Books about relationship

[meridannight]

[MENTION=22914]Cobalt[/MENTION], i haven't read any books on relationships, but i would like to recommend one author:

Richard Isay

i've read his book, Becoming Gay, and it was a very insightful read. the title has been misleading for some guys; it doesn't have anything to do with ''turning'' someone gay or somehow ''becoming'' gay when you're not. it is about learning of your own sexual identity and coming to terms with it. not about relationships directly (though 'indirectly' applies), but i personally acquired a new perspective by reading this one. it's written by a psychoanalyst, so the material does have that bias to it, which is not always enjoyable. but it offers some valuable insight into certain minds, especially middle-aged gay men and men dealing with HIV positive status, and helps make some sense of some types of behavior. i dare say it might plug into your own subconscious and make you realize something about yourself, even. this was a surprisingly enlightening read, i didn't expect much when i started it.

the same author has written a book which deals with the subject of gay relationships: Commitment and Healing, Gay Men and the Need for Romantic Love

two reviews on it have said this:

Richard Isay offers something far better than simple bromides and false hope. In this book, he challenges us with a provocative, illuminating, and ultimately hopeful look at ourselves and explains how those of us who yearn to love and be loved (and who doesn't?) can best find happiness and healing in a committed relationship.

Many gay men (and others, too) are likely to find this book exceptionally interesting and helpful. In a series of vividly illuminating case histories and with a psychoanalyst's depth and clarity of insight, Richard Isay lucidly explains why gay men have particular difficulty in establishing and sustaining loving relationships and how they might sensibly improve their chances of doing so.

i haven't read this last book, but based on how i liked his Becoming Gay, the way he writes and relates to his subjects himself, it looks like a promising read at the very least. and as you are interested in the subject i would recommend you to check it out. Isay has a style that is empathic and he has a certain warmth to him when you read him. i really liked that.