The Marriage-Go-Round: The State of Marriage and the Family in America Today

The Marriage-Go-Around: The State of Marriage and the Family in America Today . Andrew J. Cherlin . New York : Alfred A. Knopf . 271 pp. ISBN 9780307266897 . $25.95 cloth . The Marriage-Go-Around is a thoughtful and integrative book written by one of the most respected and accomplished scholars on marriage in the world. The book is thoughtful in that Cherlin provides both breadth and depth in his wide-ranging description of marriage and family life in America, with numerous international comparisons sharpening his arguments about aspects of American society. The book is integrative in that, to support his contention that marriage and family life in America is unique, Cherlin weaves together research on a wide array of marriageand family-related topics, such as legal controversies regarding gay and lesbian marriage, divorce law, religious views of cohabitation, and demographic characteristics of U.S. (and non-U.S.) marriages and families. book review | marriage | family | American families | American society