'This book is an essential tool if schools are to achieve effective ways forward with those students who are unhappy; disaffected and therefore unable to cope with the present system′ - SNIP

'This is a valuable and well-written book which deserves to be widely read′ - Support for Learning

'The structure of the book is well organized and the use of marginal summaries is particularly use for those wishing an overview of the key themes from the book′ - Educational Psychology in Practice

HIGHLY COMMENDED TES/NASEN BEST ACADEMIC BOOK AWARD 2001

Susan gained her doctorate by researching the experiences of young people who had become disaffected with school. Here, she uses that information to provide a fascinating insight into the feelings and views of those young people who are hard to motivate. What we learn from her work is that we might not like what we hear, we might not agree with what we hear, but, if we are to include these young people in our schools, then we must listen to them.

This book very cleverly combines the academic study with a practical, accessible format. Margin summaries allow the browser to find relevant material. Most importantly, the book provides teachers with suggestions on how to better provide for the pupils who are hard to reach and hard to teach.