It's what everyone knows, but few analyze: the way our families shape us and the way we relate with everyone else. Families and Social Intelligence guides readers to be more aware of the power and complexity of families and other social influences in day-to-day life. Our social intelligence, the sum total of this kind of understanding, shows us how our families are related to our beliefs, social classes, cultures, and societies, as well as how we can makes changes in ourselves and our families. Increasing our social intelligence encourages us to add meaning and purpose in our lives, so that we are freer and more independent in our families, as well as more effective in contributing to the common good. As we continue to build our social intelligence, we and our families become stronger and healthier. Because social intelligence is learned rather than innate, we can pass this know-how on to others, especially to members of the youngest generations of our families. About the Author: C. Margaret Hall is a Professor of Sociology in the Sociology and Anthropology Department of Georgetown University. In addition to teaching and research, she has practiced clinical sociology in a variety of settings. Hall was born and raised in the north of England. She married a U.S. citizen, and after living in London, Paris, Brussels, and New York, she moved to Washington, DC. She and her husband have three married daughters and seven grandchildren.