Contemporary Perspectives in Family Research (CPFR) provides a forum for the very latest in family research; examining family structures, behaviours, and relationships from a variety of theoretical, methodological, and disciplinary viewpoints. Published annually, each volume focuses upon a 'hot topic' at the leading edge of family research, providing in-depth coverage from expert authors. Previous volumes have covered issues such as economic stress, family relations in the 21st Century, and parent-child relations in later life. Each annual volume recognizes the mainstream of family research topics and provides detailed investigations within those topics. In addition, each annual volume honours the internationalization of family research, and provides perspectives on each topic from a truly cross-cultural point of view.

It has been suggested that the best hope for achieving a longer and healthier life lies in voluntary efforts derived from personal choices. This means that individual change must be directed toward the modification of lifestyles and the choices associated with them. Every lifestyle is a complex of related attitudes, habits, and other behaviors that, in essence, constitute a death style. Each death style in turn carries with it various degrees of risk-taking.

Our survival potential both in terms of quality and longevity is significantly enhanced or diminished by certain attitudes and habits and their associated risks. This dimension of survivor education is a central focus of this book. While it largely concentrates on individual culpability, the societal context is also emphasized. Indeed, threats to our welfare often come from institutional or corporate activities that are beyond our control.

Why would anyone aspire to be a curmudgeon? Because, among other things, they mock and debunk pretense and hypocrisy; they are noted for having high uncompromising standards. Curmudgeons disdain mediocrity and fraud and use humor as their principal weapon. The topics covered, whether dealing with Bottled Water, Cats, Affluent Consumption, Keys, Collectors, or Fear of Death, to name but a few are replete with wit, irony and sociological insight. In 'Keys, for example, Dr. Berardo notes: The importance of keys in our lives comes abruptly into focus whenever we misplace or lose them. Our minds frantically search for the time/place where we last saw these guardians of our possessions and keepers of our privacy, these protectors of our offices and homes, these essentials for starting up our vehicles With regard to women's purses and men's wallets, he notes: I don't know how much time in a lifetime women spend searching for things in their purses, but I bet it is significantly more than that exercised by men. In the tradition of Mark Twain, Berardo relates his intensely personal experiences and observations on human behavior to larger societal trends and changing values.