Getting Good Loving: Seven Ways to Find Love and Make It Last

by Audrey B. Chapman

Book Overview

Written by noted authority and radio show host Audrey Chapman, this release of Getting Good Loving is a revised and updated new edition of one of the most successful relationship guides for African Americans ever published. Examining case studies and first-person accounts from black men and women, Audrey Chapman offers sensible and sensitive solutions for their relationship problems and shows how black men and women can get more of what everyone needs...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932841032
• ISBN13: 9781932841039
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: Agate Bolden
• Length: 188 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Relationship Book

Audrey describes what great communication is and how to achieve it in your relationship. I found this book to be very useful. It's a source that you may find yourself referring back to quite often. Good resource.

Very, Very Informative

This book is well written and very easy to read. Chapman gets down to what blocks, hinders, and prevents black men and women from having a positive, healthy, stable relationship. She deals with childhood neglect or problem issues that occurred in our past, and how those issue effect our relationships.

Great Resource for Individuals and Couples!

"The first step toward achieving a better relationship is attaining a greater understanding of yourself." Honestly, I am not into "self help" books and placed this book on the back burner for months simply because I had preconceived notions on what it was about and the advice it contained. Nonetheless, I picked it up with an open mind and was really surprised that this book was much better than I thought - I learned a lot! The author, a noted lecturer and therapist, discusses harmful socialized behavior, traits, habits, and environmental circumstances that I instantly recognized within my family, friends, and myself. However, the most important and helpful aspects of the book are the jewels of knowledge and positive approaches to overcome those behaviors and thoughts that were sprinkled through the book. Chapman unabashedly peels back the proverbial onion to expose superficial issues that cover the underlying sources of tension in relationships - particularly African American relationships. The multifaceted aspects of high (and sometimes unrealistic) expectations, economics, education, chauvinistic attitudes, black male shortage, etc. combine to make the dating and mating situations even more tremulous and complex. The author examines and points out historical and current circumstances in African American culture that yields adults with voids and needs for emotional closeness. She proposes how popular societal messages often reinforce negative images and thoughts about marriage and commitment and goes a step further to cite how families, churches, academic institutions have failed black women and men in their efforts to make relationships work better. This book is intelligently written and loaded with sound, solid advice - often times she alludes to what could probably be considered "common sense" but subtlety inserts academic and scholarly sources to support her views or observations. What I thought was interesting was it seems like a great deal of the negative or problematic behavior brought to relationships stem from childhood experiences and the nature of relationships between parents and children (i.e. childrearing practices). She encourages positive-thinking by looking inward first and offers tips for couples to connect on different levels, techniques to offer emotional and verbal support, how to block out external destructive forces, and develop fortitude for the "tough" times. Individuals and couples can benefit from this book -- it is a great resource for all genders whether single, dating, or married. Reviewed by Phyllis APOOO BookClub Nubian Circle Book Club

Getting It Right 101

Take a moment and sort through all of your self-help books on relationships that include, but are not limited to ways to please your mate, how to get him or her to listen, how to know what your mate wants, how to bring sparks back into your marriage and how to keep or find your soul mate. Remove them from your bookshelves and add GETTING GOOD LOVING by Audrey B. Chapman, an all-in-one self-help book providing all the answers and methods to the questions and concerns you have with your relationship and marriage. GETTING GOOD LOVING is a wonderful new-age book that outlines, with great expertise, the many issues black men and women eventually face during their courtships and marriages. The author examines several issues such as controlling, feeling insecure, demanding attention, using sex as a way to get what you want, giving and receiving the wrong signals, playing with each other's emotions and refusing to compromise which in some cases are rooted from childhood and negative social protocol. For example, a man who grows up in a fatherless household has only his mother as a role model. Therefore, he may have opted to be more attracted to a woman who reminds him of his mother with expectations of the latter. With similar situations, some women may opt to be more attracted to older men using them as the father they never had. Ms. Chapman's book goes into depth explaining the argumentative areas that couples face and introduces techniques on how to help couples and individuals work collectively together to arbitrate their issues. She is thorough and leaves nothing to ponder. What gives additional credence to this well written book is Ms. Chapman relating several clients' cases giving the reader a wide variety of situations and how she expertly advised each couple or individual. This is a must read for everyone who is currently married, in a relationship or looking to commit to one and especially for those who are experiencing difficulties with their mate. GETTING GOOD LOVING provides remedies and simple solutions to achieving the good loving that everyone desires. I applaud Ms. Chapman, who also hosts her own radio show, for finally giving us something that we can relate to and realize that we are able to enjoy a loving and positive relationship. Reviewed by Kalaani of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

LONG, LONG, LONG OVERDUE!!! BROTHERS AND SISTERS REJOICE!!!

Audrey B. Chapman goes where most other authors cannot--into the Black experience--and comes out with advice tailor-made to our experience and culture. Where other books would stress cute lingerie or "communication", this book goes into the heart of where relationships in the Black community go wrong...from the cradle. She takes the time to explore the issues from the Black female/Black male point of view, and offers gentle, compassionate advice that uplifts all and insults none. If you have given up on Black men/Black women and feel as if you have to go it alone or "cross over" to find a good relationship, then this book is for you. It can also help you to repair a worsening relationship by helping to confront the real issues surrounding it. This is easily worth 10 times more than what you may pay for it, and should be THE definitive book for Blacks trying to have a decent, honest, loving union. For yourself, your lover and for the next generation, BUY IT, READ IT AND TREASURE IT!!! You won't be sorry!!!