By Ghadeer Ghloum
Although John Gray’s Men are from Mars, Women are From Venus, might seem stereotypical to some modern readers, it remains a powerful non-fiction (self-development) reference to explore the complexities of relationships between males and females, where the author breaks down such complexities through offering valuable advice and guidance for better understanding between the two sexes.
The book includes multiple simplified pieces of advice that improve communication between males and females and builds trust and understanding, hence healthier relationships. Gray uses the metaphor of different planets (Mars and Venus) to identifying the differences between men and women by referring to them as creatures from two different planets (men from Mars and women from Venus).
This metaphor functions as the book’s foundation for understanding the differing perspectives, misunderstandings and conflicts that each gender brings to the relationship. The author explains that males and females have different emotional priorities and communication styles through simple psychological terms, thus, showing how recognizing these differences can mitigate several misconceptions and conflicts in a relationship, besides decoding how men and women express their love and affection.
The book is not only applicable to relationships, but also can be of valuable use for friendships, family relations and work interactions, as it helps the reader develop effective communication skills through the validation of others’ feelings, which enhances one’s consciousness and maturity while interacting with others. Gray also provides techniques and examples of real-life incidents from his seminars, which can be very relatable to the readers’ experience with the opposite sex, creating a sense of trust between the reader and the author.
John Gray is an American relationship counselor, lecturer, and author. His book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus was first published in 1992, now viewed as a modern classic. The book is one of the bestselling relationship books of all time. Over 50 million copies were sold in 50 different languages around the world. This book is highly recommended for people who seek to develop healthy and mature relationships with their partners and people around them.