Together Again: A Creative Guide to Successful Multi-Generational Living

Together Again is a fresh, timely exploration of huge cultural and personal shifts in the choices Americans make about living with our multi-generational families. The book is magnificent in its thoroughness―first-rate social analysis, philosophical and psychological depth and sophistication, and warmth and generosity to all generations. Together Again is written by realists, who truly value family and do not see closeness in terms of dependency or dysfunction. The authors and I share a core belief; that generations belong together on a daily basis, and that we all benefit when we live together as complicated, loving and caring tribes. — Mary Pipher, bestselling author of Reviving Ophelia

Together Again derives its premise from the inter-connectivity which is central to being human. “Living among strangers” is taken by some to be the very definition of what it means to be old. Niederhaus and Graham deny this threat in their wonderful book which shows how our social convoy extends and enriches life till its furthest reach. Stay together. — Walter M. Bortz II, M.D., author of Dare to Be 100

Sharon Graham Niederhaus and John Graham are onto something: Multi-generational living offers a solution to some of our most vexing problems, including the eldercare crisis that’s likely to emerge as the baby boomer generation ages and the lack of affordable housing and childcare in many parts of the country. If you’re thinking about refurbishing a basement or building a backyard cottage to accommodate a parent or child, Together Again offers more than just practical advice on making it work. It also offers the hope of a better quality of life for those who embrace the comeback of the extended family. — Anne Tergesen, associate editor, BusinessWeek magazine

Together Again is a refreshing antidote to those who seek to divide the generations. We know from our research at AARP that all generations in America are closely connected and care deeply about one another. As society ages, more and more people will be looking for alternative living arrangements in order to stay involved in communities and out of nursing homes. Together Again offers readers valuable advice and choices on how to do it. — Bill Novelli, CEO, AARP

The evolution of the modern nuclear family has critical implications for land planning, architecture, and interior design. Together Again clearly forecasts the increasing trend towards a return to multigenerational living. As a large national homebuilder, I found these ideas to be powerful. I strongly recommend Together Again to anyone interested in the evolution of the American family. — Larry Webb, CEO, John Laing Homes

A hospital bed is a bad place to make a housing decision, but it is where far too many of older people make housing choices. We procrastinate because the choices don’t look good. This book opens up good new choices, with statistics and numbers, but primarily with family stories that offer a new vision of what success as a family means. — Patrick Hare, Ph.D., nationally recognized expert on accessory apartments, and author of Creating an Accessory Apartment

In ocean surfing, you try to ‘catch the big wave.’ And, we all are in a rising sea of major demographic, economic, and psychological changes in our population. This carefully researched book examines real life and time-tested solutions to the big wave of living ‘together again.’ — Laurence W. “Bill” Lane, Jr., former publisher of Sunset magazine, and former U.S. Ambassador to Australia

Together Again presents creative ideas of what family can be and how each generation can learn from the other. This will open your eyes to the reasons why multigenerational households have become the fastest growing family structure in the U.S. The authors skillfully weave anecdotes, dialogues, and hard data to present a very readable account of the pleasures and challenges that are multigenerational families. — Donna Butts, executive director, Generations United

Together Again manages to meld together the sociological, demographic, and economic dimensions of the re-emergence of multigenerational living in a way that no other effort has. The authors successfully translate the dry data into a mosaic of the richness of human experience at the ground level. Most important, in my view, is their revelation that this movement is in fact a return to normalcy and not a perverse deviation from the past. — Kerry D. Vandell, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Real Estate, University of California, Irvine