Making Great Relationships

Simple Practices for Solving Conflicts, Building Connection, and Fostering Love

By: Rick Hanson

Narrated by: Rick Hanson

Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

“50 simple, powerful ways to improve your relationships at home and at work” (Lori Gottlieb, author of Maybe You Should Talk To Someone), based on the latest findings in neuroscience, mindfulness, and positive psychology—by the New York Times bestselling author of Neurodharma and Resilient

Relationships are usually the most important part of a person’s life. But they’re often stressful and frustrating, or simply awkward, distant, and lonely. We feel the weight of things unsaid, needs unmet, conflicts unresolved. It’s easy to feel stuck.

But actually, new research shows that you create your relationships every day with the things you do and say, which gives you the ability to start improving them now. You have the power to make all your relationships better just by making simple changes that start inside yourself.

New York Times bestselling author of Buddha’s Brain and Hardwiring Happiness, Rick Hanson, PhD, brings his trademark warmth and clarity to Making Great Relationships, a comprehensive guide to fostering healthy, effective, and fulfilling relationships of all kinds: at home and at work, with family and friends, and with people who are challenging. As a psychologist, couples and family counselor, husband, and father, Dr. Hanson has learned what makes relationships go badly and what you can do to make them go better.

Grounded in brain science and clinical psychology, and informed by contemplative wisdom, Making Great Relationships offers fifty fundamental skills, including:

• How to convince yourself that you truly deserve to be treated well
• How to communicate effectively in all kinds of settings
• How to stay centered so that conflict doesn’t rattle you so deeply
• How to see the good in others (even when they make it difficult)
• How to set and maintain healthy boundaries or resize relationships as needed
• How to express your needs so that they are more likely to be fulfilled

With these fifty simple yet powerful practices, you can handle conflicts, repair misunderstandings, get treated better, deepen a romantic partnership, be at peace with others, and give the love that you have in your heart. Making Great Relationships will teach you how to relate better than ever with all the people in your life.

©2023 Rick Hanson (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Rick Hanson has the profound ability to cut through the noise and confusion, providing practical, effective strategies and doable wisdom that will immediately make your relationships better.” —Marie Forleo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything Is Figureoutable

“Written with grace, humor, and kindness, Making Great Relationships is a rare find. The culmination of Rick Hanson’s fifty years of work in mental health . . . this book is a practical guide for our highest selves. Read it, and your life and relationships will be transformed.” —Terrence Real, LICSW, New York Times bestselling author of Us: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship

“Our relationships are more important than ever, but they can also be full of conflict, strained silences, and missed opportunities. Even if ‘they’ don’t change, he shows you how to step out of no-win struggles, respect your own needs, and feel at peace. A nourishing, useful, and timely book.” —Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk To Someone

Great easy read!

Wonderful wisdom that is easy to apply in your life! My husband and I listened together on audible and were able to do the exercises along with Rick as he read.
I am recommending this book to all my friends!!

I grew up somewhat

When in a book I learn new things that change the way I behave for the better, it’s a great book. Contemporaneous and useful content. Thank you.

Excellent ideas

Rick Hanson, PhD always has excellent, practical and helpful ideas and wisdom to share in his writings.

He lost me at the end

Most of the book was pretty helpful information. I just was disappointed he finished it off by throwing his own personal agenda in their trying to push his political views. Once he started talking about how we should vote he lost my attention. Would of been nice if he could of just stood with the topic at hand.

Practical guidance that inspires

This book is welcoming--in the tone of Rick's narration, and in the writing style and the substance of each of the practices. Readers can, and will want to, refer back to the book, easily and often, when we want to take care in a relationship, When we want to be and do our best. The book is very interesting, and very motivating. I have some favorites, from having read, and referred back to, versions on Rick's Just One Thing posts. I'm very grateful to Rick for providing this book.