A tremendous amount of media attention has been directed towards intimate relationships. Magazine articles, books, and television specials have all focused on what makes intimate relationships work or not work. There are hundreds of books on this topic. However, few books have well integrated the academic and clinical aspects of relationships specifically for those trying to find a life partner and to maintain a lifelong commitment.

For the past 13 years, we have been teaching courses on intimate relationships at a variety of universities, including Stanford University, the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Kansas, Santa Clara University, and Loyola Marymount University. The purpose of the book is to essentially turn this popular course into an easy to read, understand, and use book for the general public and as a supplement to undergraduate and graduate courses in intimate relationships and counseling.

What makes this book different is that it offers a concise, practical, and straightforward approach to intimate relationships that is based on both scientific research and clinical practice. Written by two full-time academics who maintain part-time clinical practices, the book provides the balance between research and practice that is needed for this topic.