Refrigerator Rights: Why We Need to Let People Into Our Hearts, Our Homes (and Our Refrigerators)..

Therapist Miller and media expert Sparks put another twist on the oft-lamented problem of the impersonal modern world by analyzing how our ""isolation culture"" affects our relationships with the friends and family who are close enough to have so-called refrigerator rights. This odd-sounding label refers to people who can comfortably open each other's refrigerators, scan the contents and then help themselves, all without breaching etiquette. It's a homey symbol for a relationship that has crossed a critical line of intimacy. The authors explore how unfortunate contemporary realities-frequent relocations, obsessive focus on careers and too much time spent with electronic media-can erode these relationships. They offer guidance on how to reverse this trend and nurture such crucial associations. Though the book is somewhat repetitive and occasionally swerves dangerously close to hokey, Miller and Sparks call attention to an important issue.