Interview with Geoff Herridge, Author of Books on Relationships

Introduction to the Author:

Geoff Herridge has been married for nearly thirty years to his beautiful wife Wendy. He has three children. He has had a varied career in project management, town planning and aid work in places such as China, Vietnam and India. Geoff likes adventure; he has driven a V8 around the race circuit; has flown a plane; has skydived and did many things that an adventure enthusiast would love to do! He is a qualified personal trainer as well.

He has authored books on relationship management. His recent book Relationship Success in Modern Indian Society explores the realms of personal relationships in Indian subcontinent.

Geoff talks with Alok about his books and his journey as an author. You can read the interview below.

Alok Mishra: So, you have been writing for a while. I would request you to describe your journey as an author.

Geoff Herridge: I have been interested in the written word for a long time. I do not have any formal writing training, however my career as a project manager and researcher has meant I have been exposed to a number of different styles of writing. Most of these are were at the more formal level, so it has been nice to break this mold and write using my own style. This style has come about through a lot of trial and error as writing non-fiction on a particular topic and for a specific audience takes practice.

I started writing after realising that I was undertaking a fairly unique and successful exercise program that I designed myself. I thought I could write this program down and perhaps share it with other people. My own experience and research led me to a number of books by well-known authors on personal relationships. Once again I decided I could also write about my own successful marriage with my wife and share what I believe are the important components. My point of difference was that the issues I focused on had the double effect of helping relationships succeed and also assisting the reader to become a better person.

I have now published one book in Australia and two in India. The two in India relate to health and fitness, and relationships.

Alok Mishra: So, the ultimate purpose of your writing seems to educate people?

Geoff Herridge: I am passionate about helping people. I am a caring and compassionate person and have written books on personal relationships and health. I love assisting people on a physical and mental level.

As a self-help author my aim is to provide some suggestions on how to improve some aspects of our loves. I am no expert, but have provided my story in an easy to understand way that can be used by all people in their own relationship. We are all striving to better people and this reflects in successful personal relationships. We spend a lot of time with our partner and if our relationship is not good then all aspects of our lives are affected.

My new web site, which is listed below, is titled Life Concepts. The site provides an overview and opinion on two very important, and in some respects overlapping, concepts – our relationships and health. We all need to work on our personal relationships. Our personal relationships are our most prized life concept. Our health carries us into old age. We would like to arrive there in pretty good shape, as well as being able to enjoy the journey along the way. Being unfit or unhealthy can affect our personal relationships, and having an unhappy relationship can takes its toll on our health. It can all become a vicious circle.

Alok Mishra: Well, I see you have just published ebooks in both the Indian and China market. How did this come about?

Geoff Herridge: I first became interested in both markets after having worked with these countries through the aid program. Both countries have been going through enormous transformations over the past twenty to thirty years. To a large extent this is attributable to globalisation as boundaries internationally become more blurred. Trends, both good and bad, circumnavigate the world very quickly.

Internationally we have seen divorce rates soar, more women are working full time and becoming a little more financially independent, obesity and drug use is more prevalent, more couples are living together before marrying, and technology is now playing a huge part in the work place and socially.

India and China have a combined population of about 37% of the world’s population. Both have a burgeoning middle class (estimates of China 500m and India 200m by 2020-2025) who are seeking a better lifestyle. Personal relationships play a very important part of this. I believe I can offer, in my way, some assistance to an enormous number of people.

My ebook for India is titled Relationship Success in a Modern Indian Society. This ebook and others that have been published, and those that will be shortly, can be found at my web site http://geoffvherridge.com/. It can be purchased through Amazon and my web site.

Alok Mishra: I am curious, sir! What have been some of the major changes in personal relationships in India?

Geoff Herridge: In terms of personal relationships (marriage etc) India is adopting a more, if I can use the word, modern approach. Some examples of this include:

Improved education has made the Indian people more flexible as far as marriage is concerned. Younger people want to study further, obtain a job and start a career before they marry. The age when people marry has also increased over the years.
Extended families, which have traditionally provided the support, are giving way to the nuclear family, which means assistance in the household by the in-laws or grandparents is not as common.
Parents are becoming more educated about the effects of girls becoming married at too young an age. Early marriage can prevent girls from gaining a good education needed for personal development, preparation for adulthood and to assist them in their family life.
Indian culture is also quickly adopting technological changes which have improved communication between people and also influenced the way people seek partners.
Marrying for love is becoming more common.
More women and men are working and studying together, in both urban and rural areas. There is a mixing of cultures and a greater choice of marriage partner is becoming very common. The rapid modernization of the Indian cities has also increased the speed of these changes.
Many young people have a better idea of what they want in life and who they want to live it with.
With a stronger sense of independence among women there is increased focus on the quality of a marriage.
While Indian people are increasingly being able to afford a car, a house and better jobs, there is the view that there is more to life than just economic success. Relationships between people are often seen as the key to happiness and this is increasingly being recognised.

There are many more examples which I have covered in my book. People recognize that marriage is a very important part of their lives and something that requires work, understanding and responsibility. Being able to have a quick divorce is not a solution to marriage or relationship problems.

The above characteristics and changes in relationships in India illustrate why it is important great care is taken in choosing your life partner. It is now more acceptable to end marriages, but with that there comes great cost in terms of physical, emotional and financial pain.

So while what I have written in this book reflects my life and my relationship, there are many habits, behaviours and actions that will increasingly apply to Indian relationships. I would like people also to experience a great relationship; a relationship filled with fun, romance, happiness, growth and learning.

Alok Mishra: I thank you for your time and this beautiful as well as informative conversation, sir! I wish you best of luck with your new book.