Argov, Sherry. Why Men Love Bitches: From Doormat to Dreaming—A Woman's Guide to Holding Her Own in a Relationship. Avon, MA: Adams Media Corporation, 2002. Argov's use of the word bitch in the title is reflective of her tongue-in-cheek approach. The woman Argov is describing is kind yet strong, feminine but won't compromise herself to get what she wants, and cool under pressure. Men might describe Argov's women as mental challenges because they have a bit of an edge and don't appear needy. Their strength is subtle. With humor, an informal writing style, much advice, real-life relationship scenarios, "she says/he thinks" tables, and 100 "Attraction Principles," Argov reveals why strong women are much more desirable than "yes women." Could be help for women who need to find themselves, stand their own ground, and learn how to relate to men.

Blanchard, Ken, and Margret McBride. The One Minute Apology: A Powerful Way to Make Things Better. New York: William Morrow (An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, 2003. The authors "offer readers a simple yet effective way to understand and implement emotional healing in the aftermath of life's missteps," says one reviewer. This is "the golden rule expanded to fit every situation," says another. The book "offers timeless lessons on facing reality," says a third. The beauty of this book is not in what it tells readers to do, it is in how effectively it shows them how to do it. It is a quick and enjoyable read, but one that has "the power to accomplish a lasting and profound personal transformation." (Quotations are from the flyleaves of the book.)

Boothman, N. (2004). How to Make Someone Love you Forever in 90 Minutes or Less. New York: Workman Publishing. This is a small (5" x 7", 277-page) excellent book written in a very comfortable, reader-friendly style. There are three parts: get ready, get set, and go, and the chapters in each section are short, with brief sections within each. In step one, Boothman covers the importance of honest self-assessment, and then what it takes to discover the type of person who is your matched opposite. Step two covers interpersonal skills such as how to be charming, not alarming, flirting with confidence, synchronizing your body and voice to create trust and chemistry, keeping enthusiasm high, casting a wide social net, and dressing appropriately. Step three discusses accelerating the kind of intimacy that leads to love by finding the proper triggers, mastering the art of incidental touch, learning to tap into key emotions through low-, medium-, and high-risk disclosures, and intensifying your nonverbal signals. There are "Consider This" boxes and exercises scattered throughout the book that are both interesting and valuable.

Britten, Rhonda. Fearless Loving: Eight Simple Truths That Will Change the Way You Date, Mate, and Relate. New York: Dutton (Published by the Penguin Group), 2003. Eight truths govern the organization of this book: 1) Love is up to you, 2) Everyone is innocent, 3) Love is not a feeling, 4) Chemistry is between your ears, 5) Dating is where you practice being yourself, 6) "Yes" means nothing if you can't say "no," 7) Loss is a fact of love, and 8) Love is a risk you have to take. This is a primer on how to review, enhance, and create loving relationships. Britten weaves her personal experiences with those of her clients into this thoughtful, insightful, and creative book about conquering the fear and self-doubt that inhibits living your life and loving others with freedom and joy. A great read.

(No author). (2000, September 5). Common Questions About Relationships, and Some Answers. Counseling Center, University of Buffalo, State University of New York (SUNY). Retrieved January 12, 2005, from http://ub-counseling.buffalo.edu/questions.shtml. The staff of the Counseling Center, Division of Student Affairs at the University at Buffalo, offers an excellent set of important, relevant, and specific relationship questions especially designed for college students, along with very specific answers to each question. A great place to begin if you are new to relationships or dating.

Davis, L. (2002). I Thought We'd Never Speak Again: The Road From Estrangement to Reconciliation. New York: Harper Collins. In this 368-page book, Davis covers every son of connection, from seemingly minor differences that can escalate over time to larger issues of abuse, neglect, and dysfunction. Based on her own personal odyssey as well as numerous interviews, she illustrates ways to reconcile without necessarily forgiving. This loving, thoughtful book is useful for adults dealing with personal issues or families undergoing emotional trauma.

Gentry, W. D. (2004). When Someone You Love is Angry: A 7-Step Program for Dealing With Toxic Anger and Taking Back Control of Your Life. New York: Berkley Books (Penguin Books). In this 193-page, 13 chapter paperback, clinical psychologist and anger expert Gentry combines research and real-life testimony in a comprehensive, and yet succinct, description first of the emotion and the profound feeling of sadness for the angry person as well as for those on the receiving end of this burdensome emotion. With numerous self-tests, evaluation opportunities, and assessments regarding your potential for change, Gentry differs a self-help program aimed at increasing your sense of personal safety, helping you recover from damage already done, and restoring you to the status of a non-victim. You need to reach out for support, abandon the 8 myths about love and anger, recognize and put a stop to abusive behavior, avoid facilitation of the anger syndrome, refrain from angry responses, inoculate yourself against stress, and explore your options. An excellent book.

Greenwald, Rachel. Find a Husband After 35: Using What I Learned at Harvard Business School. New York: Ballantine Books, 2003. This is a practical, useful, and easy-to-read book designed for women over 35, but it relates to anyone who is looking for a mate. There are vivid examples, worthwhile suggestions, lists of valuable data, do's and don'ts, as well as a 15-step program to follow. Although this is her first book, Greenwald brings to it excellent credentials with an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, a B.A. in psychology from Wellesley College, numerous seminars conducted nationwide on "How to Find a Husband After 35," and private clients around the country.

Gurian, Michael. What Could He Be Thinking? How a Man's Mind Really Works. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2003. This is an excellent book. Gurian offers readers a scientific view of the male mind, but, in doing so, offers a detailed picture, by contrast, of the female mind as well. For anyone entering a relationship, this is important information. Mixing neurobiology with a very readable writing style, anecdotes from everyday life, and a new vision of the male psyche, Gurian answers the questions women and the world have asked about boyfriends, husbands, fathers, and coworkers. Here, the male brain is dissected, and male habits, tendencies, nuances, actions, and thoughts are carefully described—and by contrast, women's minds and their actions and behaviors are discussed as well. A fascinating book full of insightful and worthwhile discoveries.

Hendrix, H., & H. L. Hunt. (2004). Receiving Love: Transform Your Relationship By Letting Yourself Be Loved. New York: Atria Books. You can think about this book in reference to those who have difficulty either forming or maintaining relationships. It is for those who have resistance to appreciation, praise, compliments, and accepting help from others that both hurts and cripples relationships. This 304-page book is divided into three parts: Understand the Problem, The Solution, and Exercises. Although all of it is well-written and full of engaging examples, the chapters in the middle part on the science of relationships, learning to receive, establishing contact, connection, and communion, and restoring life are especially valuable. Everyone needs advice about how to get along with others, and these authors do an excellent job of detailing what that job entails.

Jones, C. D. (2004). Overcoming Anger: How to Identify It, Stop It, and Live a Healthier Life. Avon, MA: Adams Media. Carol D. Jones is a licensed marriage, family, and child counselor and in this 274-page paperback she combines a conversational approach and cutting-edge techniques to identify anger styles, cope with everyday triggers to eliminate stress, listen actively, and create a personal responsibility assessment for thoughts and actions. One of the best chapters, about 10% of the book, is on "Communication and Anger," and discusses listening, nonverbal communication, delivering feedback, self-disclosure and intimacy, sending the right message, and a dozen blocks to communication. The entire book is about communication, but this chapter relates to much of what is taught in a basic speech-communication course. For those who find anger a problem, this is a useful, helpful, user-friendly resource.

Real, Terrence. How Can I Get Through to You? Reconnecting Men and Women. New York: Scribner, 2002. This is a book that clearly underscores the "Essential Elements of Good Relationships"—especially those aspects where it is clear what men need to do to improve their relational skills. Real cites as the main problem in relationships, the "profound asymmetry between couples caused by psychological patriarchy." With rich clinical examples, he shows that empowering women and bringing men back into connection helps couples reignite passion and authentic love. This is a poignant and masterful guide designed to heal our loneliness and isolation by reawakening in all of us the natural state of closeness that we all long for. This well-written, easy-to-read, book can be a life-changing experience for those who want to know what constitutes healthy interpersonal relationships.

Schiraldi, Glenn R., and Melissa Hallmark Kerr. The Anger Management Sourcebook. Chicago: Contemporary Books (A Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies), 2002. In brief, readable sections, with numerous self-tests, drills, reflections, suggested activities, examples, and advice, this amazingly complete book includes a straightforward program to help you, as a parent, spouse, coworker, or friend to recognize anger triggers, choose effective alternatives, and constructively channel your energy. The authors, one of whom has served on the stress management faculties at the Pentagon and the University of Maryland, and the other who is a mental health educator and researcher, bring their brilliant insights, current research, and experiences to bear on recognizing symptoms, identifying and diffusing triggers, regaining peace, cognitive and behavioral approaches, conflict-resolution skills, and anger-related illnesses. This is a must-read book on anger.

Sullivan, A. (ed.) (2004). Same-Sex Marriage: Pro and Con—A Reader. New York: Vintage Books (A division of Random House, Inc.). This 380-page paperback brings together two thousand years of argument in an anthology of historic inclusiveness and evenhandedness. He covers the history, the religious war (with excerpts from Genesis, Leviticus, and other essential biblical texts), the path of the courts, the debate on both the left and right, the national debate, same-sex marriage and parenthood, the polygamy and adultery debate, the real world of love and marriage, and, finally, the future of the legal and political battle. Just a few of the 74 authors whose articles appear in this volume include Aristophanes, William Bennett, Sonny Bono, George W. Bush, Barney Frank, Anthony McLeod Kennedy, John F. Kerry, Ann Landers, Sandra Day O'Connor, Camille Paglia, Plato, William Safire, and Antonin Scalia. About the book, The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, "Succeeds in framing the major religious, legal, moral and personal issues...and in showing why the debate cuts to the core of Americans' beliefs about themselves."

Vaughan, P. (2003). The Monogamy Myth: A Personal Handbook for Recovering From Affairs, ed. New York: Newmarket Press. Vaughan writes about why affairs happen, the experience itself, the healing process, and, finally, a time of reckoning. Her writing style is engaging, her personal examples are enlightening, and her ideas are profound. The chapters on "The Healing Process" regarding rebuilding self-esteem, and trust, honesty, and communication, are excellent and full of valuable insights and advice. She confronts the marriage/divorce dilemma, living with the decision, and discusses a new understanding of affairs which considers other possibilities for achieving personal satisfaction and the strength and security that often result from painful ordeals. Vaughan offers a six-step program for establishing communication between partners that can actually prevent affairs, and she includes a section on the role of the Internet in relationships as well.

Whitman, Stacy, and Wynne Whitman. Shacking Up: The Smart Girl's Guide to Living in Sin Without Getting Burned. New York: Broadway Books, 2003. This is an incredibly complete, practical, and worthwhile guide. Chapter 1, "You're Thinking of Doing WHAT?!?" is a chapter full of examples, arguments, advice, a glossary, a success story and a horror story, as well as statistics, perils such as moving too fast, uncommitted attitudes, family disapproval, and uncharted territory. In Chapter 2, "Making the Decision," there is a 48-question "Chemistry Quiz" that will help you discover what your relationship is made of. Other chapter titles reveal the authors' coverage: "Ten Things to Do Before Packing Your Bags," "Setting Up Your New Digs," "Money Matters," "Legalese for Live-Ins," "Keeping the Connection," "Do I Hear Wedding Bells?," "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," and "Love-Ins for Life and Other Special Circumstances." This is a must-read book for anyone thinking about shacking up.