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- Title: Relationship Goals: How to Win at Dating, Marriage, and Sex
- Author: Michael Todd
- Narrator: Ameen Gaines
- Length: 05:51:02
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 28/04/2020
- Publisher: Random House (Audio)
- Genre: Religion & Spirituality, Health & Wellness, Marriage & Family, Counseling & Inspirational
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
The first time I pressed play on Michael Todd’s “Relationship Goals”, I was hiking through the misty highlands of Guatemala, where the air smells like wet earth and possibility. There’s something about listening to wisdom about human connection while surrounded by nature’s most profound relationships – the way roots embrace soil, how clouds court mountaintops. Ameen Gaines’ warm, resonant voice became my trail companion, delivering Todd’s modern relationship manifesto with the perfect balance of preacher’s passion and best friend’s candor.
This audiobook unfolds like a series of late-night conversations with your most insightful friend – the one who tells you hard truths but never makes you feel judged. Todd’s approach to dating, marriage, and intimacy feels both revolutionary and ancient, like discovering your grandmother’s secret recipe written on the back of a tech startup’s business card. His central premise – that we’ve been aiming at the wrong relationship targets – hit me with particular resonance. It reminded me of watching young couples pose for photos at Bali’s famous Gates of Heaven, their perfect Instagram moments obscuring the reality that photographers use mirrors to create the illusion they’re floating above a volcano lake. How often do we chase similar illusions in relationships?
Gaines’ narration elevates the material with impeccable timing and emotional intelligence. There’s a moment when he delivers Todd’s line about ‘recreational dating versus intentional dating’ with such gravitational pull that I actually paused the audiobook to catch my breath. His voice carries the weight of lived experience – you can hear the smile during Todd’s playful analogies about ‘microwave relationships’ craving instant gratification, then the solemn depth when discussing healing from past mistakes. The performance achieves what all great audiobooks should: it makes you feel like the words were meant to be heard, not read.
Todd structures his guidance like a series of waypoints on a relational journey:
– “”Dating as Discovery””: His distinction between ‘recreational’ and ‘intentional’ dating reframed how I view my single friends’ struggles. The audiobook’s conversational tone makes these concepts accessible without diluting their potency.
– “”Marriage as Marathon””: Todd’s metaphor of marriage as an endurance race rather than a sprint lands powerfully in audio format, with Gaines’ pacing subtly reinforcing the message.
– “”Sacred Sexuality””: The book’s frank yet reverent discussion of sex benefits tremendously from oral delivery, stripping away any potential awkwardness through Gaines’ matter-of-fact warmth.
What surprised me most was how Todd’s Christian framework never feels exclusionary. Like sharing a meal with my Oaxacan host family where faith was the table everyone was invited to, the spiritual elements here serve as foundation rather than fence. The audiobook’s standout chapter on ‘The Three Gs’ (God, Growth, and Goals) manages to be both theologically sound and street-smart practical.
Compared to similar titles like Mark Manson’s “The Subtle Art”, Todd offers less cynicism and more construction. Where Manson tells you which fucks not to give, Todd shows you which ones are worth giving wholeheartedly. The production quality matches the premium feel of Random House Audio’s best offerings – crisp articulation with just enough background silence to let ideas resonate.
My only critique echoes my experience at a Marrakech spice market: occasionally the wisdom comes so densely packed that you need to pause and unpack it. Some sections about biblical manhood initially struck my progressive ears as traditional, though Todd consistently circles back to universal principles about responsibility and purpose that transcend gender roles.
For listeners craving more after the final chapter, the audiobook includes bonus material that feels like an encore at a perfect concert. Particularly moving is Todd’s personal story about his parents’ relationship struggles, delivered by Gaines with such raw vulnerability you’ll forget you’re listening to a performance.
Whether you’re navigating modern dating like a traveler without a map, nurturing a marriage through its seasons, or simply curious about healthier connections, this audiobook offers both compass and companion. The combination of Todd’s disarming honesty and Gaines’ masterful narration creates that rare audiobook you’ll want to experience twice – once for the revelation, again for the revolution.
With ears open and heart ready,
Marcus Rivera
