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Praise for the Handbook of World Families: "At a time when we are moving more and more toward a global village, this ambitious book provides evidence of world-wide trends in families and family relations. It also illustrates the resilience of local cultures, seen in variations among nations in trends and responses to them. This is a very useful resource for obtaining the kind of baseline information that is essential to comparative work. As well, a number of chapters contribute to our understanding of the complexities and politics of family life, starting with what is meant by family. This book will educate many about other parts of the world and the central place of families in them." —Ingrid Arnet Connidis, University of Western Ontario "In the Handbook of World Families, Bert Adams and Jan Trost, two of the leading scholars in the field of comparative family studies, have masterfully edited a book that comparatively examines families from 25 nations located around the world. The chapter contributors have both theoretical and research knowledge as well as lived experiences of respective nation′s families. The result is a well written, highly informed, and authoritative handbook that investigates an extensive range of family issues from local, national, and global perspectives." -Mark Hutter, Rowan University What defines a family? The term family is very complex with a vast range of meanings. It can mean a married couple with children, a single parent and child, a married couple with no children, even pets and close friends can be considered to some people as family. The variety is enormous and this family diversity is present not just in the United States, but around the world. The Handbook of World Families provides a cross-cultural perspective on the family by examining family life in 25 countries worldwide. The countries included in this volume are organized by six world regions including Africa, Asia/South Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and