How often does a book come along that will change your life? The Surprising Power of Family Meals will. Digesting its information and implementing even a few of its helpful suggestions will benefit every member of your family in deep and lasting ways. The Surprising Power of Family Meals is the first book to take a complete look at a ritual so common it flies beneath our radar screens. Virtually universal a generation ago, family supper has undergone a striking transformation. No longer honored by society as a time of day that must be set aside, some families see it as little more than a quaint relic. But others are beginning to recognize it as a lifeline - a way to connect with their loved ones on a regular basis and to get more enjoyment out of family life. The Surprising Power of Family Meals presents stories, studies, and arguments from the fields of psychology, education, nutrition, family therapy, anthropology, sociology, linguistics, and religion. It provides examples of families and communities around North America responding creatively to the pressures of a 24/7 world to incorporate memories of their own childhood meals and to share strategies for taking what is best from our past and transforming it to meet current needs. --Publisher.