Relationship Recovery by Carl "Tuchy" Palmieri is an unconventional approach to repairing the damage that comes with broken relationships. The book is comprised of lists of the author's personal revelations, affirmations derived from the 12 step recovery program, as well as a variety of quotes. The piece is to be used as a workbook and encourages readers to think deeply about their relationship problems.
Palmieri includes poetry from a variety of writers including Erasmus, Saint Patrick and Reinhold Niebuhr author of the "Serenity Prayer." In fact, Palmieri offers his own version of the prayer: "God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change directly/The courage to change the person I can/The wisdom to know that person is me/And to leave the changes of others to God and them (72)."
The author covers many components of relationships including emotional and physical intimacy, the impact of substance abuse, and the need to have a connection with a Higher Power. He also challenges the traditional perspective of what relationships should be and how individuals should exist in them: "Treat the other person in the relationship the way they want to be treated and not the way you want to be treated (11)."
While Palmieri offers many nuggets of wisdom and guides the reader towards introspection, some parts of the book could have been stronger. There are several poems and quotes included that are attributed to an anonymous source or not at all. Also, the addition of an explanatory paragraph at the beginning of each of the lists of affirmations and instructions for completing the exercises would make this book more useful to readers just as the directive to read the "I am okay" list of affirmations daily was highly effective.
In a world where troubled relationships are the norm, Relationship Recovery provides insight and jars accepted viewpoints.
Melissa Levine
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Independent Professional Book Reviewers
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