The Tao of Relationships: A Balancing of Man and Woman

Based on Taoist philosophy, this refreshing alternative to the ""men who hate women/women who hate men'' genre removes love from the psychological to the spiritual realm. In a work reminiscent ofbut less accomplished thanKahlil Gibran's The Prophet, Grigg encourages readers to set aside preoccupations with sexual etiquette and compatible goals to concentrate on achieving the harmonious, dynamic balance of yin and yang (``Possess and there will be loss. Try and there will be failure. Struggle and there will be defeat. To arrive, unloose. To discover, yield. To trust, empty. To receive, honour''). The book comprises a series of short, poetic meditations on themes like separateness/togetherness, hardness/softness and finding/losing. Romantics may learn how to place the ups and downs of their relationships into perspective and recognize that ``the place that houses a man and woman's togetherness must define but not constrict.'' Reproductions of beautiful 17th century Chinese wood-block prints illustrate the text. Grigg is a former high-school instructor in British Columbia. (March)