Stepping Off the Relationship Escalator: Uncommon Love and Life - Softcover

Gahran, Amy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0998647012 ISBN 13: 9780998647012

Publisher: Off the Escalator Enterprises LLC, 2017

Synopsis

Love and relationships are not one-size-fits-all. Good thing we have options! Most people assume that healthy or serious relationships which involve romance and sex are supposed to follow this path: from attraction and dating, through exclusivity and living together, to marriage that ideally lasts a lifetime.

However, there are plenty of other great ways to do relationships. Options that don't involve lying, cheating, affairs, infidelity, avoiding dating or relationships, swearing off sex or love, or not being true to yourself or others. The “Relationship Escalator” is the traditional bundle of social norms for intimate relationships: monogamy, cohabitation and much more, ideally until death do you part. Beyond this, it might not be obvious what other options exist.

WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK:This book is a fun, intriguing introduction to unusual relationship options.If you want to explore unconventional relationships, or simply to understand your options, you'll find guidance here.If you want to help people you know understand relationships that don't follow the norm, this is a friendly starting point.

WHAT MAKES THIS BOOK WORTH READING: This isn't just one person's opinion. Journalist Amy Gahran surveyed 1500 people about their unconventional intimate relationships: how those relationships work and feel. They shared moving, in-depth personal stories and insights. More than 300 people are quoted in this nonfiction book. "Stepping Off the Relationship Escalator" showcases real-life experiences of:
- Consensual nonmonogamy: Polyamory, swinging, open relationships or being monogamish.
- Going solo: Choosing to live alone (or at least not with intimate partners), to not surrender individuality to couplehood, or to remain single by choice.
- Avoiding hierarchy: Not prioritizing a particular adult relationship by default, simply because it includes sex/romance or started first.
- Asexual and aromantic love, which emphasize forms of intimacy and bonding that our society often discounts.
- Relationship anarchy: Where all aspects of a relationship are based on negotiation and consent.
- Valuing relationships that often get discounted: Ones that don't feel very intense, continue without interruption, or last forever.

Traditional relationships are a fine choice for many people. And: relationships are always a choice. Isn't it better to make important choices consciously, with awareness of options -- rather than by default? More information about this ongoing project, and future books in this series: OffEscalator.com

About this title

About the Author

Journalist Amy Gahran lives in Boulder, Colorado. Her day job is covering geeky topics. Her passion is, well, passion: talking to people (and writing) about the kind of love, tenderness, connection and support that make life worthwhile. A big believer in resilience, Amy always keeps her options open. For a few years she published the blog SoloPoly.net under the pen name Aggie Sez -- which has since stuck as a nickname. So she answers to both names, and to her feline overlords.

From the Back Cover

Love is not one-size-fits-all. This book will help you:

• Discover less common relationship options that might suit you.
• Understand why and how people have unconventional relationships.
• Empower you to negotiate about how your relationships work.
• Overcome the fear that loving differently means you're doing it wrong.
• Make the world a friendlier, safer place for more paths to love.

Featuring real stories and insights from hundreds of people, Stepping Off the Relationship Escalator explores consensual nonmonogamy, love without living together, deep connections that pause and resume, and much more. The first in a series of research-based books, this introduction to relationship diversity is both accessible and surprising.

Edition details

• Publisher: Off the Escalator Enterprises LLC
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0998647012
• ISBN 13: 9780998647012
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 316