THE ROMANCE FACTOR

by Alan Loy McGinnis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 6, 1982

A chatty gathering of observations by a pastor-turned-marriage counselor who found true romantic love after his first marriage fell apart. But, preaches McGinnis: ""love is not a fiat from Cupid's bow, it is something you create."" To re-ignite that original spark, partners are advised to cultivate their inner beauty (self confidence is the ultimate aphrodisiac); to expand their capacity for feeling; to create the conditions for ecstasy with ""ecstatic triggers"" (art, natural scenery, religion, childbirth, sexual love, beauty); and to believe the best about the opposite sex. There are also tips on how to keep romance from dying in the first place: decide what you need; cultivate independence; construct a balanced relationship; and renegotiate the exchanges in your relationship. (In case all that doesn't work, we are told how to weather marital storms and avoid affairs.) Some of this is, to say the least, oversimplified: we see years of marital boredom, resulting in mutual apathy, wiped away by sudden recognition of the problem and overnight change. And the woman whose husband is having an affair is consoled: ""the fact that one man has deserted you for someone else does not necessarily mean that you are unattractive or unlovable."" Sweet-dream reading.

Pub Date: Oct. 6, 1982

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harper & Row

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1982

Categories: NONFICTION