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

~ Dr. Patricia Love (Author) "The first time Lauren laid eyes on Keith it was clear the rumor mill had not exaggerated his good looks..." (more)
Key Phrases: reverse traditional model, reunion grief, infatuation stage, Somewhat Important Very Important, Needs Improvement Fair Very Good, Post-Rapture Stage (more...)

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

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. -- Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Fireside (June 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684871882
• ISBN-13: 978-0684871882
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #38,183 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The New Handbook For Making Marriage Work, May 29, 2001

By	Paula Pile (Greensboro NC) - See all my reviews

Dr Love has written what I deem the most practical how to guide ever written on how to make marriage work. She breaks the various stages and aspects of marriage in to very understandable and sensible reading. Dr Love has taken the best of Imago and of John Gottman. and in a very clear instructive way refined their theories and added her own in such a way that makes sense to the reader. It also gives concrete specific tools for the reader to impliment in order to improve their relationship. The suggestions are very doable. I have been a marirage and family therapist for 24 years, and this is the best book that I have seen for both therapists and clients. I am recommending it to all of my clients and am going to give it as a wedding gift to every new bride and groom that I know. This book is for people in every stage of relationship,be it new one, aseasoned one, a solid one or a struggling one.

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

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

By A Customer

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!

27 of 27 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 "avid reader" (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.