Family businesses are a crucial component of the global economy; however, the issue of risk in these contexts has been addressed in a fragmented manner so far. The literature has gradually recognized the multidimensional nature of risk in family firms, moving beyond purely economic and financial approaches to encompass identity, emotional, and reputational dimensions. However, there remains a lack of theoretical and quantitative systematization that conceptually organizes the concept’s multiple meanings and fields of application. At the same time, one of the main emerging areas of risk—that related to ESG controversies—has been little explored in the literature on family businesses, despite its growing relevance for long-term survival and legitimacy. This volume addresses these two gaps through two research questions: RQ1, how risk has been conceptualized and thematized in the literature on family businesses, and what theoretical trajectories and knowledge gaps characterize the field; RQ2, how governance characteristics influence family businesses’ exposure to ESG controversy risk. The chapter concludes by presenting the book’s structure and providing a summary of the chapters.