Drawing on the revelatory results of a landmark study William Damon one of the countrys leading writers on the lives of young people whose book Greater Expectations won the Parents Choice Award brilliantly investigates the most pressing issue in the lives of youth today why so many young people are failing to launch living at home longer lacking career motivation struggling to make a timely transition into adulthood and not yet finding a life pursuit that inspires them. His groundbreaking study shows that about onefifth of youth today are thriving highly engaged in activities they love and developing a clear sense of what they want to do with their lives but approximately onefourth are still rudderless at serious risk of never fulfilling their potential. The largest portion are teetering on the brink in need of guidance to help them move forward some are dabblers who pursue strings of disconnected interests with no real commitment others dreamers who have no realistic plans or understanding of what success will require.