This book is both a celebration of and an insightful look at what happens to people when they have experienced the one great love of their life. The author, a practicing psychologist, experienced an unforgettable love and then began asking two hundred people what the love of a lifetime meant to them. In every instance, it changed their lives forever. She found that each lover emerges from this relationship, or this phase of a lifelong relationship, a different person-less the innocent observer of life and more the experienced participant. For many, what seemed to count more than any contentment they experienced was how the romance changed their view of themselves and the world. Story-based and dramatically told, The Love of Your Life explains how this incredible experience: -- Blasts away the innocent picture we have of ourselves and reveals a passionate, complex person hungry for life -- Throws us into a storm of unexpected vulnerability and vitality -- Teaches us to commit to a relationship despite the possibility of loss -- Instructs us to let go of the controls and give ourselves over to love, and proves that we are loveable by giving, not getting, love -- Gives us a strength called by many names-an inner certainty that is stronger and more important than outside events -- Prepares us for a lifetime of love -- Explains the most profound lesson of a lifetime: why our one, true, great love has changed who we are forever