The classic that is widely acknowledged to be the most valuable and insightful book ever written on the dynamics of working-class family life by a renowned sociologist, psychotherapist, and bestselling author. One of the most devastating critiques of contemporary American life that I have read. --Michael B. Katz Professor of History, York University This is a sensitive and compassionate portrayal of childhood, marriage, and adult life among the hard-working not-quite poor. It is an important contribution to our understanding of ourselves. --Robert S. Weiss, author of Marital Separation