Why Mars and Venus Collide: Improving Relationships by Understanding How Men and Women Cope Differently with Stress - Softcover

Gray offers a Berlitz of the heart, a translation of that foreign language your spouse is speaking. And hearing. (USA Today on Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus)

Based on years of successful counseling of individuals and couples, MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS has helped millions of couples transform their relationships. Now viewed as a modern classic, this phenomenal book has helped men and women realize how different they really are and how to communicate their needs in such a way that conflict doesn t arise and intimacy is given every chance to grow. WHY MARS AND VENUS COLLIDE builds on John Gray s previous work, examining how traditional male and female roles have evolved, how these changes has increased stress levels in our lives, and how they affect romantic relationships.

Traditionally, a Venusian s day was filled with activities revolving around child-rearing and caretaking, which produced the stress-lowering hormone oxytocin. Today though, the hectic and career-oriented environment denies women that hormone, leading to a dramatic increase in stress. In times past, a Martian could consider himself a success merely by going to work every day and providing his family with income. Nowadays, when it s probable that his significant other also works, it is simply not enough, and men feel pressure (and hence, stress) to be successful in exemplary ways. So, what happens? It s a common scenario: a husband returns home from work, stressed out, and wants to veg out on the couch and watch television. A wife returns home from work, stressed out, and wants to talk about it with her husband or her friends. The two have trouble understanding one another and the different ways in which men and women react to stress, which leads to miscommunication and resentment. And MARS AND VENUS COLLIDE.

As in his other blockbuster MARS/VENUS books, John Gray explores the different ways men and women approach their problems, and then offers a clear, easy-to-understand program to bridge the gap. As he explains it, a husband s ostensible reticence is actually a natural way for him to rebuild much-needed stress--reducing testosterone from his depleted system. A woman s need for conversation and support also stems from a hardwired need--cooperative activities help her build their own stress-reducing horomone, oxytocin. It s not that he s just not into you; he needs to fulfill a biological need. And it s not that she wants to henpeck you; she also has a biological drive.

By fleshing out these differences, Gray offers a practical philosophy that will help both men and women understand their new roles in a modern, work-oriented society and reduce stress, which in turn will reduce stress on relationships. With his signature insight and unconventional approaches, Gray has produced another book that will help the inhabitants of Mars and Venus live harmoniously ever after.