Family by Choice: Creating Family in a World of Strangers - Hardcover

Family-by-Choice states that "we have, rooted in our genes, a desperate craving for warm, caring bonds with other people." Because these bonds may not be present in their natural families, people seek familylike relationships with nonrelatives. Ahern and Bailey investigate how today's people, through their neighborhoods, places of work, "cyber families, " and religious communities, create a network of friends they consider family - their intentional families.

Dr. Kent G. Bailey is a professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.