The Truth About Love: The Highs, the Lows, and How You Can Make It Last Forever [Paperback]

Dr. Patricia Love (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 5, 2001

Don't break up before the breakthrough!

Have you ever believed that you have fallen out of love, or said "I still love him but I'm not IN LOVE anymore?" In this groundbreaking guide to the physiology and psychology of lasting love, Dr. Pat Love reveals that love has normal, predictable stages that include highs and lows, and that many couples mistake the lows for the end of love. The Truth About Love is an inspiring, practical guide that will teach you how not to break up before the breakthrough realization: You can create the true love you long for with the partner you already have.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Love, a family and marriage therapist and coauthor of Hot Monogamy, here offers hope to those who feel that the flame of amour has gone out. She explains that all relationships go through predictable patterns and outlines the four up-and-down stages of love: Infatuation, Post-Rapture, Discovery, and Connection. She explains how physiological changes account for some of the intense feelings brought on by initial attraction for example, how phenylethylamine, dopamine, and norpinephrine combine to create the natural high new lovers feel that helps them bond. Love goes on to explain that this heady infatuation stage, glorious as it may be, is not what love is really about. She explodes myths that can destroy relationships, such as "If my partner really loved me s/he'd know what I wanted all the time." Other potential problems, as when a couple has different priorities for their relationship, are outlined and addressed. Including quizzes and lists of questions for discussion, this fluidly written book is recommended for all public libraries.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Harville Hendrix, Ph.D. and Helen Lakelly Hunt, M.A. The most realistic and practical book on love that we have seen. Every couple wanting to deepen or save their relationship should read it.

John Gray author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus Pat Love has given us a new way of understanding and improving relationships. An extraordinary book.

Michele Weiner-Davis author of Divorce Busting and Getting Through to the Man You Love With wisdom, compassion, humor, and grace, Pat Love gently nudges us away from our dearly held notions about relationships and teaches us what is truly the heart and soul of love.

William Glasser, M.D. author of Getting Together and Staying Together A fascinating look into the chemistry of love and the realities of relationships; a book that opens the door, too long closed, to success in marriage.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (June 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684871882
• ISBN-13: 978-0684871882
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,317 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Patricia Love, Ed.D., is an acclaimed therapist and speaker and author/co-author of six books, including Hot Monogamy, The Truth About Love and How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It. She has appeared on Oprah and Today and on CNN, and has contributed to numerous magazines including Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman's World.

Pat has a private practice in Austin, TX where she works primarily with couples in an "intensive model" she developed over her years of clinical experience. Couples come for three hours up to three days to work on the important issues in their relationship. This natural, organic process is highly effective as it addresses the strengths as well as challenges presented by each individual couple.

Dr. Love (yes, that's her real name!) also conducts trainings for therapists and counselors based on an evidence-based approach. Utilizing her love for research and curriculum development, she offers a multitude of instructional experiences addressing such timely topics as relationships, marriage, divorce, sexuality, infidelity and recovery, depression, anxiety, loneliness, happiness, addiction, recovery and love in the time of Twitter.

When you work with Pat, whether as a client or a participant in one of her trainings you will notice her warmth, humor and commitment to learning. This combination makes her books, her teaching, her coaching and her therapy a meaningful investment.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars There's more to love than you think June 29, 2002

By J. Meegan VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Don't be misled by the somewhat cheesy title or the fact that the author's name is Dr. Patricia LOVE-this is an excellent book that provides a much needed reality check to both married and unmarried couples alike. Whether you're having relationship problems or experiencing smooth sailing with your partner, this book is a highly recommended "must read." Filled with practical advice, The Truth About Love takes an honest look at the nature of love in all it's myriad forms and walks you through and shows you how to cope with the various stages that all relationships go through. Dr. Love shows that true love is truly a lot of work but that it if you're serious about it, it can be one of the most rewarding jobs in life. My boyfriend and I read this a year ago in an effort to better understand one another and to work through some issues we were having-not only did this book relieve some anxieties that we both were experiencing but it brought us closer together. Love is more than a feeling; it's a journey that you take with another person and both of you are active participants in how that journey unfolds. So make the most of it and read this book.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great start, Good finish March 9, 2004

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

In The Truth About Love, Dr. Love breaks "love" down into four stages -- Infatuation, Post-Rapture, Discovery, and Connection. The first part of the book seems pretty grounded in science and makes for interesting reading. I can understand why relationships tend to fall apart for many people. I can also see why rushing into marriage can be a bad idea. The Infatuation Stage, she tells us, can last from 6 months to 2 years. So, rushing into marriage while still infatuated can create false ideas of what the marriage will be like. This part of the book was quite strong. I would say that the later parts of the book -- Discovery and Connection -- are strong too, but I sometimes found the information a little repetitive. I did learn a lot while reading this book, and I did see my relationship improve. And, interestingly, the relationship improved even though I was the only one of the two of us who read the book -- just like the book promised could happen. My only complaint is that the book probably could have been twenty pages shorter. But, it's still a good and helpful read.

45 of 50 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars BUY THIS BOOK!!! July 15, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

When my boyfriend of two years broke up with me because he didn't love me anymore and had 'chemistry' with someone else, I was devasted. I searched and searched for answers and came across this book. I begged him to read this book even if only just the first chapter. He did and now we are back together and married! I wish I had this book years ago. Buy this book even if you are happily married. The information in this book needs to shared with everyone. It is an easy to read book. If people only knew The Truth About Love, there would fewer divorces and affairs. Again, BUY THIS BOOK. It is worth it!