Books like Intimate strangers by Lillian B. Rubin

Erich Fromm examines love as a practiced art rather than a simple feeling, distinguishing types such as brotherly, motherly, erotic, self‑love, and love of God, and urging genuine care amid modern superficiality.

A detailed analysis of more than 3,000 American women’s responses to the NOW sexuality questionnaire, revealing attitudes toward varied sexual topics.

Social scientists and laypersons agree that intimacy promotes human well-being, and that its absence has deleterious effects. Until now, however, no one volume has integrated the vast body of interdisciplinary literatures on intimacy into a comprehensive study of the phenomenon. The Psychology of Intimacy, by Karen J. Prager, fills this crucial gap with an exhaustive synthesis of theoretical, empirical, and clinical research on personal relationships. This engaging work explores the complex interconnections between intimacy and individual development, and examines relationships from infancy to old age in their social, cultural, and gender contexts. Through its construction of an innovative, multitiered model of intimate relating. The Psychology of Intimacy offers unique insights to anyone who studies or treats close relationships.

A groundbreaking exploration of intimacy in intimate relationships for couples and families.

"The sexual revolution: an evocative term, but what meaning can be given to it today? How does 'sexuality' come into being and what connections does it have with the changes that have affected personal life on a more general plane? In answering these questions, Anthony Giddens disputes many of the dominant interpretations of the role of sexuality in modern culture. The emergence of what the author calls plastic sexuality - sexuality freed from its intrinsic relation to reproduction - is analysed in terms of the long-term development of the modern social order and social influences of the last few decades. Giddens argues that the transformation of intimacy, in which women have played the major part, holds out the possibility of a radical democratization of the personal sphere." "This book will appeal to a large general audience as well as being essential reading for students and professionals."--Jacket.

Recently published to much acclaim in England, these reflective essays by Shere Hite reveal and explore the methodological and philosophical import of the famous Hite Reports on male and female sexuality and love and include extensive excerpts from the reports themselves. To read this outstanding distillation of Hite's writings is to see the continuing impact of her prodigious work over two decades, to hear her views on the issues facing women as agents of social change, and to be taken to the cutting edge of current debates on sexual politics.

Once upon a time, Martians and Venusians functioned in separate worlds. But in today's hectic and career-oriented environment, relationships have become a lot more complicated, and men and women are experiencing unprecedented levels of stress. To add to the increasing tension, most men and women are also completely unaware that they are actually hardwired to react differently to the stress. It's a common scenario: a husband returns home from work stressed out and eager to kick back on the couch and watch television. A wife returns home from work stressed out and wants to talk about it with her husband. What happens? Neither is on the same page, anger and resentment set in, and Mars and Venus collide.Using his signature insight that has helped millions of couples transform their relationships, John Gray once again arms the inhabitants of Mars and Venus with information that will help them live harmoniously ever after. In Why Mars and Venus Collide, Gray focuses on the ways that men and women misinterpret and mismanage the stress in their daily lives, and how these reactions ultimately affect their relationships. "It's not that he's just not into you; he needs to fulfill a biological need," Gray explains. "And it's not that she wants to henpeck you; she also has a biological drive." He shows, for instance, how a husband's withdrawal is actually a natural way for him to replenish his depleted testosterone levels and restore his well-being, and how a woman's need for conversation and support helps her build her own stress-reducing hormone, oxytocin.Backed up by groundbreaking scientific research, Gray offers a clear, easy-to-understand program to bridge the gap between the two planets, providing effective communication strategies that will actually lower stress levels. Whether in a relationship or single, this book will help both men and women understand their new roles in a modern, work-oriented society, and allow them to discover a variety of new and practical ways to create a lifetime of love and harmony.