Odyssey of the Heart: Close Relationships in the 21st Century / Edition 2

by John H. Harvey

Overview

Written in a personal, story-telling style, Odyssey weaves excerpts of actual relationships with current and classic research to provide a better perspective on our own experiences in light of the principles of relationships. Highlights of its comprehensive coverage include the classic research on personal attraction, dating and meeting others for closeness, and the maintenance and dissolution of relationships. "Recommendations for Growth" provides an opportunity for readers to directly apply current research and theory to their own relationships.

Features new to this edition include the latest research and therapeutic techniques on maintaining and enhancing relationships; a new chapter on the family with recent demographic changes and a look at the ongoing debates about the impact of cohabitation, divorce, and blended families; and new chapters on same sex relationships and the dark side of relationships, including why women stay in abusive relationships.
Odyssey of the Heart serves as a text for courses on close and/or interpersonal relationships. Its accessibility and inclusion of many actual experiences will engage the general reader.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780805838985
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/01/2001
Edition description:	REV
Pages:	284
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	1330L (what's this?)

About the Author

John H. Harvey (Author), Ann L. Weber (Author)

Table of Contents

Contents: Preface. The Study of Close Relationships in the Early 21st Century. Gender Dialogue. Physical Attraction and Early Dating Dynamics. Sexuality in Close Relationships. Love and Commitment. Maintenance and Enhancement. The Family. Same-Sex Close Relationships. Relationship Violence and the "Dark Side" of Close Relationships. Dissolution of Close Relationships. Grief and Recovery. Passages: Lifespan Relationship Challenges. Relationship Enhancement Through Personal Adjustment and Some Future Directions.

Editorial Reviews

Instead of an in-depth look at how people achieve close relationships, Harvey (psychology, Univ. of Iowa) offers a smorgasbord of information on the topic. He manages to touch on everything from sex to dealing with grief to where to find a date, which ultimately results in a lack of focus. Information about the use of pornography and anecdotes about stalking behavior seem out of place, as does commentary regarding the effects of divorce on children. Indeed, Harvey seems to have taken a lot of good information from census data and from psychological studies and put it all together whether or not it makes sense to do so. Ultimately, he seems unsure of his audience: This isn't a scholarly work, but Harvey apparently expects his audience to be acquainted with many of his citations. Then, in the last chapter, he runs down the self-help genre to which this book belongs. All in all, a marginal purchase for most libraries.-Pamela A. Matthews, Missouri Western State Coll. Lib., St. Joseph

Library Journal