As the nation reels from the impact of the Great Recession, many families are finding new ways to live together, including creating multigenerational households to save money and consolidate resources. Indeed, as the authors point out, the concept of nuclear family living is an aberration in our history that stemmed from post-World War II prosperity, mobility, and the associated baby boom. However, the threatened failure of American social security and healthcare systems is forcing us all to rethink how we live and care for one another. This book covers the financial and emotional benefits of living together, proximity and privacy, designing and remodeling your home to accommodate adult children or elderly parents, overcoming cultural stigmas about interdependent living, financial and legal planning, and making cohabitation agreements.

The recent focus on China's boom has obscured the fact that Japan is once again on the rise. How do we manage our growing, and crucial, interdependence? The answer lies in the legions of Japanese and American managers and officials involved in the day-to-day and face-to-face negotiations that drive commerce. Opportunities for U.S. companies in Japan remain strong if businesspeople can learn to conduct successful business negotiations with their counterparts. Yet a cultural misstep or tactical error in negotiating easily can mean the loss of an important contract or the potential for future business. In this invaluable book, three leading experts pool their decades of experience to provide a pragmatic guide for Westerners doing business in Japan. Using up-to-the-minute case studies, the authors explain Japanese culture and negotiating techniques and provide practical advice on conducting effective meetings with Japanese clients. Representing a unique combination of perspectives developed through international business practice, high-level diplomatic experience, and sophisticated academic research, the authors offer both Japanese and American perspectives to help readers cross the wide cultural gap that can unnecessarily divide businesspeople from both countries.