Geoffrey L. Greif, PhD, is Professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, where he has been teaching courses on family, group, and individual therapy for over 35 years. He is the author of numerous articles, book chapters, and books, including Buddy System: Understanding Male Friendships and Adult Sibling Relationships (with Michael Woolley).

Michael E. Woolley, PhD, MSW, DCSW, is Associate Professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. Woolley was a clinical social worker in mental health, health, and school settings for a dozen years before completing his doctorate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and moving into academia in 2003. He has received numerous awards for his teaching and scholarship and has published books, articles, and book chapters on social work practice with children, youth, and families.

"...highly useful to professionals and clinicians in training. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals." -- J. Ostenson, CHOICE

"A well-researched book that speaks to clinicians, with insights that should also appeal to anyone about to become an in-law or who wants to improve their in-law relationships." -- Barbara Kane, LCSW-C, and Linda Hill, LCSW-C, Aging Network Services

"This book includes incredibly new information. The authors review what is already known, of course, but then they highlight the gaps by looking from a family-systems prospective, paying attention to male in-laws, dynamics between gay/lesbian couples and their in-laws, and the impact in-laws play in divorce. A particular bonus is the various different family therapy orientations for dealing with, confronting, and potentially mending and growing each relationship." -- Karen Gail Lewis, EdD, Licensed Therapist and author of Siblings: The Ghosts of Childhood That Haunt Your Love and Work

"I love the focus in this book on the wide array of in-law relationships — not just the negative and stereotypical ones, but relationships as they occur across a lifetime. The book does a good job noting the relationships and dynamics between men, which is easily looked over in discussions of in-law relationships. Whether you've just proposed to your fiancé, you're a new parent, you're a grandfather of six, or you're a clinical professional, this book is for you." -- Christine E. Rittenour, PhD, Associate Professor in the Communication Studies Department and Faculty Associate of the Center for Women's and Gender Studies, West Virginia University

"In-law relationships are an under-researched area, yet these relationships are hugely important and can make or break a marriage. Based on a large sample of in-laws, the authors unpack the different aspects of the relationships from the views of different participants. They explore the big question, such as: How can one enter a new family while maintaining a sense of self-identity and a loyalty to one's own family of origin? The book is full of powerful insights, and I strongly recommend it to family scholars, therapists, and even individuals who may be struggling to make sense of a new family." -- Ann Buchanan, MBE, FAcSS, LLD, PhD, MA, Senior Research Associate for the Department of Social Policy and Intervention at the University of Oxford and coeditor of Brothers and Sisters