Fight Right: How Successful Couples Turn Conflict Into Connection

Fight Right represents the latest addition to John and Julie Gottman’s extensive bibliography of relationship psychology publications. Their literary output spans four decades and includes academic papers, clinical guides, and popular relationship advice books that have shaped contemporary understanding of marriage and couple dynamics.

The Gottmans’ publishing career began in the academic sphere with John Gottman’s research publications in the 1970s and 1980s. Their transition to mainstream publishing started with Why Marriages Succeed or Fail, which introduced general readers to John’s research findings about relationship patterns that predict divorce. This book established several key concepts that would become central to their work, including the “Four Horsemen” of relationship destruction: criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling.

Their breakthrough publication, The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, has sold over a million copies and remains their most widely read book. This work synthesizes decades of research into actionable guidelines for couples, introducing concepts like the “love map” and “turning toward” versus “turning away” from partner bids for attention. While this book touches on conflict management, it primarily focuses on building relationship foundations through daily interactions.

The Gottmans expanded their focus with specialized books addressing specific relationship challenges. What Makes Love Last? examines trust and betrayal, while And Baby Makes Three explores relationship changes during the transition to parenthood.