Joined at the Heart: The Transformation of the American Family (Signed Edition)

by Al Gore

Over the past two generations, new economic pressures, profound cultural changes, and rapid demographic shifts have fundamentally altered the way we live our lives. The work week is longer, balancing work and family is harder than ever, and finding high-quality child and elder care is getting increasingly difficult. But if American families can no longer rely on many of the traditional landmarks by which they formerly steered their course, they are finding creative new ways to define, enrich, and honor their commitment to the most essential of all relationships." As they explore the changing nature of the contemporary family, the Gores introduce us to a dozen families they have come to know over the years. Among others, we meet a blended family with six children born to four sets of parents; an interracial family navigating an increasingly accepting world; a gay couple raising two adopted boys; and a divorced couple who organize their lives around caring for their disabled son. The Gores also share stories drawn from their own experiences, and in chapters on such issues as communication, money, play, and resilience, they provide invaluable insight into the ways families are responding - often with astonishing courage and grace - to the extraordinary challenges they face every day.

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