Exceptionally comprehensive, innately interesting, and extremely readable, this best-selling text introduces students to the study of contemporary marriages and families in ways to which they can easily relate. It examines the diversity of American families—giving equal attention to all racial, ethnic, and other societal groups—and examines not only the choices, but the constraints that often limit our family-related choices today. This open-minded approach, combined with a set of practical guidelines presented in each chapter, encourages students to think and act for themselves—and thereby join the effort to resolve some of the crucial issues confronting 21st century families. Although written from a sociological perspective, the text incorporates material from other disciplines as well—e.g., history, economics, social work, psychology, law, biology, and anthropology—all supported by both quantitative and qualitative research—most from the mid to late 1990s.