3.72 avg rating — 311 ratings

"A very accessible book that both explains the relevant science very well, but also does a great job of offering concrete suggestions for ways to improve the way that our brains perceive and process information relevant to relationships."

4.04 avg rating — 29,104 ratings

"A critically important work about the impact of cognitive dissonance in our lives, and how it can keep us from being honest with ourselves and others without us even realizing it."

4.29 avg rating — 243,268 ratings

"One of the best books I've ever read. She goes through her research on vulnerability and wholeheartedness, and why those are critical qualities to improved relationships and lives. The interventions she offers are primarily targeted to partners, parents, and leaders - that information can still be applied in a variety of domains."

4.13 avg rating — 122,978 ratings

"Attachment is one of the best frameworks I've discovered to explain why, despite our best efforts, some relationships just go wrong. This is an excellent summary of the science, and helps us get a better handle on attachment orientations, which one we have, and what that means for the way we do (and could better) navigate our relationships."

4.28 avg rating — 481,495 ratings

"Another great framework for understanding why sometimes it seems like we're on different wavelengths from others that we love and that we rationally know love us back - and why it's hard to feel it emotionally. Helps us better identify and communicate our needs."

4.25 avg rating — 222,768 ratings

"You need to embrace and take care of yourself before you can form a healthy and successful relationship with someone else."

4.07 avg rating — 9,307 ratings

"We have all experienced broken promises, violated expectations (which, within reason, we all get to have), and bad behavior. An inability to confront them and navigate them efficiently and productively always makes things worse. This book is an extremely helpful toolkit for navigating confrontations."

4.07 avg rating — 28,046 ratings

"A warm hug in words."

3.92 avg rating — 2,508 ratings

"More targeted information on attachment orientations. Despite the title, this is actually has essential information about navigating relationships with anyone that is insecurely (anxiously or avoidantly) attached, whether you are also insecurely attached or securely attached."

3.80 avg rating — 664 ratings

"This book is a *must read* both, for someone that *is* avoidantly attached, or for anyone that has ever invested in any kind of relationship with someone that is avoidantly attached. He relates what the research says about the things that avoidants think and feel but aren't able to express. A great reminder not to take things too personally and how to process relationship cues more rationally - on both sides."

3.96 avg rating — 617 ratings

"More about avoidantly attached individuals - both male and female."

3.87 avg rating — 3,194 ratings

"Dr. Fisher's four main personality groupings and how people in different categories interact with one another."

3.46 avg rating — 5,841 ratings

"The best book when it comes to practical advice about what it is to live an imperfect life filled with imperfect people. No lofty, unattainable relationship advice, just real, you-do-you, take-care-of-yourself-then-do-what-you-can-for-others-within-reason advice."

4.10 avg rating — 1,279 ratings

"The Gottmans are pioneers of relationship science. Dr. Gottman is known for his research in identifying characteristics of interaction that are highly correlated with relationship dissolution. The flip side of his research is how to cultivate the characteristics that lead to fufilling long-term relationships. Trust is one of those characteristics."

4.15 avg rating — 3,446 ratings

"Although geared for married and long-term couples of any sexual orientation (sexual functioning being a significant part of the content of this book), there is also good information in this book that can be applied to friendships, particularly in the first third of the book."

3.60 avg rating — 1,131 ratings

"Just a really accessible book written by a scientist that had to work hard to find connections with people."

3.58 avg rating — 1,766 ratings

"Dr. Finkel talks about the history of marriage and the needs that it has met over time. He then talks about, in modern society, the needs that we increasingly seek to fulfill with marriage, and how that can both lead to the worst and best marriages in history, and what we can do to make ours better. Tangentially, it also suggests our need to cultivate friendships to meet needs, since counting on our partner to fulfill every need we have is unrealistic."

4.17 avg rating — 49,712 ratings

"Dr. Perel is about as honest and real as researchers come. Her research focuses on couples where cheating has occurred and , like Dr. Finkel, talks about the competing roles of marriage and which needs can be realistically met by marriage, and which needs we need to think about differently."

4.16 avg rating — 2,446 ratings

"Another warm hug of a book. A meditative perspective on accepting who you are."

4.12 avg rating — 131,286 ratings

4.15 avg rating — 34 ratings

"a grad-level text book."

4.33 avg rating — 70 ratings

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating

"a grad-level text book."

4.39 avg rating — 18 ratings

"a grad-level text book written by some of psychology's leading experts in intimate relationships and attachment."

3.75 avg rating — 12 ratings

"a grad-level text book written in the early 1990s. Great info, if the research is a little dated at this point. A great starting place for friendship research."