Rewriting the rules: An anti self-help guide to love, sex and relationships

Description

We live in a time of uncertainty about relationships. We search for The One but find ourselves staying single because nobody measures up. We long for a happily-ever-after but break-up after break-up leave us bruised and confused. Rewriting the Rules: An Anti Self-Help Guide to Love, Sex and Relationships is a friendly guide through the complicated - and often contradictory - advice that's given about sex and gender, monogamy and conflict, break-up and commitment. It asks questions about the rules of love, such as which to choose from all the rules on offer? Do we stick to the old rules we learnt growing up, or do we try something new and risk being out on our own? And what about the times when the rules we love by seem to make things worse, rather than better? This new edition, updated throughout, considers how the rules are being 'rewritten' in various ways - for example in monogamish and polyamorous relationships, different ways of understanding sex and gender, and new ideas for managing commitment and break-up where economics, communities, or child-care make complete separation impossible. This book considers how the rules are being ‘rewritten’ in various ways, giving you the power to find an approach that best fits your situation. Cover Title Copyright Dedication Contents List of Illustrations Preface to the second edition: rewriting rewriting the rules 1 Rewriting the rules Uncertainty and the rules The rules An anti self-help book? Further resources 2 Rewriting the rules of yourself What are the rules? Why question the rules? Alternative rules Beyond rules? Embracing uncertainty Further resources 3 Rewriting the rules of love What are the rules? Why question the rules? Alternative rules Beyond rules? Embracing uncertainty Further resources 4 Rewriting the rules of sex What are the rules? Why question the rules? Alternative rules Beyond rules? Embracing uncertainty Further resources 5 Rewriting the rules of gender What are the rules? Why question the rules? Alternative rules Beyond rules? Embracing uncertainty Further resources 6 Rewriting the rules of monogamy What are the rules? Why question the rules? Alternative rules Beyond rules? Embracing uncertainty Further resources 7 Rewriting the rules of conflict What are the rules? Why question the rules? Alternative rules Beyond rules? Embracing uncertainty Further resources 8 Rewriting the rules of break-up What are the rules? Why question the rules? Alternative rules Beyond rules? Embracing uncertainty Further resources 9 Rewriting the rules of commitment What are the rules? Why question the rules? Alternative rules Beyond rules? Embracing uncertainty Further resources 10 Rewriting your rules Why not rewrite your rules? Self-care and rewriting the rules Conclusion Further resources Notes Index