John Van Epp, author of How to Avoid Marrying a Jerk, is a clinical psychologist with an expert's perspective on dating. After helping countless patients deal with unhappy relationships, he realized many people didn't understand what to look for in a mate. His book, How to Avoid Marrying a Jerk, based on both scientific research and clinical expertise, outlines a common-sense method for making sure the person you thought was Mr. or Ms. Right doesn't turn out to be Mr. or Ms. All-Wrong.

How long have you been teaching people about relationships?
I first started presenting the program described in How to Avoid Marrying a Jerk ten years ago. I'd been in counseling practice about ten years and had worked with a lot of individuals who were in unhappy relationships – nasty relationships. I wondered why people would stay in a relationship where they could see red flags. I started asking, are these people looking at the right things?