The editors introduce and explain the concept of civil society and the idea of the family as it serves to link individuals, society as whole, and the state. Contributions address feminist historical views, offer case studies of family and society in southern and western Europe, and discuss changing families in eastern Europe and the Middle East. Contributors are a mix of political scientists, historians, sociologists, philosophers, and anthropologists. All but two of 12 contributions are based on papers presented at the European Civil Society Network (CiSoNet) conference "Family and Civil Society," held at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in Humanities and Social Sciences (NIAS) (date not stated). The three editors are affiliated as follows: Jürgen Nautz (economic history, U. of Vienna, Austria), Paul Ginsborg (European history, U. of Florence, Italy), and Ton Nijhuis (German studies, U. of Amsterdam, The Netherlands). Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)