This text, which is rooted in basic research designed to critique Black family scientific scholarships, provides the field with a much needed set of guidelines for understanding the strengths, weaknesses, capabilities and inabilities of science and research in relations to the Black family.  Indeed  the text gives us that initial license and authority to approach the task of questioning the questions, critiquing the critiques and interpreting the interpretations from a Black cultural perspective.  Understanding the Black Family serves as an important instrument in correcting the misconceptions and misinformation about  Black family life.  The authors argue cogently that continued use of non– Black oriented scholarship and techniques to understand black reality will only result in the continued reinforcement of the belief that the Black family is an imperfect  form of family functioning.