How to Make the Biggest Decision of Your Life

by George Blair-West, Jiveny Blair-West

Single, divorced or in a relationship and contemplating marriage? This is THE book you need to create lifelong love.

There is no decision that will have a greater impact on our lives than who we choose to give our heart to and share our emotional, parental and financial future with.

With divorce rates over 40 per cent in much of the world, it's clear many of us need some help in picking partners. In this informative and entertaining guide, unique father-daughter team, psychiatrist Dr George Blair-West and dating coach Jiveny Blair-West, unlock the science and the secrets to making the biggest decision of your life.

You'll learn:

How attraction works and how to understand the unconscious forces at play
How to create 'true love' that carries us through the tough times
What we can learn from arranged marriages
Why we need to avoid the nines and tens
The six specific qualities important to support a healthy long-term relationship
If you're single, this book will give you clarity and the confidence to choose a better partner. If you're in a relationship, it will help you to work out if you should stay or go. Either way, this book will empower you to take charge of your relationship destiny.

336 pages, Paperback

Published January 27, 2021

About the author

An award-winning author, Dr George Blair-West is a medical doctor specialising in psychiatry who, for over 25 years, has worked in couple therapy and treating severe trauma. His early academic work into suicide and depression resulted in his honorary admission to The New York Academy of Sciences.

George is a sought-after speaker and educator, delivering talks and workshops on his work as an existential psychotherapist i.e. on building happiness and life satisfaction through finding meaning and purpose in life (“The Way of the Quest”) and building nurturing relationships ("How To Make the Biggest Decision of Your Life").

He is the author of five books, most recently "The Girl in the Green Dress" which he wrote with Jeni Haynes (who has multiple personality disorder) explaining how the mind copes with overwhelming trauma. His talk on TED.com (4 million + views) on preventing divorce is to be followed in 2023 with a 2nd TEDx talk on how the promises of romantic love increase divorce rates.

The father of two adult children, he lives in Brisbane with his wife, Penny, a clinical psychologist.

Reviews

[Prue Wall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so interesting and opened my eyes to the importance of being super considerate in who you choose to commit to (if commitment is what you want) and what that actually looks like practically. I think this book is equally beneficial for those dating and those in long term relos!

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended! This is fantastic read, an invaluable and practical guide to helping its readers indeed make the 'biggest decision of (their) li(ves)'.

George and Jiveny have put together an incredible resource, with each chapter alternating in a lovely fashion between psychologically oriented content (George) and that of navigating the modern dating scene (Jiveny).

This book is extremely well written and easy to digest. The content is engaging and embodies an uplifting and positive tone. I especially enjoyed the personal anecdotes and real-life examples.

Suitable for all ages and a invaluable investment in your interpersonal, dating and relationship skills base. I only wish I'd read it sooner!!

I am supremely confident that this book is already changing lives and will continue to do so - I'm already experiencing tangible benefits having put its insights into practice!

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

-This book is the perfect love letter to yourself for finding something special, something that get’s you excited to find new love or rediscover what was once lost. It helps explain how not to rush but also not go too slow and how to play your cards right to set yourself up for success in the long-term. It’s a handbook for dating in todays world, giving you hope to put yourself out there and really find someone you deserve to be with. It keeps things easy to digest and I recommend reading a couple of chapters at a time and sitting on them, to see if you can apply the learnings to your own life. This book should be discussed in schools so our future generations can flourish with the proper understandings of how to date. Gone are the days of love at first sight (well sort of) because even though we have all these options at the swipe of a finger it’s the beauty in the long-term growth of building a connection with someone that’s ever lasting.

[Lisa H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book incredibly helpful, easy to read & understand and most of all relevant to me. When reading it I had so many "Aha-moments" that simply makes sense because it's quite logical, which emotions really aren't. It was such a revealing insight to how I could better approach my relationships to build a strong foundation to stand upon. I really think everyone would benefit from reading it, and I greatly appreciate the author's approach of wanting to instigate inter-generational change in order to create a better world. I hope that I can bring the lessons from this gem into my future relationship with my life-partner, and other relationships as well. Thank you for making the effort of writing this amazing book!

[Chels · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 really would be where I put this. There are some real gems of info and insight to be found here, but you also have to wade thru a couple chapters sharply aimed at women to determine the viability of a relationship, match, and really seemed to put the onus of managing the relationship and its development and progression on them. I would have liked to see a more balanced approach like, “Hey hetero people! If you’re a dude you might want to look at things this way and a lady this way and you should both be aware and cognizant of the different approaches.” All that said, I think there were still some poignant things to be found about how to approach partnerships a bit more intentionally.

[Dubsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this and found it very insightful. I really liked having the two different perspectives in Dr George and Blair, and felt the real life examples and realistic approach refreshing. I'm single, but this book is also filled with useful advice for those in relationships particularly new ones. I've recommended this book to several friends both single and in a relationship - worth a read!

[Kate Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book and being able to learn about some of the theories behind relationships and how that pairs with practical advice that can be used in the modern-day dating world. I loved this book and have recommended it to many friends already. You've got nothing to lose by reading this book except for a few hours of pleasurable reading :)

[Jasper Foley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jiveny and George have added a valuable contribution to the literary world of self-help. They’ve provided simple solutions to questions that can seem so complicated as to be overwhelming. Importantly, their advice is easily practicable. Having read this book, my approach to relationships has changed for the better.

[Rose]

A wealth of knowledge about relationships and dating. Will challenge you to see love from a different perspective

[Emma Steel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably a book to read when you are just starting out in the confusing world of relationships.

[Anna Juliet Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than I thought it would be, there's a lot of genuinely good/well-researched advice in this book and it's one i keep coming back to as certain chapters address specific relationship challenges succintly.