I really enjoyed this book. 
Although I failed the first chapter’s Romantic Intelligence quiz miserably, I
thoroughly enjoyed reading about what is really behind all of the emotions that
we go through with our relationships.  Some good, others not so good, the
emotions and feelings discussed in this book are on the mark.
Written by a husband and wife team (who are also motivational speakers, as well
lecturers, not to mention the call-in radio show that he hosts weekly in the
Albany, New York area), this book touches on true love as well as infatuation
and what the difference is between the both.  It discusses, among other things,
jealousy, verbal and emotional abuses, as well as the many different
relationship roadblocks that the couples interviewed for this book have gone
through. 

The topics range from mild issues
(lack of communication, wet towels on the bathroom floor); to the story of one
woman who was in love with her boyfriend until she saw the way that he treated
his mother (red flag).  Some salvageable, others irreparable, the issues
discussed in this book allow the reader to realize that all relationships have
problems and that most can be worked out with a little compromise from both
parties. 

The quizzes and questionnaires in
the book help the readers realize their weaknesses, recognize their strengths
and hopefully allow them to differentiate the two.   I enjoyed the questions
that were asked, as they definitely required a bit of soul-searching, and I found
myself actually mulling over a few of them for quite some time.  I found some
of the multiple choice questions extremely difficult, especially in the chapter
discussing how well we resolve emotional conflict. I felt the way I did when
answering questions for the MENSA exam years ago — the questions seem like
trick questions, as if any of the three answers could have been the correct choice,
yet "all of the above" was not an answer option.    Again, these
questions definitely give you reason to use your thinking cap.  More fun to
answer with your significant other, these questions definitely give you reason
to reflect on things.

The basis of the book is to educate
the reader on how to become relationship savvy, as well as hang on to their
self-worth while hanging on to the love of their life.  With chapters chock
full of insight on compromise, honesty, compassion and empathy, I would recommend
this book to anyone involved in a relationship.  It makes for an excellent
reference source when you and your significant other hit a snafu.  I
particularly like the fact that others share the same exact problems that we
have all gone through at one time or another in a relationship.

An exceptional choice for both male
and female readers, this book covers all of the emotions that make for
relationships. 

© 2006 Dana
Vigilante

Dana
Vigilante is a hospice educator as well as an advocate for proper end-of-life
care and a certified bereavement group facilitator. Currently writing a book
based on interviews with terminally ill hospice patients, she divides her time
between New Jersey and San Francisco.

Categories: Relationships, SelfHelp