Al and Tipper Gore have long considered family their bedrock. Theyve also spent many years studying the American family in depth, and now, in this provocative and personal book, they explore the myriad ways in which the idea of family is being redefined. Over the past two generations, cultural shifts and economic pressures have profoundly affected every family in the nation: balancing work and family now poses a bigger challenge than ever before, day-care and after-school child care programs are too often dangerously inadequate, and new technological advancements have dramatically changed the ways we communicate. But if many of the traditional landmarks by which families formerly steered their course have disappeared, change has also opened up exciting possibilities, yielding an explosion of new family forms and novel solutions to age-old problems.In this penetrating and moving exploration of the contemporary family landscape, the Gores share stories drawn from their own experiences, as well as introduce us to a dozen other families they have come to know over the years. Combining personal insight and expert opinions, historical and global perspectives, Joined at the Heart identifies an emerging realityand demonstrates that, in the face of unprecedented and overwhelming change, the inherent need for family is stronger than ever.
Former Vice President Al Gore is currently the chairman of both
Current TV and Generational Investment Management. He was elected to the
U.S. House of Representatives in 1976 and the U.S. Senate in 1984 and 1990,
and served eight years as vice president of the United States, from 1993 to
2000. He is the author of the 1992 bestseller Earth in the Balance:
Ecology and the Human Spirit. He lives with his wife, Tipper, in
Nashville, Tennessee.
