Elisabetta Ruspini begins this book with a clear statement of its intent. She says ‘This volume provides a road map through the challenges of family diversity and family change in Western societies’ (p. 1). As a broad survey and resource aid, it serves this purpose. The book aims to outline the existence of, and research on, a range of contemporary living arrangements and models of parenthood which differ from heteronormative and ‘traditional’ forms. It is also designed to show the role of the internet environment in increasing the visibility of diverse family forms and the associated political and social movements which have emerged through Web 2.0 technologies. In a phrase which will recur in reviews and student essays alike she states that ‘The aim of the book is to show that, today, it is possible to live, love and form a family without sex, without children, without a shared home, without a (male or female) partner, without a working husband, without a heterosexual orientation and without a ‘biological’ sexual body’ (p. 133).

The format of the book is an introduction followed by two parts and a conclusion. The first part entitled ‘Gender change and challenges to intimacy and sexual relations’ devotes a chapter each to asexuality, childfree adults and those in ‘Living Apart Together’ (LATS) relationships. This leads to the second part on ‘Gender change and challenges to traditional forms of parenthood’ which examines stay-at-home husbands and fathers, lone parents and homosexual and trans parents. Also included at the end of the volume is a useful glossary of key terms and concepts. Each chapter follows the same pattern of description, secondary analysis of the international Western research and debate in the area and, to conclude, a consideration of the presence of web-based social movements related to the particular family form under review. This makes navigation through the book very straightforward and will be appreciated by students seeking to establish the salient facts and figures about new living arrangements (although some references on the more egalitarian relationships of the childfree from 1980/81 seem a little dated). However, the list-like element of the final section of each chapter means there is no overarching conclusion from the author and means each chapter ends rather abruptly on a descriptive, rather than evaluative, note. Similarly the final conclusion is brief, only five pages including areas of future research, meaning the voice of the author remains muted and the directory nature of the book is enhanced. As an aside, there is a rather curious criticism of small qualitative studies as unrepresentative (p. 47), although the passage does also raise concerns about the nature of the sample.

The layout of the book tends to reflect, to some extent, the population it describes as, in the Introduction, Ruspini describes these ‘new living arrangements as the communes … of the Millennial generation’ (p. 1) who use information and communication technology to stay connected. This is the generation born at the start of the 1980s who came of age at the turn of the twenty-first century, are now entering their thirties and are immersed in new technology. As a result of shifts in cultural, economic and gender processes, these individuals have experienced a ‘restructuring of intergenerational relations and the transformation of gender identities and family models’. Ruspini particularly argues, somewhat contentiously, that changes in gender identities and gender relations are at the root of family and social change. Ruspini considers that the Millennial generation she describes feel empowered, secure and are optimistic about the future; statements which may be contested in contemporary Western Europe. Despite this focus on the Millennial generation, the family forms discussed in the book can be seen in a range of age groups with, particularly asexuality, childfree adults and LATS, arising from variations in the life course and in generations. Hence the explanatory narrative needs to be wider to explain the impact of changing social and economic mores on contemporary living arrangements throughout a population.

The introduction provides a historical account of the relationship between cultural, social, economic and political processes and family forms and gender relations. It leads to contemporary modernity and the ability of the Millennial generation to live their ‘choice’ rather than a ‘standard’ biography. The reflexive individualisation thesis of Beck and Beck-Gernsheim, and Giddens is outlined but there is no mention of the well-developed critiques of these writers which emphasise the continuing role of structural forces in intimate configurations. This is an unfortunate omission in a volume which may appear on undergraduate student reading lists.

Despite this, there are aspects to the book which mean it would be a useful additional resource to core texts on a module on families and intimate relationships or as a starting point for early research in the area. It is easy to read and provides a useful single source of statistics and figures on some contemporary living arrangements. Students will appreciate the references at the end of each chapter as a springboard to further reading in discrete areas. As such, the book progresses topics but not necessarily recent theoretical developments in family studies, for example how an emphasis on family practices can enhance a concern with family forms. The focus on internet activities and associated web-based social movements in the volume will provide greater visibility, contact points and potential research activities and sample populations for readers.