Sibling Bond

Book excerpt: The relationships between brothers and sisters are infinitely varied. These bonds last throughout life, creating character and informing behavior in a multitude of situations. In their path-breaking book, the first major account of the powerful emotional connections between brothers and sisters, two clinical psychologists chart this unknown territory, offering a theory of the ways in which siblings attach, create each other's identities, and affect the course of each other's lives. The influence of childhood intimacy, parental behavior, family turmoil, birth order, and gender are all examined. Based on a decade of research and clinical evidence, "The Sibling Bond" brings fresh insight to important clinical and theoretical issues, including attachment theory, the development of the self, and the emergence of sexual identity. -- From publisher's description.