Selfish Path to Romance: How to Love with Passion & Reason, Inspired by the Ideas of Ayn Rand
From ForeWord Reviews"The Selfish Path to Romancehas arrived just in time for Valentine’s Day. Based on the Objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand, this manual instructs the reader on how to build and preserve a mutually fulfilling sexual relationship with the romance equation boiled down to a point-by-point, easy-to-understand workbook, complete with intellectual exercises at the end of each chapter. The authors explore the importance of self-love in this concise text that breaks down the method of seeking a 'soul mate.' They believe that achieving romance involves negotiation, as well as nurturing, between respectful individuals exhibiting self-esteem and common sense."Divided into six parts, this intriguing book begins by defining romantic love as a positive experience built on egoism (i.e., there must be something in it for both parties or it won’t work), but eliminates altruism and narcissism as stereotypically bad courses of action. Making yourself appealing to a potential mate is addressed at length, along with choosing an appropriate partner and making the correlation thrive. A section devoted exclusively to sex precedes the final segment on resolving conflict. Included is an appendix on the termination of a relationship in the event of irreconcilable differences.... True love, according to these experts, is not an accident, nor is it mystical. It is a rational interaction between two people that can be learned."Though  Locke (Handbook of Principles of Organizational Behavior) and Kenner  base their latest on controversial Objectivist Ayn Rand, their text  actually adheres to a simple self-help premise: honest introspection,  truly knowing oneself, will lead to rewarding romantic relationships.  The authors use countless case studies of challenged relationships to  illustrate healthy approaches to problem solving and boundary setting.  Maintaining that "the principle of self-sacrifice destroys  relationships," they invoke their own clinical experience to offer  guidelines for developing self-esteem. Despite the Randian platform,  this effort is actually a compendium of oft-repeated advice ranging from  "Replace Anger with Positives" to finding the right partner.  Acknowledging that relationships need work to thrive, the authors offer  tips on resolving the inevitable conflicts of any relationship. Though  Locke and Kenner offer little new in their first collaboration, their  breezy style and comprehensive approach will likely draw new readers.  (Feb.)Cevin Bryerman, Publishers Weekly, April 18, 2011