“Paano Ba Ito” , written by Filipino Celebrity, Biance Gonzalez, is a book that aims to serve as a guide for teenagers up to young adults on how to handle growing up issues. From the time it was released and even up to now, it remains to be among the best selling books in the country written by a Filipino author.
For my sheer love for books, I bought one and was surprised on how much I like it. It is a given that the book is for the younger generations, but for a parent, here are my reasons why you need to have it too:
1. The book is an easy read.
Since its target are teenagers, the book is very down to earth. Reading it is like talking to a teen herself, with all her thoughts and emotions unfiltered. It is not like most books wherein each topic is backed up by various scientific researches, or psychology based studies, but rather from actual experiences. Chapters are short are direct to the point. It is easy to get drawn reading it.
2. Experience (not exactly by you) is the best teacher.
The author did not claim to be an expert in everything. She did share her experiences and sentiments but she also asked the actual experiences of those who had more meaningful experiences on a topic. You can see in the book various stories shared by different individuals, from ordinary people, to big celebrities. We get to see how they handled various situations in their life which made them better persons now.
3. You will remember the time when you were that young.
We all went through those teenage and rebellious years; the way of thinking, the sudden burst of emotions, but as we grow old and mature, we of course, see things differently and more objectively than the way we do back then. Although we know better (most of the time), sometimes we deliver it to them in a manner not in compatible with their emotional state, and this leads them to be defensive. The book will help you get into their zone again and understand them, and this will give way to a better communication between the two of you.
4. It is like a complete guide to growing up.
From your high school crushes, to peer pressures and family issues, to finding your purpose and career choices, these book has it all. It even has fashion advises to help one find her fashion identity! The way it was written is so candid, so raw. It easily opened a chest of memories in my young life. With this on hand, you can easily guide your teens as well.
5. It is Compact and Eye
This is so convenient to bring. It is small and lightweight and can easily fit into a bag. Admit it, when you are a parent, as much as you want to spend hours of time reading, you just lacked time. Thus, I take my reading with me all the time so I can steal some time while waiting in line as I do my errands, or brazing the traffic while Daddy S is driving. Believe me, it took me a week to read this book.
My favorite part of the book would have to be the “Real Stories”. I like how advice on certain topic were strengthened by actual experiences for those who went through it. I re-learned a lot from this book. Growing up, I had a lot of issues and I really wished that I had this book back then. It would have probably made me love myself more and be more forgiving to myself. But I am glad the teens of today has something to guide them aside from us parents.
Oh and by the way, the reason why I said that for Filipino parents only is because there are a lot of Tagalog (Filipino language) used in it. The essence of the book will be lost of the reader does not understand Tagalog.
And lastly, my review is based on my personal opinion only. I was not paid to do so and was not given a free book to do so. I bought the book in a bookstore, just like the way other readers did too.