Family: The Compact Among Generations - Hardcover

by James E. Hughes (Author)

Why do some families thrive for generations? What accounts for the sad deterioration that others experience? This book takes families and the professionals who serve them beyond the now widely accepted practices offered in Family Wealth and offers a view of Hughes's panoramic insights into what makes families flourish and fail. It lays out the basis for the vision of family governance the author has been developing through his work and research. His advice addresses not only what to do but how to think about the complex issues of family governance, growth, and stability and the ongoing challenge of nurturing the happiness of each family member.

Back Jacket

Family The COMPACT AMONG GENERATIONS

It's an unfortunate but common pattern: A family achieves wealth and stability but can't sustain its success beyond the second generation. An enterprise fails, a dynasty is lost, and pain and suffering prevail. In Family: The Compact Among Generations, James Hughes presents the reasons and the remedies for this phenomenon.

The book is a journey of discovery. Drawing on evidence from ancient history, political science, psychology, physics, organizational science, and a myriad of other disciplines and spiritual traditions, Hughes makes seemingly discordant pieces fit to form a whole that is both instructive and inspiring. Distilled through this seasoned observer of families, the wisdom and insights of some of the finest minds in history make sense in a new way--a way that can truly help families overcome their most formidable challenges. Bringing to bear decades of experience working with and studying families, he maps the mistakes that lead to decline and the approaches to family governance and personal development that can prevent it.

Author Biography

JAMES E. HUGHES JR. is a sixth-generation counselor-at-law, now retired, and author of many influential articles on family governance and wealth preservation. He is renowned for facilitating multigenerational family meetings, with an emphasis on governance issues. Hughes is frequently called on to address international and domestic symposia on helping families to avoid the fate of the shirtsleeves-to-shirtsleeves proverb and to instead flourish through the growth of their human, intellectual, and financial capital. He also addresses these and other issues on his Web site at www.jamesehughes.com.