The Intimacy Factor: How Your Personality and Your Past Affect Your Ability to Love and be Loved

This husband-and-wife team use a great deal of personal experience to demonstrate that true intimacy is attainable in marriage. David, a couples counselor, supplements his personal knowledge with that of couples he works with and briefly discusses some important myths about intimacy. Through checklists and self-quizzes he explores several personality traits (such as the extrovert vs. introvert relater), but he may confuse the reader by giving examples before offering clear-cut definitions of these terms. However, he effectively acknowledges the importance of roles and relationships held during childhood that can affect the mates we choose and our behavior patterns in marriage. For problem solving, he demonstrates the important difference between a caretaker and a caregiver, the forgiveness process, and the acknowledgment of one's individuality within a marriage. Although certain sections could be better organized, the Stoops' command of the subject matter is impressive. Recommended for popular psychology collections. -Demetria A. Harvin, "Hospital Medicine," New York