cover image Resonance--The New Chemistry of Love: Creating a Relationship That Gives You the Intimacy and Independence You've Always Wanted

Resonance--The New Chemistry of Love: Creating a Relationship That Gives You the Intimacy and Independence You've Always Wanted

Barbara Fishman. HarperOne, $20 (268pp) ISBN 978-0-06-250719-8

Even the most romantic couples may become polarized, with one partner (usually the woman) asking for greater commitment from the other, who may desire the opposite. Some couples may get bogged down in day-to-day routine and take each other's presence for granted. Others become ``merged,'' leaving both partners unable to develop themselves individually; some partners may pursue careers and outside interests at the expense of their relationship. What such couples have lost, according to clinical psychologist Fishman, is resonance, her term to describe a give-and-take connectedness between partners. With Ashner, coauthor of When Parents Love Too Much , Fishman discusses realistic ways in which couples can shed rigid habits and expectations that make their relationship unsatisfying. Citing examples from her counseling practice, Fishman suggests exercises and tools by which couples can move away from hostility, the need to control and the limits of narrow sex roles into a more flexible, authentic relationship. $75,000 ad/promo; author tour. (Apr.)