As we journey through life we find that the relationships we have are in a constant state of flux. Sometimes people who were important to us as children or as teens are no longer integral to our lives and the friendships, once so important, fade away in place of new ones.
When we reach adulthood it can often be a jarring experience. Suddenly there’s nobody to tell you what to do no more and we’re suddenly expected to already have all the answers. Except all they ever taught us was algebra, Shakespeare and the dates of battles from the Middle Ages – nothing at all about modern life!
Relationships too, can often seem a mystery. The expectations are there of course, namely marriage and kids, though we generally don’t get much advice on that part either, just hoary old clichés from our parents that they probably got off theirs.
Of course it’s often much easier to learn what not to do; we all know people in bad relationships or who have gone through bitter breakups but then again we also know at least one couple who makes it all look so effortlessly easy. The reality, however, is they’re the ones who understand that a good relationship takes quite a lot of work.
Creating and maintaining a healthy relationship takes a lot of time, effort, patience and consideration and as with everything in life the journey can be made all the easier with proper guidance.
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex
selfhelp : June 28, 2011 2:26 pm : Books, relationship-books
You’ve heard of this book haven’t you? C’mon everyone has!
Yes, this is the book. That book you’ve heard people talk about for years.
You probably already know it talks about the differences between the sexes, going into quite a bit of detail about it. But then that’s the bit we all know.
What you probably don’t know, however, is there is much more to this book than simply saying men and women are very different from one another. (After all we hardly need a book to tell us that!) This is merely the background, of the book not the premise.
Men and women have very different characteristics, personalities and viewpoints and that is the cause of so much conflict in our relationships.
These differences are often so incomprehensibly vast that it can sometimes feel as though we come from different planets – enter John Gray as intergalactic ambassador.
Having expanded further on the books title, explaining the differing behavior characteristics of “Martian” men and “Venusian” women, for example in how they react differently to the same situation, he then sets out to bring both sides back down to Earth.
In order to have a strong, healthy relationship, John insists, one take the time to learn and understand how to see things from their partner’s perspective. In other words, they must boldly go on an interplanetary voyage and make one giant leap for man or womankind.
And that’s really what the book is all about. A navigational chart to help better explore the strange alien terrain that is your partner’s psyche. Others have called it a relationship survival guide and one critic the most important book about the relationship between men and women since the Book of Genesis.
Whichever way you want to describe it, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus is a phenomenon and one of the successful books on relationships of all time. A number one bestseller on the New York Times list and elsewhere, the book has also appeared consistently on numerous book club and book critic’s reading lists. Now, with a twentieth anniversary in 2012, the Mars/Venus juggernaut shows no sign of slowing, nor should it. And if you don’t know why already, it’s about time you found out.
Because if you’re looking for the definitive book on relationships you’ve just found it.
