Forbidden Relatives examines the laws against cousin marriage
in the U.S. It describes their distribution and explains why some states have
them and some do not. It also contrasts the laws with the absence of laws in
any other country in the western world and explains this difference. A myth is
central to the reason for the appearance of laws against cousin marriage in the
U.S. The book describes this myth and analyzes how it came to be so entrenched
in the U.S. despite the lack of empirical evidence to support
it. Contrary to the belief of many people in the U.S., genetic data does not
support the supposed dangers of cousin marriage. Thus,
the
book
is
of
interest
to
people
who
are
interested
in
U.S.
law
and
to those who are interested in the development of a myth.
The book is available in either hard cover or paperback versions from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or your local bookseller. If you have any problems, contact The University of Illinois Press.
You can email the publisher at uipress@uiuc.edu or phone 800/545-4703.