The Good Guy, the Bad Guy, and the Ugly Truth, looks at the fact that when a man or woman is in more than one unhealthy relationship, be it physical, verbal or emotional abuse that comes to be seen as normal. While the person may state that they desire a healthy and loving relationship they tend to reject those potential partners where a healthy relationship is possible and tend to accept those partners who treat them poorly as that is what they understand. Two reasons exist for this 1. they have come to believe that the good guy (or girl) is an act and when the truly good person doesn’t change into the bad guy or girl they feel they are still experiencing the act. 2. They have a damaged self esteem and self-worth and feel as thought they don’t deserve better and this leads to them rejecting the person. Generally it is a combination of the two.The book examines this idea and explains it in an easy to read way without losing therapeutic value. After the subjects and ideas have been explained there are multiple self-designed exercises which are intended to help the person examine him or herself as well as their past relationships and what they truly want. They include things like the persons strengths, their weaknesses, guilt, and resentments, accountability of self and other and many more. The last section of the book talks about how a healthy relationship should exist as far as communication, sharing, time apart, respect, sexuality, and other aspects. The book is designed not only for those who have been through unhealthy relationship, but also those who have been effected by attempting to or being in a relationship with those who had unhealthy relationships. The exercises work for both men and women no matter which side they were on as well as individuals of any sexual orientation.
