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Guerrero, L. K., Andersen, P A., & Afifi, W. A. (2001). Close Encounters: Communicating in Relationships. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield. 480 pp. ISBN 0-7674-1082-3. $47.50 (paperback).
In this new interpersonal communication text, Guerrero, Andersen, and Afifi note that they take a relational approach by focusing on issues that are central to describing and understanding close relationships, particularly between romantic partners and friends. They also note that they would like to help readers become more critical consumers of information about relationships-in other words, to be able to discern John Gottman from John Gray. The authors hit the mark on both points.
The book opens with a relatively unconventional chapter on the field of personal relationships, giving readers insight into the roots of interpersonal communication study before moving on to the familiar topics of basic axioms (e.g., one cannot not communicate) and the elements of a message (e.g., intimacy, formality, etc.). Although acknowledging that relationships are not necessarily linear and do not all follow the same course, the authors organized the text in a relatively linear fashion. The first five chapters focus on developing close relationships, including the topics...