Mel Sabshin and I worked closely together during the 1950s, and his
influence on me-as on so many others-has persisted ever since. I have never
ceased to be deeply impressed by his intellectual curiosity, his strong
sense of social responsibility, his integrative capacity across
disciplines, and his constructive problem-solving orientation. One of his
pioneering and enduring interests over several decades has been in the
study of normality. Within that frame-work, he has devoted special
attention to adolescent development. In this article I pick up on this
strand of his interest. During much of my career, and especially during the
past 14 years at the Carnegie Corporation, I have sought ways to build the
knowledge base on adolescent development and put that knowledge to use in
preventing lifelong casualties.Abstract Teaser