Fight Right: How Successful Couples Turn Conflict Into Connection

Fight Right: How Successful Couples Turn Conflict Into Connection by John Gottman and Julie Schwarts Gottman

This book was similar to Gottman's other books. It also felt a little more commercial. There were a few references to the Gottman Referral Network to find a counselor.

Content-wise the book was good. It provided a number of anecdotes of couples with descriptions of their outcomes. Some avoid conflict, some are always fighting, while others are validators. Couples with any characteristics can have successful marriages.  Some of the keys are to make sure that positive communication significantly outnumbers negative communication. Starting a fight with positive can help lead to better outcome. Looking at the dreams and underlying reasons can help to lead to better outcome. Fights are often about "nothing". There is an an underlying reason for the differences, but the fight is about the surface. The underlying values need to be addressed to reach a true conclusion. Sometimes there won't be a solution. (You can't have "half a child"). In most cases, however, there can be a solution by looking at the "bagel" of most important values.