An introduction to the family, including relationships and roles of family members and rules and responsibilities that make family life healthy and happy.

John McEuen is one of the founding members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, NGDB. Now 50-years strong, the band is best known for its evergreen bestselling album Will the Circle Be Unbroken and for its gorgeous version of the song "Mr. Bojangles." McEuen is one of the seminal figures who conceived and originated the fusion of folk, rock and country, a unique sound still hugely popular today. In addition to performing on tour with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and on dozens of bestselling NGDB albums (many of which went platinum and gold), McEuen also has a successful solo performing and recording career. And as a music producer, he won the Grammy Award in 2010 for producing The Crow, a music album by Steve Martin, John's lifelong friend. McEuen writes candidly and movingly about the ups and downs in his life. Among the highs was NGDB's tour of the Soviet Union in 1977; they were the first American group to perform there. Among the downs was the breakup of his family in the 1980s. McEuen is a born storyteller, and his tales of working with everyone from Linda Ronstadt to Willie Nelson to Johnny Cash to the Allman Brothers to Bob Dylan to Dolly Parton to, of course, Steve Martin will thrill every fan of folk, rock, and country music alike.

How important is the family for children? How do children cope when parents have to juggle child care, employment and other responsibilities? In this volume these questions, and others, are raised and reflected upon, by children themselves, providing insights for parents and professionals.

These days, people talk about their schedules filling up 24/7--twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. We wear busyness like a merit badge, as if the more we do, the better we become. But R. Paul Stevens says this is not biblical. Nor is it helpful. For Christians life isn't about checking off "to-do" lists. It's about connecting with God and infiltrating thoughtful, biblical faith into our everyday lives. Sometimes that means activity, but sometimes not. Everyday spirituality--the subject of the book--embraces purposeful times of work, relationships, and rest, centered on God instead of personal or cultural expectations. But how can you do it? It's not easy exiting the fast track to practice a slowed-down yet down-to-earth holiness. Stevens understands this, and offers practical insights to developing a "subversive spirituality"--a meaningful faith that seeps into your work, family, sexuality, friendships, outreach, aloneness, and leisure--and fills you with joy. But most importantly, it motivates you to lovingly abide with God seven days a week. Matthew the Poor, an Eastern monk in Egypt, once said that "life is but one single way that leads to the kingdom of God."

Bob Buford's Halftime shows how men can make their middle years a time of transformation toward a more satisfying -- and significant -- life.

What do you do when both of your daughters have been diagnosed with autism, your wife is depressed and your job has been made redundant? You become a comedian! After years of feeling like he was losing at life, Aidan Comerford was on top of the world. He had just stepped off stage after being crowned the winner of So You Think You're Funny? at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2014, joining previous winners such as Peter Kay, Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan. This was it! His big break. Back in Ireland, on the same day, at a remote country cottage near a lake, his daughter went missing . A funny, heartfelt and uplifting memoir about the challenges and adventures of parenting, and accepting that sometimes you have to have Corn Flakes for dinner.

Motherhood can be one of the most intense and transformative experiences of a woman's life. While there are many books that offer the "do's and don'ts" of effective parenting, few offer guidance on navigating the tumultuous inner experience of being a mother, with all its joy, pain, change, and uncertainty. This collection of writing by psychologists, poets, novelists, spiritual teachers, and everyday moms explores the rich, transformative journey of motherhood. • Poet and novelist Louise Erdrich captures the sheer wonder and awe of early motherhood. • Self-described "hip momma" Ariel Gore reflects on the challenges of dealing with her daughter's adolescent rebellion. • Journalist Joan Peters highlights the rise of the "Power Mom" and the risks of overparenting to our children and ourselves. • Zen teacher Cheri Huber shares a spiritual perspective: sometimes it's us parents who need a "time out" so that we can be more fully present and loving with our children. Previously published under the title Your Children Will Raise You.