A primer on explaining to friends, family, and coworkers what consensual nonmonogamy means, and what living it means for you.

Even in progressive families and communities, people who practice nonmonogamy are susceptible to misinformation and accusations of moral and emotional failings. Facing this requires its own coming out and education process.

In this guide, Tamara Pincus and Rebecca Hiles provide a roadmap for explaining the expansive intricacies of the consensual nonmonogamy spectrum. By fusing personal experience and community research, they break down the various incarnations of polyamorous relationship structures, polyamory's intersections with race and gender, and the seemingly esoteric jargon of the lifestyle.

Topics include everything from how to explain what a "unicorn hunter" is to answering questions like, "Can poly people raise children?" and "Can they live normal, healthy lives?" Such conversations are eloquently explained and the real dangers of being out as poly in a monogamy-centered society are laid bare.