why we care so much

My homegirl, Deborah Tannen, PhD., had an interview aired on NPR on Friday. It's about her most recent book, You're Wearing That? Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Communication . I'm half-way through reading it, and I think so many of my friends and family would love it. I feel like Tannen must have been hanging out with my family--her examples are so dead-on with my own experience. It's funny how we think our relationships with our mothers (and theirs with us) are so unique, but Tannen's examples show that many of our questions and struggles are universal. She talks about why this relationship is so intrinsic to our lives, why we care so much if it goes well and worry so much if it doesn't. If you're trying to decide whether to read the book, or don't have time to read it but are curious about her findings, you may want to listen here (it's about a 30 minute segment).