The Surprising Power of Family Meals: How Eating Together Makes Us Smarter, Stronger, Healthier And Happier

The Surprising Power of Family Meals is the first book to take a complete look at a ritual that was virtually universal a generation ago but has undergone a striking transformation. No longer honored by society as a time of day that must be set aside, some families see family supper 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 share strategies for taking what is best from our past and transforming it to meet current needs.

Miriam Weinstein is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. As a journalist, she has won several awards from the New England Press Association. Her work has appeared in Boston Magazine, the Boston Globe magazine, Hope, and ParentSource. She has written extensively for the on-line magazines Jewish Family & Life! as well as for InterfaithFamily.com. A former staff member for North Shore Weeklies and freelancer for Essex County Newspapers, she writes restaurant reviews and food columns as well as features on a wide variety of subjects. Her previous books include Yiddish: A Nation of Words and Prophets & Dreamers: A Selection of Great Yiddish Literature. She lives in Manchester, Massachusetts, with her husband and has two grown children.