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Cupach, William R. and Brian H. Spitzberg. The Dark Side of Relationships II. New York: Routledge, 2010. We all know that relationships can be “difficult, problematic, challenging, distressing, and disruptive.” This book examines some of the ways relationships can go bad. Topics include partner violence and aggression, narcissism, in-law problems, infidelity, dysfunctional computer mediated communication, and the like.
Cupach, William, and Brian Spitzberg, eds. The Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1994. This volume investigates the mysterious and seedy underworld of interpersonal communication. Topics range from messages that hurt to relational transgressions to physical and psychological abuse. Also included are chapters on deception, parental privacy invasions, and the dark side of “normal” family interaction.
Guerrero, Laura K., Peter A. Andersen, and Walid A. Afifi. Close Encounters: Communication in Relationships, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2007. A thoughtful and complete review of theory and research in relational communication. Chapter 3, on social attraction, is especially useful in understanding intimate relationships.
Rubin, Lillian B. Intimate Strangers: Men and Women Together. New York: Harper & Row, 1983. This intriguing book is a compilation of case study interviews conducted by the author. Using a combination of cultural factors and psychoanalytic theory, Rubin offers a fascinating explanation for why male-female relationships are difficult to manage. Differing male and female perceptions of intimacy are explored in detail.