The stories of relationships in this collection all have a common core of respect and empathy for the human condition and the connections people make or fail to make with each other. The author draws on his long and thoughtful observation of people to create characters and situations depicting a broad range of society, from a homeless musician, or the lonely wife of a foreign guest worker, to corporate executives and a Harley-riding tugboat skipper. Even the few “villains” in these stories, con artists and excessively greedy CEOs, are shown with sympathy for their human failings. The stories in Relationship Briefs will leave the reader with a renewed sense of optimism.