This open access book presents an innovative study of the rise of unmarried cohabitation in the Americas, from Canada to Argentina. Using an extensive sample of individual census data for nearly all countries on the continent, it offers a cross-national, comparative view of this recent demographic trend and its impact on the family. The book offers a tour of the historical legacies and regional heterogeneity in unmarried cohabitation, covering: Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America, Colombia, the Andean region, Brazil, and the Southern Cone. It also explores the diverse meanings of cohabitation from a cross-national perspective and examines the theoretical implications of recent developments on family change in the Americas. The book uses data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, International (IPUMS), a project dedicated to collecting and distributing census data from around the world. This large sample size enables an empirical testing of one of the currently most powerful explanatory frameworks for changes in family formation around the world, the theory of the Second Demographic Transition. With its unique geographical scope, this book will provide researchers with a new understanding into the spectacular rise in premarital cohabitation in the Americas, which has become one of the most salient trends in partnership formation in the region.

“If I had given it much thought, I might have hesitated to marry a man for whom at the age of 45 much of the past was too painful to consider--for either of us. Truthfully, thought had little to do with it. Instinct did--the instinct to seize a sure and ebullient happiness or go down trying.” Falling in love is arguably the greatest risk and leap of faith any of us take. There’s no guarantee for future happiness, no protection from the ugly scars of the past, no shield from tragedy--this powerful memoir reminds us why we bother. At a lakeside café in the summer of 1988, 31-year-old Glenda Burgess is sitting across from 44-year-old Kenneth Grunzweig and falling in love. Then Ken confesses that he has already been widowed twice, under harrowing circumstances. This tragic past, the age difference, Ken’s emotionally scarred teenage daughter--all might be enough to send anyone running, but Glenda believed in her instincts, believed more than anything that this lovely, generous man would shape her life. And Ken, who with his heartbreaking losses had long said that he’d given up on love, came to share a sense of their romantic destiny. The two embark on the sort of love affair that many of us don’t believe exist anymore--a grand romance that buoys them through the birth of two kids and fifteen magical years of marriage until tragedy strikes again in the form of a shadowy spot on Ken’s lung. The journey that follows will test their resilience and strengthen their devotion. The Geography of Love is a book about believing in first instincts and second chances. It is a poignant exploration of the depths of the human heart and our ability to love and to trust no matter the obstacles. It is a reminder that “real” life is always richer, stranger, and more extraordinary than fiction. It is the most moving love story you’ll read this year.

From their location in the heart of Detroit, Michigan, the Weisfelds’ lab has reached out for thirty years to couples in long-term partnerships around the world. In living rooms of Detroit, London, Moscow, Beijing, and beyond, couples of all types and ages have shared their insights into adult romantic relationships. This book, The Psychology of Marriage, is a distillation of these findings, which have appeared in dozens of book chapters, journal articles, and conference presentations. The book also provides new systematic comparisons that offer insights into the mysteries of marriage and other committed relationships. Scholars, professional counselors, and family therapists will find a helpful framework for thinking about cultural similarities and differences in marital dynamics. Researchers will be introduced to a robust new instrument, the Marriage and Relationship Questionnaire (MARQ), which can be used in heterosexual and same-sex couples in virtually any cultural setting, along with ethical guidelines for conducting this research. Anyone who is interested in why committed relationships work (or do not work) will find the book filled with compelling new insights.

This book, Geography of Mah?bh?rata, spans two volumes. It is the final part of the geochronological trilogy of ?gveda, R?m?ya?a and Mah?bh?rata, connecting them into a single whole like the pearls of a chain! It shows Hanumat, Para?u R?ma, and others mentioned in R?m?ya?a and Mah?bh?rata in a never-imagined new light! It details the geography and chronology of the P???ava Era and analyses the entire 1995 Adhy?yas and 18 Parvas of Mah?bh?rata without missing any events in the life of the P???avas! It covers the sub-narratives of Nala, S?vitr? and a short R?m?ya?a embedded into Mah?bh?rata! It has the realistic age of the P???avas, Bh??ma, Dro?a, Vy?sa, and others and solves numerous puzzles and riddles of Mah?bh?rata. At last, here was a scientist capable of penetrating this jungle of literary data! To the gods belongs the glory of this enlightening development, to Jijith the realisation of the insights involved, and to us, readers fall the fruit of his labour. – Dr Koenraad Elst, Indologist, Belgium. Jijith’s book represents a fresh wave of writing that revisits Bh?rat?ya epics through the lens of historicity. This is a welcome departure from the Orientalist treatment of relegating them to the status of “mythology”. - J. Sai Deepak Iyer, Author, India -Bharat Series; Sr Advocate - Supreme Court of India & High Court of Delhi. This book constitutes a laudable addition to our scholarly discourse, promising enduring reference value. I sincerely wish the author continued success in scholarly endeavours. - Dr Raj Vedam, Visiting Faculty, Hindu University of America, Houston, Texas, USA This book helps establish a credible chronology and is an essential foundation for more detailed future research on specific topics. - Vishal Agarwal, President, Hindu Heritage Foundation of America. Within Jijith's groundbreaking work, 'Geography of Mah?bh?rata,' lies a trove of untapped insights awaiting future scholars. This isn't merely a book; it's a reservoir of wisdom.- Ajay Chaturvedi, Founder KFN, HarVa; Author, The Lost Wisdom of Swastika. Jijith’s colossal work on this subject, presenting a unified Vedic-Aitih?sic geography and chronology in detail of ancient Bh?rat, is eye-opening. Hope this book reaches the masses. - Manoshi Sinha, Author & History Researcher.

THE DICTIONARY OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY ‘Even better than before, the Dictionary is an essential tool for all human geographers and over the years has provided an invaluable guide to the changing boundaries and content of the discipline. No-one can afford to be without this fifth edition.’ Linda McDowell, University of Oxford ‘From explanations of core concepts and central debates to lucid discussions of the theories driving contemporary research, this is the best conceptual map to the creative and critical thinking that characterises contemporary human geography. The fifth edition belongs on the bookshelf of all serious students.’ Gerard Toal, Virginia Tech ‘With an exceptional balance between breadth and depth, this is undoubtedly a timely and ground-breaking revision of the Dictionary. An outstanding accomplishment of the editors and contributors, and a comprehensive and essential reference for any student or scholar interested in human geography.’ Mei-Po Kwan, Ohio State University ‘I can’t imagine life without it. Definitive, detailed yet accessible: there’s still no single-volume reference work in the field to rival it.’ Noel Castree, University of Manchester The Dictionary of Human Geography represents the definitive guide to issues and ideas, methods and theories in human geography. Now in its fifth edition, this ground-breaking text has been comprehensively revised to reflect the changing nature and practice of human geography and its rapidly developing connections with other fields. The major entries not only describe the development of concepts, contributions and debates in human geography, but also advance them. Shorter, definitional entries allow quick reference and coverage of the wider subject area. Changes to the fifth edition include entries from many new contributors at the forefront of developments in the field, and over 300 key terms appearing for the first time. It features a new consolidated bibliography along with a detailed index and systematic cross-referencing of headwords. The Dictionary of Human Geography continues to be the one guidebook no student, instructor or researcher in the field can afford to be without.