In Praise of Family Advice Books

I've been reading a lot of books about family lately. I have a family. I know families. I have friends who grew up in different kinds of families. Why would I turn to some book for information on such a (sorry) familiar subject? I value these books because my personal experiences can't always be extrapolated to a clear understanding of someone in even a slightly different situation. Also, I don't feel comfortable going up to friends and acquaintances and asking, "So what's it like being one of you people?" I know from experience that this is the kind of question that can mark one as a jackass.

I think the key to using family advice books is to do what I try to do with any source of advice. Consider the author's motives, consider the soundness of the author's fundamental philosophy and methods, avoid easy formulaic answers, and in the end do what makes sense to me.