The Family Dynamic

A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success

By: Susan Dominus

Narrated by: Susan Dominus

What explains those rare families that boast multiple siblings who achieve extraordinary success? An award-winning New York Times journalist weaves story with science to explore the circumstances that set those families apart.

“At once clear-eyed and compassionate, The Family Dynamic uncovers how parents—and siblings—shape and fuel individual success.”—Lisa Damour, bestselling author of The Emotional Lives of Teenagers

An Olympic athlete. An award-winning novelist. A successful entrepreneur. All raised under one roof. What can we learn from those families whose children aim high and succeed, sometimes in widely varied fields? Just as important: What were the costs along the way, and what can we glean from their travails and triumphs?

The acclaimed New York Times journalist Susan Dominus offers compelling profiles of six such families in search of the factors that led to their success—was it an inherited quality, a specific way of parenting, the influence of a sibling, or a twist of luck? Inspired by the iconic Brontë sisters, whose remarkable literary success prompted endless speculation, Dominus, the mother of twin teenagers, sought out contemporary high-achieving families who shared intimate stories of their upbringing. She introduces us to the Chens, young parents who fled their country’s one-child policy to open a Chinese restaurant in Appalachia—then sent four children to elite colleges and on to careers that give back in technology and medicine; the Groffs, whose claim to fame is not just an award-winning novelist but an Olympic athlete and a notable entrepreneur; the Wojcickis, whose daughters made inroads as STEM pioneers in Silicon Valley; and the Murguias, who rose from exceptionally humble origins to become powerful jurists and civil rights champions. Woven into these and other stories is an account of centuries of scientific research into the ongoing question of nature versus nurture.

Elegantly written and extensively researched, The Family Dynamic is more than a checklist of how-to’s. It’s a deep and moving exploration of the complexity of family life and the rewards—and burdens—of ambition.

Grateful for research and insights

Very much appreciated all the research and insights in conveying much information. We have four adult children and six great grandchildren. I look forward to our continued striving in being present to each of these souls gifted to our short term of care. Thank you for beautifully motivating us in our lives!

Disappointing and Slanted

I had read a review of this book in the Wall Street Journal and was very encouraged to read it.
I was disappointed that the book focused on only politically progressive families and stressed how privileged people were markedly advantaged.
Many privileged individuals fail and do not take the gifts they have been given.
Most of the examples here succeeded because of hard working , driven parents who set goals and expected hard work from their children.
If a child from lower economic status is given the impression that only privileged people have a chance at success , one could have limited aspirations.
Good schools are essential and must be provided. Teachers and parents who care - note two parent homes in these examples- are essential .
The Buckley family would have been a good counter balance to all progressive examples.
How charter schools like the Success Academy in New York would have been edifying.

Fantastic research and framing …

This book is fascinating. I was intrigued from all angles— as a child, a parent, and a human in the world.