Happily Ever After is not by chance - it's By Choice. John and Julie Gottman are cofounders of the Gottman Institute, bestselling authors, and award-winning researchers. Together, they have a deep understanding of what makes relationships work. Now, they bring that lifetime's worth of knowledge, research, and wisdom to bear in Eight Dates, a program of how, why, and when to have eight basic conversations with your partner that can result in a lifetime of love. Eight Dates is written for any serious couple, and its dates are structured around the concepts of trust, dealing with conflict, sex and intimacy, having fun, work and money, children, and more. There are questionnaires, innovative exercises, real-life case studies, and skills to master. Because to make love truly last, each of you have to be involved and active.