When Bruce Feiler set out to create a guide for happy families, he found that there is little research into what makes a family happy.
What he found most useful didn’t come from the world of family studies. Instead, he sought out those who know how to make groups and teams work more effectively and learned what they were doing with their families. Then he took those things for a "test drive" with his own wife and twin girls, and articulated some things that work.
The result is "The Secrets of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More."
One thing Feiler debunks is the importance of the family dinner, which has long been touted as essential to a happy, functional family. He found that there is only 10 minutes of actual contact time during the typical family dinner, and that same amount of time can be just as effective at another time of day that works better with the family’s schedule.
Bruce Feiler was Don Marsh’s guest on “St. Louis on the Air.” They discussed the rationale for the book, highlights of Feiler’s “secrets” and took calls from listeners. Feiler will also speak on March 5 at the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival series.
Related Event
St. Louis Jewish Book Festival Presents Bruce Feiler
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
7:30 p.m.
JCC Staenberg Family Complex, 2 Millstone Campus Drive
(314) 442-3299
St. Louis Jewish Book Festival Website
