Conservative columnist David Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments. Brooks looks at a range of people who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity and beauty of dependence. He gathers their wisdom on how to...

The part-owner of StickK.com uses research into incentives and punishments to introduce the concept of "commitment contracts, " an easy strategy for setting and achieving goals that is already in use by successful companies and individuals across America.

Evie Windham and Lucas Denning strike a deal, each agreeing to be the other's decoy in avoiding marriage.

In a culture of restlessness and indecision, which causes tension in people's lives, a civic advocate, using examples from history, personal stories, and applied psychology, shows how purposeful commitment can be a powerful force.

Confronted by factors that other generations never considered in their search for love and commitment, the "unhooked generation" faces a potholed road to romance. Based on 100 in-depth interviews, Jillian Straus examines the obstacles facing unattached women and men in an age when all the choices we have somehow manage to decrease our chances of finding a mate. While cell phones, text messages, e-mail, speed dating, and internet dating create a sense...