Author:Susan Quilliam
For some people, an argument with a loved one is a catastrophe, a sign that a relationship must surely be over, for others a heated discussion is a way of letting off steam, a way of ensuring that passion is kept alive. But what is 'normal' communication for couples? How can you get past the raised voices or silent disapproval, to listen and understand what is really being said by your partner?
Relationships change over time, and the way we communicate does too. This practical, readable and sometimes humorous book, based on over 60 years of cumulative experience from Relate, the marriage guidance experts, will help couples to break free of old patterns of behaviour and avoid using words as weapons when the going gets tough. It will help encourage upfront discussion rather than resorting to nagging, and will give you the skills you need to understand what your partner is really trying to say to you - to bring discussion rather than confrontation back into your relationships.
Here, for once, is a self-help book that is fascinating rather than bossy...Clearly written, sometimes humorous and practical, this book convincingly demonstrates that it is possible to disagree and not fight, to have differences and not lash out.
—— Mail On SundayPerforms a valuable service by blowing the dust off our stodgy, conventional conception of the library to reveal the living heart of cultures that beats beneath its stone facade
—— Los Angeles TimesAn erudite, companionable, joyful book... Thrilling
—— SpectatorMatthew Battles touches on almost all the important subjects, through fascinating stories... The book is full of all sorts of treasures
—— Times Literary SupplementAn extraordinary work of scholarship. It not only places the history of Western thought in perspective, but offers new insights concerning the evolution of our thinking and the future of the whole human enterprise
—— John E. Mack, winner of the Pulitzer PrizeThe best intellectual history of the West in one volume I have ever seen. No other such overview provides, in equal compass, as clear and cogent a survey, Its scholarship is impeccable
—— Huston Smith, author of The World's ReligionsThe most thrilling narrative of the West's 3000-year odyssey in pursuit of truth accessible to a broad public... A work of genius
—— Hellenic Journal