The first thing to credit Glick for is that none of this is presented as sniggering voyeurism. Yes, there are laughs, but they are not at the expense of the kin (whose beliefs are, if you really look at them, no odder than those guiding major religions). He's mostly interested in how belief in being kin mirrors other transitions people make — from suburbs to city, from single life to marriage (and possibly back again), from adult children to adult orphans.