How can we create more meaningful and intimate connections with our loved-ones? By using moments of discord to strengthen our relationships, explains this original, deeply researched book. You might think that perfect harmony is the defining characteristic of a good relationship, but the truth is that human interactions are messy, complicated, and confusing. The good news, however, is that we are wired to deal with this from birth - and even to grow from it and use it to strengthen our relationships, according to renowned psychologist Ed Tronick and paediatrician Claudia Gold. Scientific research - including Dr Tronick's famous 'Still-Face Experiment' - has shown that working through mismatch and repair in everyday life helps us form deep, lasting, trusting relationships; resilience in times of stress and trauma; and a solid sense of self in the world. This refreshing and original look at our ability to relate to others and to ourselves offers a new way for us to think about our relationships, and will reassure you that conflict is both normal and healthy, building the foundation for stronger connections.

It is the tail end of the sixties in Los Angeles, in that seemingly split second of time when all hell broke loose and the conformity of the "Leave it to Beaver" fifties would forever be shed. That's when Maureen Tadlock hit the streets, her mother divorced for the forth time, with no rules or constraints, twelve years old saying she was fifteen, cruising the boulevards, dropping acid, in an endless carnival of parties and characters that were both innocent and outrageous. But as "the Fates" would have it the law would soon intervene and reset her course on an odyssey of greater meaning and further adventure while continuing to ride the wave of a cultural revolution. In her search for home, family and love in a world that from the beginning felt alien, Maureen Tadlock explores the borderlands of inner experience, creative expression and the transcendent, mythical meaning of her life as a young woman.

""The Weakness of Gravity" is a magic carpet ride of imagination and adventure, bikers, barrio boys, hippie houses and harrowing cross-country trips. Securely moored in the unwavering and addictive voice of Maureen Tadlock, the memoir tells a tale of fearlessness and uncompromising creative expression during a time when the country flared with hope and revolution. A must read that may very well change your life."

Suzanne Kingsbury, author of The Summer Fletcher Greel Loved Me and The Gospel According to Gracey.

"A superbly written memoir, "The Weakness of Gravity" is a moving, haunting account of Maureen Tadlock's coming of age and emerging consciousness of self in relation to place, home, love, community and creative expression in her life. It is told with genuine humor and an evenly hovering attention that recreates scenes, places, and moments in history with spare but telling details. She recounts experiences of non-ordinary states of consciousness in such a way that they are compelling, intriguing, and just part of the story so that they are not jarring to the reader, but linger as vivid and beautiful images in the reader's mind."

James Sparrell Ph.D.

"There is a magical quality to Maureen's writing that allows the personal and temporal incidences of her life that she invokes to become transparent and reveal something larger and timeless."

Francis X. Charet Ph.D.

Based on years of research and 121 real-life first dates, relationship expert Wendy Newman dishes up practical wisdom for navigating the online dating trenches with grace, efficiency, and a strong dose of humour. Wendy Newman has made every imaginable dating mistake so you don't have to. Part guidebook, part personal tell-all, 121 First Dates chronicles Wendy's funny, real-life misadventures and the practical wisdom she gained from them. Her dating tales will find you laughing, commiserating, and nodding your head as you learn how to stay in the dating game until you find the right man, just like Wendy did. This book busts myths, answers age-old questions, and examines pitfalls that make you want to give up on dating altogether. Just when you're about to submit to a lifetime at home with a pint of Haagen-Dazs and sitcom reruns, 121 First Dates will inspire you to keep stepping out. Wendy discusses how to date successfully and efficiently, avoid the most common dating pitfalls, have an amazing first date with anyone, end uncomfortable situations with grace, and much, much more. She offers up realistic Dos and Don'ts as well as tips for making the most of any situation you find yourself in-whether you want to run or you think he's the one. Brimming with humour, hope, and authenticity, 121 First Dates will give every woman the tools, confidence, and determination to be and stay real when dating. How else will you find the best match for you?