Accidental Bond

"Afascinatingandinformativeread."*TheBostonGlobe"ARICHSOURCEOFFASCINATINGMATERIALaboutthecomplexrealitiesofsiblinghoodandavaluablecommentaryontheimpactthattheselittle-studiedrelationshipshaveuponourlives."*TheNewRepublic"Manybookshaveattemptedtotacklethecomplexthemeofsiblingconnection.Butratherthanlookattheminutaeoftheserelationships，journalistSusanScarfMerrellexaminesthebigissuesthatallsiblingswrestlewithintheirownuniqueways*inparticulartheThreeCs：Competition，Cooperation，andComparison.Whatshediscoveredwasthatnomatterwhatkindofrelationshipwenowhavewithoursiblings*closeordistant，lovingorhostile*ourhistorieswiththemexertaprofoundeffectonourcurrentrelationshipwithlovers，friends，coworkers，andourownchildren.Drawingonthemostcurrentresearch;theworkofpsychologists，psychiatrists，andfamilyexperts;andstoriesfrombrothersandsistersthemselves，Merrellillustratesthatthroughsiblings，wecometoknowboththeworstandtheverybestthatlurkswithineachofus."SusanMerrellbrilliantlyilluminateshowthepeculiarmixofbiology，history，andintimacymakesourattachmentstosiblingssoessentialtoknowingourselves."*MaryKayBlakelyAuthorofAmericanMom