All families have secrets. Some secrets are healthy. But others--those John Bradshaw calls "dark secrets"--limit the wholeness and freedom of every member of the family, often generation after generation.

John Bradshaw's compelling new book takes us into the heart of the family's mysterious power to impact our lives. It ex-plores how secrets are created, how they influence us (even if we don't know they exist), and the risks we take in exploring them.

At the core of "Family Secrets" is a step-by-step guide to uncovering the secrets of the past and present, using a tool called the genogram to chart key relationships. Through many fascinating examples, this unique book shows how to recognize crucial gaps and silences, reconstruct missing information, and decipher partial memories.

It also offers readers vital advice on how to deal with the truths revealed, plus ways to stay safely and honestly connected with our families.

John Bradshaw's six-part PBS television series, "Family Secrets, " first aired in summer 1995, and will remain in syndication in the United States and Canada through 1997. A second new series, "John Bradshaw on Eating Disorders, " is also in circulation.