuring Zeebo. “Country Fried Gizzards” finds him eating at a diner with fellow traveling musicians as he waxes about the oddities of Southern cuisine. “The Year of the Goat” chronicles a relationship with a woman named Chloé; she is beautiful but insists on “complete domination over everything and everybody she allowed into her life.” In “Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo,” Zeebo is in Colorado. His plan is to get stoned while on a layover, but he winds up getting a little too high for his own good. “Ode to Redneck Pete” is a character sketch about Zeebo’s neighbor Pete, a man who likes to use alliterative phrases like “sleazy old slime slut.” The longest piece, “The Blueberry Society,” follows a teenage Zeebo on a quest for love during a strange adventure in upstate New York. The stories run wild with whimsy and off-color humor; in “Christmas and the Art of Curling,” Zeebo, while tripping on acid, decides to “yank out every pubic hair” he has with tweezers. In one of the funniest scenes, while Zeebo is trying to avoid Chloé after a breakup, he remarks that he “felt more in control even though [he] continued crawling around on the floor” as he found himself “reduced to a paranoid reptile.” There are portions in which not much happens; “The Blueberry Society” includes mundane observations, like someone remarking, “That’s an osprey looking for a snack.” Still, the story includes more emotional content than the reader might initially expect—Zeebo is even reduced to tears as he imagines another character’s “hopeful vision of a future.” Taken altogether, Zeebo’s adventures are delightfully rife with the unexpected.