I originally found the title and the concept of this book confusing until I read the sub-title, Your Journey of Mutual Discovery. This book is not for couples who are undergoing problems with their relationships. It is for couples who want to enhance their relationship and further their understanding of each other. The book is in the form of a journal, wherein both partners commence it together, and hopefully, go through the exercises together. Both partners start by signing an agreement to a set of ground rules, saying they will follow through on the assignments in the book. The journal is set out so that each partner can not only write in his or her portion, but can also read what his or her partner has written. The 45 chapters or exercises focus on the individual needs, desires, wishes of both partners with exercises such as Discovering One Another, Exploring Your Relationship, Sharing Perspectives, and Recording Your History. These exercises are designed so that both individuals can clearly define how they feel about their relationship, and their extent of their own knowledge of each other. As the partners go throughout the journalling process they become aware of how much, or how little they actually knew about each other, and their partners perceptions of them. There are questions that will cause dissent, yet the journal then asks the couple to explore that dissent and find its cause, and also look towards a resolution. That resolution may require a third party intervention such as a therapist, if need be. The book does not claim to have all the answers. This journal requires a very committed couple to use it. Both need to be committed to each other, committed to learning about each other, and committed to concluding the project. A couple that has problems before beginning this book may not find it appropriate for them at all. This is definitely not the kind of book that you can patch up a relationship that has mild to extreme difficulties with, but it may enhance an already stable relationship.

Bruce Pollard describes himself as follows:

I am currently undergoing a training course in “Everyday Counselling” and also doing a course in Theology. I am 42 years old and spent 20 of them in the Victoria Police Force in Australia. I am being treated for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and have come a long way as a result of the psychological and psychiatric treatment that I have had. I hold a Diploma in Sports Psychology. I am physically disabled as a result of a genetic blood disorder, and a spinal injury that I incurred in the Police Force. My main ambition in life is to keep assisting people as I did, in my prior career, and to help out those, who need that little it extra help in their lives.

Categories: ClientReviews, SelfHelp, Relationships

Keywords: marriage, communication, man-woman