Relationship Rescue

Another winner from McGraw, author of the best-seller Life Strategies, psycho-legal expert and contributor to Oprah Winfrey's Change Your Life TV'. The subtitle of this latest work, 'Don't make excuses! Start repairing your relationship today', gives an apt flavour of the type of advice you will encouter within: directive, straight-talking and confident. On the whole this approach may be effective for anyone floundering in the quagmire of relationship angst: a stick and a good pull out of the mush rather than soothing contemplation of one's dire position. None of what McGraw calls 'pop-psych nonsense' or a 'touchy-feely poetic approach' here: you're urged to recognize your own contribution (no matter what a louse you partner is ) to creating a lifestyle which supports and sustains a dreadful relationship. McGraw admits he wants to shake you up, and suggests the way to start is by changing yourself, then define the problems in the relationship. He believes that most received ideas about relationships are dangerous myths based on false logic: you don't need to be romantic, do things together, understand each other's point of view, avoid fighting or have common interests, and sex is important. He manages to cover some pretty wide-ranging territory, from the biblical view of sex to why traditional relationship counselling doesn't work, and offers tools and clarity to fix relationship chaos. His final instruction: 'don't you dare allow yourself to settle for living and loving like some second class citizen'. (Kirkus UK)