According to most relationship books, the key to a solid marriage is communication, communication, & communication. Phooey, says John Gottman, Ph.D., author of the much-lauded Why Marriages Succeed or Fail. There's much more to a solid, "emotionally intelligent" marriage than sharing every feeling and thought, he points out--though most couples’ therapists ineffectively (and expensively) harp on these concepts.
The best-selling author (The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands), columnist and talk show host does not deviate from her strong belief that women are largely responsible for happy marital unions, which should be their first priority. For Schlessinger, "feminism robbed women of their essence and their ability to find pure joy and happiness," but the fair sex can regain that by promoting a traditional relationship with their husbands. Many of Schlessinger's golden rules recall suggestions from previous books: avoid interfaith marriage, stay together for the sake of the children and never say no to a husband who wants sex. Never insist that a man wash his own dishes, either; both women and men should respect the division of labor and a woman's status as homemaker. Although Schlessinger acknowledges that men have a responsibility to communicate and recommends that they express gratitude to their wives for domestic attentions, she clearly delineates a successful marriage as one between a male financial provider and a female emotional caregiver. She includes a digression on the differences between the sexes and the masculine/feminine polarity. Though this latest guide will confirm Dr. Laura's retrograde views for many, devotees will continue to look to her for answers.
Your marriage is more than a sacred covenant with another person.
It is a spiritual discipline designed to help you know God better, trust him more fully, and love him more deeply. Scores of books have been written that offer guidance for building the marriage of your dreams. But what if God’s primary intent for your marriage isn’t to make you happy . . . but holy? And what if your relationship isn’t as much about you and your spouse as it is about you and God?
In his extraordinary new book, Terrence Real, distinguished therapist and best-selling author, presents a long overdue message that women need to hear: You aren’t crazy–you’re right!
Women have changed in the last twenty-five years–they have become powerful, independent, self-confident, and happy. Yet many men remain irresponsible and emotionally detached. They don’t know how to respond to frustrated partners who just want their mates to show up and grow up.
Our pastor recommended this book be used for our pre-marital counseling. My husband and I each had our own book and would go through the chapters separately. This helped when we got together with our pastor every week, because our answers were honest. I felt this book helped us think about the expectations we each had for different aspects of marriage. Ex: who does the housework? How much do you spend a month on food? What type of debt do you bring into the marriage? It also encouraged us to discuss issues from our pasts that we didn't believe to be relevant, but would have affected our marriage down the road. We really enjoyed this book, but as with any pre-marital counseling book the key is an AWESOME pastor.
Dr. Gary Chapman, author of the perennial best seller The Five Love Languages, provides an easy-to-grasp framework to help couples understand their marriage and seven practical strategies for strengthening or improving their marriage relationship. A valuable resource for couples regardless of how long they've been married, this biblically based book is a reference tool to help couples through every season of marriage.
Reading this book and applying it's concepts have been a blessing to my marriage. I bought this book to help myself improve my relationship with my wife, especially in those areas concerning financial responsibilities. I thirst for knowledge especially as a newly wed living in a these times where divorce is the order of the day. I had to equip myself, I made a $10 investment I can tell you today that the returns from that investment have exceeded my expectations.
The practical explanations and biblical references made in the book makes it an easy read. I recommend this book to anyone looking to make their marriage all what God wants their marriage to be… and more !!!
