The Best Interests of the Child The Least Detrimental Alternative

A classic text that has been cited in more than 1,000 child custody cases, Beyond the Best Interests of the Child, published in 1973, immediately set a new standard for safeguarding a child's growth and development. The second volume of the trilogy, Before the Best Interests of the Child (1979), defines when the state should intervene. The final volume, In the Best Interests of the Child (1986), establishes professional boundaries within child custody cases. Written by top experts in the field of child welfare, these three landmark books are now available in one paperback volume. The authors have revised and updated the texts and added topical new information on a variety of important subjects, including trans-racial adoption, surrogate parents, gay and lesbian couples, children of HIV-positive parents, abortion, and teenage pregnancy. Broad in scope and brilliantly researched by the nation's top experts, The Best Interests of the Child is indispensable reading for social workers, family court judges, lawyers, psychologists, and concerned parents.

Joseph Goldstein has been leading insight and loving-kindness meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. He is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Massachusetts, where he continues as one of the resident guiding teachers. In 1989, together with several other teachers and students, he established the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies and, later, The Forest Refuge. A seminal figure in the emergence of Buddhism in the West, Joseph is the author of numerous books including One Dharma. He lives in Barre, Massachusetts.