The Menstuff® library lists pertinent books on Marriage. See also relationship and divorce & custody books and divorce & custody issues.
Ackerman, Robert, A Husband's Little
Black Book: Common sense, wit and wisdom for a better
marriage. This book rekindles the spirit of the bachelor's
little black book with one big difference: the only name in
it is the wife's. The author has collected simple everyday
reminders of common courtesies and romance spinkled with timeless
words from famous folks about what makes a marriage work. This
delightful book is a must-have for the long-married, the newlywed
or the engaged. Health Communications, 1.800.851.9100 1994
ISBN 1-55874-317-0 Buy
This Book!
Adams, Kenneth M. & Alexander P. Morgan,
When He's Married to Mom: How to help mother-enmeshed men
open their hearts to true love and commitment. Why can't he
commit? Many women find themselves asking this question when
in love with a man who won't get married, won't stop womanizing,
or refuses to give up his sex addictions. Often this kind of man
is bound by an unhealthy attachment to his mother. This phenomenon
is called "mother-son enmeshment." In this book, the author,
a clinical psychologist and renowned intimacy expert, goes beyond
the stereotypes of momma's boys and meddling mothers to explain
how mother-son enmeshment affects everyone: the mother, the
son, and the woman who loves him. In this twenty-five years of
practice, he has successfully treated hundreds of enmeshed men and
shares their stories in this informative guide. www.whenhesmarriedtomom.com
Fireside Book, Simon & Schuster, www.simonsays.com
2007, ISBN 0-7432-9138-7 
Alden-Tirrill, Anna and Jonathan van
Helsing, Cyber Love's Illusions: Exposing the Romance
Scams of Internet Dating: An Insider's Guide: How to
avoid being a scam victim and find true love in the scam-free
zone. Are you or someone you love a victim of a romance
scam? Nigerian scam artists bilk American, Canadian,
Australian and European victims out of an estimated $15 billion a
year. Think it can't happen to you - that they can't catch you in
their web of deceit? Don't be so sure. These slick romance
scammers use intricate confidence games to manipulate many
intelligent men and women into sending them their hard-earned
money. This book exposes the negarious underworld of Nigerian
Romance Scamming. You'll get an inside look from an interview with
an actual scammer and reports from our own Nigerian "Deep Throat"
informant, revealing how these scammers operate. The information
they provide will hellp you to guard your heart and protect your
bank account. Not all Internet dating sites are a safe haven for
these clever scammers. This book will show you which dating sites
are proactive in dealing with scammers, and which ones leave their
members vulnerable to scam attacks. Discover the sites the authors
place in the Scam-Free Zone! White Cottage Publishing,
www.whitecottagepublishing.com,
2006, ISBN 1-885831-09-9 
Anapol, Deborah, Polyamory The New Love
Without Limits: Secrets of sustainable intimate
relationshps. What is polyamory? Can marriage and
unconditional love co-exist? How do you cope with
jealousy? Is polyamory immoral? Can you really
love two or more people at a time? What about sexually
transmitted diseases? What's wrong with serial
monogamy? Does polyamory harm children? Find the answers to
all these question and more. IntiNet Resource Center,
415.507.1738, pad@well.com, 1997
ISBN 1-880789-08-6 Buy
this book!
Applewhite, Ashton, Cutting Loose: Why women who end
their marriages do so well. An upbeat and inspiring book for
women who feel trapped in unsatisfying relationships, (and the men
who are trapped there also, though they may not realize it), this
book challenges the conventional belief that women who divorce
will suffer unduly and be unable to survive. These are women who
initiated their own divorces and found, much to their surprise,
that their fears of financial, emotional and romantic ruin were
not realized; on the contrary, the quality of their lives improved
immeasurably and their faith in themselves was renewed and
strengthened. This book offers encouragement and a much needed
reality check for women who want to improve both their own and
their families' lives. It breaks through to the thought that
marriage in reality is not the fairytale life they thought it
would be. Would that more women read this book before marriage and
before they start pushing a man to commit to marriage, we'd all be
happier. One of the things pointed out in a interview was that the
average woman in the book have six close friends (all women) they
could share everything with while their husbands had only one -
them. This helps point to the reality of why women survive with
less sickness, depression and suicide after a divorce than men and
that men need to start finding strong, deep support with other men
to avert these situations in the first place. Maybe things will
revert to more primitive times when the sexes didn't get married,
but came together once a year and the rest of the time they lived
happily ever-after. Something to think about. HarperPerennial,
1998 Buy
This Book!
Arp, David, Claudia S. Arp, Scott M. Stanley,
Howard J. Markman, Susan L. Blumberg, Fighting for Your Empty
Nest Marriage: Reinventing your relationship when the kids
leave home. Once upon a time, people grew up, got married, had
kids, retired - and died. Today, people grow up, get married, have
kids, maybe retire, then spend another 30 years together - if they
know how. But lots of couples look at each other after their kids
leave home and think, "I don't even know this
person!" They are now forced to spend time with each other,
and they have to make that crucial transition from parent back
into spouse. They have completely different dreams and
expectations. They may even be living separate lives, like two
single people sharing a house. They often end up in divorce court
after decades together. A team of five authors explores how
couples fall into this grim situation and how they can either
prevent it or repair it. They explore the hidden issues and
conflicts, the communication woes and other problems that surface
after kids grow up and no longer require so much attention. Their
book helps men and women recover their roles as husband and wife
when they no longer have to be primarily Mom and Dad. And they
remind us that marriage can be fun. By becoming stronger as
partners, couples will enjoy each other more, their own lives
more, and they will find greater happiness and fulfillment in the
upcoming years. Jossey-Bass, www.joseybass.com
2000 ISBN 0-7879-5222-2 Buy
this book!
Barash, David P and Judith Eve Lipton,
The Myth of Monogamy: Fidelity and infidelity in animals
and people. Applying new research to sex in the animal world,
the authors dispel the notion that monogamy comes naturally. In
fact, as the book reveals, biologists have found that for nearly
every species, cheating is the rule - for both sexes. Reviewing
findings from the same DNA fingerprinting science employed in
the courtroom, the authors take readers from chickadee nests to
chimpanzee troops to explain why animals cheat. (Some prostitute
themselves for food or protection, while others strive to couple
with genetically superior or multiple mates.) This book then
illuminates the implications of these dramatic new findings for
humans, as partners and as parents. Henry Holt, www.henryholt.com,
2002 ISBN 0-8050-7136-9 
Barron, James Douglas, She Wants a
Ring - and I Don't Wanna Change a Thing: How a man can
overcome his fears of commitment and marriage. The author
offers humorous, practical advice for the guy who has trouble
making a commitment. Telling his own story of dating and
engagement, he tackles the problems that plague millions of
men: "Is She The One?" "No Other Woman for the Rest of
My Life?" "Will We Love Each Other When We're Shriveled Up
Old Raisins?" He gives quick, invaluable tips on how to get
over the hurdles of proposal, engagement, planning the wedding,
and getting to the altar. Quill www.harpercollins.com
2001 ISBN 0-688-17950-9 Buy
this book!
Betcher, William & Robie Macauley, The Seven Basic
Quarrels of Marriage: Recognize, defuse, negotiate and
resolve your conflicts, Ballantine, 1993
Brandenburg, Mark, Fix Your Wife in 30
Days or Less: And improve yourself at the same time. It's
easy for many of us to want our wife to get better. After all, we
spend an enormous amount of time with her and it's only natural
that we want her at her best. However, many men who've tried to
change their wives have had a miserable failure. So, what's the
best way to change your wife? The answer lies with you. There
has always been only one way to change someone else. The answer is
to find ways for you to make some of your own changes. A cruel
trick? No, it's just the only way that change can happen.
This booklet isn't about what you'd like to hear. It's about what
works. Check it out. Self-published, 2003, Mark Brandenburg,
www.markbrandenburg.com
or mark@markbrandenburg.com
See his column
here at menstuff.org.
Campbell, Steve, Third and Long:
Men’s Playbook for Solving Marital/relationship Problems and
Building a Winning Team. One reviewer noted that “Men, if
you can read only one relationship book, let this be the
one….This is the book men should read early in a relationship
or marriage. By doing so, they could avoid nasty surprises later
on.” Using a football playbook structure that doesn’t
overdo the sports theme, Third and Long delivers more than 50 key
skills and tips men can implement right away to improve their
relationship, whether it’s in deep trouble or just needs a
tuneup. Given today’s sky-high divorce rate in which women
initiate two of every three divorces and half of all marriages end
in divorce, every man needs to protect and nurture his marriage,
even if he thinks everything is fine. This book tells you how. The
author – who learned the hard way through losing his own
marriage – respectfully demystifies women and their feelings,
explaining what they want from their men and why. He offers a
number of questions and a series of exercises to help a man
determine the strengths and weaknesses of his marriage and his own
relationship skills. At the end he invites readers to develop a
gameplan of action to improve their relationship. Throughout,
there’s no fault-finding involved but merely an
acknowledgment that women are more skilled at relationships and
men need to catch up and close the “relationship skill
gap” if they want protect their marriage. According to the
author, it’s just skills you learn, like fixing an engine or
learning to golf. It’s possible that you don’t need
Third and Long but perhaps you have a brother, uncle, nephew or
friend who could use some sound advice in building a winning
relationship team. This book can only help. As one reviewer
concluded: “Third and Long is candid, real and blessedly
short — a champion in the world of selfhelp books. Get it.
Read it. Live it.” www.thirdandlong.ca
2005 ISBN 1420818104 
Carlson, Jon and Don Dinkmeyer, Time for a
Better Marriage. This book provides systematic, practical help
for understanding marriage and developing the skills that make
marriage rewarding, effective and satisfying to both parties. It
shows couples how to encourage each other, communicate
effectively, maintain equality in the marriage relationship,
understand their relationship, make better choices, and resolve
conflict. This is a book for couples who want to enrich their
relationships, couples planning to be married, and couples classes
in churches, schools, and community groups. Marriage and family
therapists will find this a particularly valuable resource as a
supplement to couples counseling. Impact Publishers, www.impactpublishers.com,
2003. ISBN 1-886230-46-3 Buy
this book!
Chethik, Neil, Voice Male: What
husbands really think about their marriages, their wives, sex,
housework and commitment. Much has been written about what
women want from their relationships and marriages. But what men
want has remained a mystery - until now. In his groundbreaking new
book, the author and journalist reveals surprising truths about
married men and challenges many of the myths abut men that prevent
couples from creating strong and lasting relationsihps. Based on a
landmark survey of American husbands across the country, the book
reveals that most men are not commitment-phobic, that they don't
have sex on their minds all the time, and that they are willing to
talk frankly about their relaionships - just not in the same way
women do. Men have complex inner lives, just like women. But they
have a unique, masculine style of loving that focuses more on
doing than talking, on sharing space rather than sharing feelings,
and on side-by-side rather than face-to-face intimacy. They speak
honestly about their struggles adjusting to marriage, raising
children, balancing work and family, keeping marital sex exciting
and avoiding infidelity. Full of surprising revelations and the
strong feelings that men have about their lives - and about the
women who share those lives with them - this book demonstrates
that despite their many differences, most husbands and wives
ultimately want the same thing: a trusted fellow traveler in
their journey through life. www.voicemalebook.com,
Simon & Schuster, www.simonsays.com,
2006 ISBN 0-7432-5872-X 
Crohn, Joel, Howard Markman, Susan Blumberg,
Janice Levine, Fighting for Your Jewish
Marriage: Preserving a lasting promise.As the divorce
rates of both Jewish and interfaith couples continue to escalate,
"shalom bayit" (peace in the home) is definitely in danger. In
addition to the challenges every modern couple faces, millions of
Jewish and interfaith couples are struggling with unique issues
that profoundly influence their intimate relationships. Differing
views of Jewish identity, conflicts about religious practice, and
cultural clashes between partners from different backgrounds all
impact Jewish intimacy. This dynamic guide identifies these
special issues and gives Jewish and interfaith couples practical
tools they need to improve communication, resolve conflicts, and
enhance and preserve their marriages. Jossey-Base www.josseybass.com
2000 ISBN 0-7879-4362-2 Buy
This Book!
Davis, Michele Weiner, The Sex Starved
Marriage: A couple's guide to boosting their marriage
libido. It is estimated that one of every three married
couples struggle with problems associated with mismatched sexual
desire. Do you? If you want to stop fighting about sex and
revitalize your intimate connection with your spouse, then you
need this book. But it is not just another book explaining the
reasons you or your spouse might not be in the mood for sex. The
author will help you understand why being complacent or bitter
about ho-hum sex might cost you your marriage, and with her
acclaimed psychobabble-free, straight-shooting advice, she'll show
you how to bring the spark back into your bedroom and into your
relationship. Full of firsthand accounts from couples who have
struggled with the erosion of sexual desire and rebuilt their
passionate connection, this book will give you and your spouse the
inspiration, encouragement, and answers you need to find your way
out of a sex-starved marriage. www.divorcebusting.com,
Simon & Schuster, www.simonsays.com,
2003 ISBN 0-7432-2732-8 Buy
This Book! 
Erhardt, Virginia, Head Over
Heels: Wives who stay with cross-dressers and
transsexuals. This book gives voice to thirty ordinary women
who live extraordinary lives as partners to cross-dressers,
transgenderists, and male-to-female transsexuals. These unique
women discuss, with honesty and great candor, how they first
learned of their partners' gender issues, now they've coped with
the emotions that followed, how they're dealt with concerns about
privacy/secrecy, and how they've handled disclosure to children,
friends, and family members. Far from a collection of "happily
ever after" stories, these narratives are filled with pain,
courage, curiosity and joy as each woman struggles to redefine a
relationship that includes intimacy, social acceptance, dignity
and respect. Haworth Presss, 2007, www.HaworthPress.com,
ISBN 0-7890-3095-0 
Everett, Craig A. and Robert E. Lee, editors,
When Marriages Fail: Systemic family therapy interventions and
issues. This book presents several leading experts in the
field discussing the full spectrum of clinical interventions and
family therapy for troubled and divorcing families. This
comprehensive resource presents a broad overview of the literature
that provides a foundation for the entire field, and then narrows
its focus to clearly review clinical assessment models and the
special issues that may be factors in conflicted families.
Therapists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers discover
groundbreaking policies protecting the well-being of children
involved in divorce, plus practical, specific systemic treatment
interventions that are illustraed with case studies. The Haworth
Press, www.HaworthPress.com,
2006, ISBN 0-7890-2863-8 
Fagan, Jay, & Alan J. Hawkins, Clinical and Educational
Interventions with Fathers. No man wants to be a bad father.
Nevertheless, many men in our culture do not know how to care for
the children they beget. Trapped by stereotypes of false
masculinity and lacking positive role models, they find themselves
trying to do the challenging work of fatherhood without the
necessary resources, information or support. This book offers
positive approaches to helping men become responsible fathers,
including: Helping fathers manager anger. Training staff to
recognize and respond to fathers' unique needs. Developing
therapeutic support groups for African-American men. Designing
special techniques and programs to help fathers in prison and in
other challenging circumstances. Offering Web-based support for
fathers. Finding legal tools to support noncustodial fathers'
desires to stay connected to their children. By offering positive,
tested ways to help men become responsible fathers, this book will
help you improve their lives and the lives of their sons and
daughters. Haworth Clinical Practice Press, www.haworthpressinc.com,
2001 ISBN 0-7890-1238-3 Buy
This Book!
Fein, Ellen & Sherrie Schneider, The
Rules: Time-tested secrets for capturing the heart of Mr.
Right. A simple set of dos and don'ts, this book will
lead you to where you want to be: in a healthy, committed
relationship. Unlike today's haphazard dating customs, this book
rcognizes certain facts of life. That men know what they want.
That a man is either attracted to you - or not! That men want
a challenge, not an instant or easy victory. When you follow these
commonsense guidelines, you treat yourself with respect and
dignity - and demand that men do likewise. Although they sound
old-fashioned, they encourage you to lead a full, satisfying, buy
life - outside of romance. Although they seem tough, they will
teach you how to accept occasional defeat and move on. And
although they require discipline, they will bring out the best in
you and in the men you date. The goal? Marriage, in the
shortest time possible, to a man you love, who loves you even more
than you love him. Whether you're eighteen or eighty, a beauty
queen or a women with ordinary looks, this book will work for you.
Warner Books, 1996 ISBN 0-446-60274-4 Buy
This Book!
Fitzgerald, Matthew,
Sex-Ploytation: How women use their bodies to extort
money from men. "This book is about truth, not vilification,"
says the author. "It is based on direct observation and interviews
with hundreds of men who have shared similar experiences and so
represents an actuality which can neither be denied nor disproved,
despite the shrill outcries of a world full of dishonest women."
Inside, you will information about the power of female sexuality
and how women use it to extort money from men. What women really
want from men. Dating and marriage as legalized prostitution.
Female con games. How society is unequivocally biased toward
women. Female self-deceit. The truth about "romance". The
arrogance of the female gender. Feminist lies and the failure of
feminism. How men can fight back and what women can do. April
House www.sexploy.com 1999
ISBN 0-9669639-0-3 Buy
This Book!
Fowers, Blaine J., Beyond the Myth of Marital
Happiness: How embracing the virtues of loyalty, generosity,
justice, and courage can strengthen your relationship. It's
time to questoin the widespread consensus that good communication,
emotional gratification, and intimacy are the essential elements
of good marriages. In this controversial and yet inspirational
book, the author challenges this powerful myth, offering couples a
new vision of marital partnership that is grounded in a richer
understanding of vibrant, lifelong marriages. The author, a noted
relationship expert, reveals that the best marriages are
partnerships in which the spouses are devoted to creating a shared
life. Using real-life examples from thriving relationships, he
shows how spouses can create deeply meaningful partnerships
devoted to mutual goals such as raising children, contributing to
the life of their community, and maintaining family or religious
traditions. Couples not only flourish as they engage in worthwhile
activities together, but as they extend themselves beyond their
own gratification they also gain strength from their extended
families and their communities. This book is filled with
suggestoins spouses can use to develop the traits or vitures -
including friendship, loyalty, self-restraint, courage, generosity
and justice - that can bring this vision to life. The authors'
original ideas and practical, uplifting advice shows how couples
can more fully capture the beauty and goodness that are available
in almost all marriages. It is written for people who want to
participate in the wonder and depth of a long-term partnership,
improve their own character, and develop the richness and vitality
that may be dormant in their relationships for creating a loving
and lasting marriage. Jossey-Bass, www.josseybass.com
2000, ISBN 0-7879-4567-6 Buy
This Book!
Friedman, Marty, Straight Talk for Men
about Marriage: What men need to know about marraige (and
what women need to know about men). This book reveals three
practical keys for men to use for creating the marriage you both
want. And it has a special section for women that takes them into
the male psyche to help them understand what's really going on
with their man. Written by a man who confronted the truth about
his own marriage, this is the book that will help you get from "I
do" to "What did I do?!" to "I'm glad I did!" Little Moose
Press,www.littlemoosepress.com,
2005 ISBN: 0-9720227-5-9 
Gottman, John, Seven Principles for Making
Marriage Work. The author has revolutionized the study of
marriage by using rigorous scientific procedures to observe the
habits of married couples in unprecedented detail over many years.
Here is the culmination of his life's work: the seven principles
that guide couples on the path toward a harmonious and
long-lasting relationship. Packed with practical questionnaires
and exercises, this book is the definitive guide for anyone who
wants their relationship to attain its highest potential. Three
Rivers Press, www.randomhouse.com,
1999. ISBN 0-609-80579-7
Also, Why Marriages Succeed or Fail: and how you can make
yours last, Fireside, 1995
Haltzman, Scott, Theresa Foy Digeronimo,
The Secrets of Happily Married Men: Eight ways to win your
wife's heart. Here at last is a new voice speaking on behalf
of men: Men who are different from women, men who want a
great relationship with the woman they love, men who have their
own way of creating a great marriage. Men have traditionally had a
bad rap from conventional relationship books. Many self-help gurus
describe men as either commitment phobic, ignorant, or
disinterested in the needs of women. This book takes a completely
different approach and offers a positive way of looking at how to
build a successful, long-lasting relationship from a man's point
of view. It is filled with stories from real men who are happy in
their partnerships - men who have figured out what works for them
in accomplishing the goal of a loving, intimate, lifetime
commitment. www.secretsofmarriedmen.com,
Jossey-Bass, www.josseybass.com,
2006 ISBN 0-7879-7959-7 
Harley, Willard F., Jr., His Needs, Her
Needs: Building an affair-proof marriage. Do you know
your own marital needs? Do you know the marital needs of your
spouse? The needs of men and women are similar. But,
according to the author, their priorities are vastly different.
Are you able to identify which of the following needs are his and
which are hers? Out of the ten marital needs listed here,
which are most important to you? In your opinion, which five
are most important to your spouse? Admiration, affection, an
attractive spouse, conversation, domestic support, family
commitment, financial support, honesty and openness, recreational
companionship, sexual fulfillment. Discover how identifying and
meeting your most important needs will deepen your love and desire
for each other. Learn how to become irresistible to your spouse.
Fleming H. Revell, www.bakerbooks.com,
2000, ISBN 0-8007-1478-4 Buy
This Book!
Heyn, Dalma, Marriage Shock: The
transformation of women into wives. Marriage, we are taught to
believe, is a woman's natural habitat - the blissful rite of
passage that makes her more expansively herself. Why, then, are so
many married women (and men) unable to reconcile the autonomous,
adventurous, sexually charged women (or man) they were with the
dutiful, silent, selfless wives they have become? A
book that will change forever the way women view the most
important partnership of their lives, the book moves courageously
beyond the "inviolate happiness of the wedding" to explore the
destructive cultural myths that transform a woman into an
agreeable, self-sacrificing, desperately unfulfilled wife. And, in
the breakthrough work that gives voice to a wide range of women -
from newlyweds to wives of forty years - this book reveals what
every woman must know in order to reverse the effects of
"matrimorphosis" and become a true partner in her marriage. It
includes the real reasons behind the post-wedding blues,
first-year shock, and depression in marriage. How to stop
believing that love must be "earned" by endless giving. How the
institution of marriage - and not husbands - denies women
intimacy, freedom and fulfillment. How to stop acting "the good
wife" and create a marriage that is good for you. (Also, see
"Cutting Loose" above). Delta 1998 Buy
This Book!
Ingraham, Chrys, White
Weddings: Romancing heterosexuality in popular
culture. This is a groundbreaking study of our culture's
obsession with weddings. By examining popular films, commericals,
magazines, advertising, television sitcoms, and even children's
toys. This book shows the pervasive influence of weddings in our
culture and the important role they play in maintaining the
romance of heterosexuality, the myth of white supremacy, and the
insatiable appetite of consumer capitalism. This entertaining and
irreverent analysis of one of our culture's most important
traditions will make you think twice about ever wanting to catch
the bouguet. Routledge www.routledge.com
1999 ISBN 0-415-91840-5 Buy
This Book!
Kasl, Charlotte, If the Buddha
Married: Creating enduring relationships on a spiritual
path. Filled with the same highly practical, spiritually sound
guidance that so clearly touched a chord with readers of If the
Buddha Dated, this new book is a fresh and inspiring guide for
anyone who wants to strengthen, deepen, or revitalize a
relationship. The author empowers us to create fulfilling and
vibrant relationships through a commitment to awareness, truth and
compassion. She shows how a "beginner's mind" can help us see our
partners and ourselves afresh each day as we learn to nurture our
commitment to each other. Marriage is truly a journey - combining
key teachings of Buddhism with elements of psychology and other
spiritual traditions. This book becomes a wise and trusted guide
through the joys and thickets of relationships that last and grow.
Penguin Compass, www.penguinputnam.com
2001 ISBN 0-14-019622-6 Buy
This Book!
Langford, A. T., When Men
Marry: Insights from men about what makes them ready
for marriage. If you want to know how men really feel about
tying the knot, this book lets you listen in as bachelors and
married men reveal their most intimate feelings about love and
relationships. Over 75 men, aged 24 to 68, describe how they
choose and test potential partners, what scares them about women,
why they decide to get involed, and how it feels to be a "marriage
object". Loaded with fascinating insights into male thinking See
if your's corresponds. Adams Media Corp, www.adamsmedia.com
1999
LaRose, Lawarence, Gutted: Down to the
studs in my house, my marriage, my entire life. One man's
hair-raising and hilarious account of the reconstruction of an old
house and the near demolition of a new marriage. Only a few years
ago, the author won a place on bestseller lists as coauthor of
The Code: Time-Tested Secrets for
Getting What You Want from Women - Without Marrying
Them! But then recklessness set it. He fell in love.
Within months, he became engaged, got married, and bought a
decrepit fixer-upper in Sag Harbor, New York. Days before closing
on the house, he lost his job. So this unemployed writer and
Manhattanite lit on a preposterous plan: He would bluff his
way onto a Hamptons construction crew in order to learn the skills
he needed to build his own house. Soon he was erecting
stadium-size "cottages" with $600 toilet paper holders while
barely scraping by with his own meager renovation. Tricks learned
on the job were proving invaluable at home, but they were little
help in battling asbestos, killer bathroom mold, a mysteriously
disappearing septic tank, and the most sinister of all
home-renovation adversaries: the Zoning Board. Yet as challenges
mounted and confusions multiplied, he and his wife ultimately
found that they had something extra keeping them safe from
divorce: tons of debt. That, and the risk-taking inclination
to stay together. Whether you're a single person, a newlywed, or
one of those harried married folks lumbering through Home Depot,
you'll find this book to be an outrageously original view of
trading spaces, giving up unfettered freedom for marriage, and
building a life and a home. Part cautionary tale, part hands-on
advice, it shows that the best improvements in life all start with
a little demolition. www.lawrencelarose.com,
Bloomsbury, www.bloomsburyusa.com,
2004, ISBN 1-58234-392-6 
Lawrence, Barbara Kent, Bitter
Ice: a memoir of love, food and obsession. An intimate,
revealing and refreshingly frank memoir of a wife's search for
independence and identity while living in the shadow of her
husband's battle with anorexia. With sensitivity and compassion,
she chronicles her husband's life-threatening eating disorder from
the time they married when he was an accomplished 6'1" college
athlete, through hospitalization and therapy when he weighed just
over one hundred pounds, to the final days of their marriage
twenty-seven years later. Through her startling prose, we bear
witness to her husband's obsessive exercising, masochistic
starvation methods, and addiction to saunas, laxatives and ice
baths - and the chilling effect his behavior had on the life they
had so carefully tried to build. Rob Weisbach Books, William
Morrow & Comapny, www.robweisbachbooks.com,
1999, ISBN 0-688-16215-0 
Lawrence, Barbara Kent, The Hungry i: a
workbook for partners of men with eating disorders. The book
is a benchmark workbook that significantly contributes to further
understanding of the destructiveness of eating disorders. The
author offers concrete ideas and concepts in a must read,
scholarly workbook for anyone who knows of or lives with a man
with an eating disorder. The reader can immedidately connect with
the content and experience a sense of hope. Green Bark Press,
2010, ISBN 978-1-880851-74-6
See article here.
Lederer, William, The Mirages of Marriage: A
profoundly original look at the marital relationship with
no-nonsense procedures to help solve its problems. Here is a
profoundly helpful, incisive analysis of marriage in America, a
no-nonsense look at the marital relationship, why it fails so
frequently, and what the individual can do about it if he is
willing and able to face the hard facts of marriage. Completely
oiginal in its approach and honesty, it deals with the marital
relationship as it is, not as the church or the romantics or the
magazine commentators or even many marraige counselors think it
is, or should be. It covers the false assumptions of modern
marriage and, above all, how to make the marriage work - the
imperative nature of the need to realize that the marital
relationship is an interlocked system in iself rather than a
function of individual partners. It discusses the techniques of
appraising one's own marriage, the use of counselors, the dangers
of unilateral therapy, and the major elements of a satisfactory
marriage. W. W. Norton, 1968, SBN 393-08400-0
Lindquist, Carol Ummel, Happily Married
with Kids: It's not just a fairy tale, If you're like
most new parents, you've discovered that the arrival of a newborn
- and the subsequent changes in priorities and lifestle - can put
a tremendous strain on even the best of marriages. In fact,
research indicats that 67% of new parents complain they are having
less sex, less fun, and more arguments than before kids entered
the picture. Now, the author, a marriage counselor and happily
married mother of two, explores why parenthood can sometimes wreak
havoc on your dreams of a happily-ever-after - and reveals what
you can do to make your own marriage a solid, satisfying one.
Engaging, fun and practical, this indispensable guide offers a
realistic look at marriage - and at what you can do to protect
yours from the pitfalls of parenthood. Berkeley Publishing Group,
www.penguin.com, 2004
ISBN 0-425-9395-0 
Makow, Henry, A Long Way to go for a
Date: Deep in our psyches, men harbor a vision of beautiful
women, adoring and submissive. Could this paradise actually
exist? A mail order bride. An audacious gamble. An ironic,
politically incorrect diary of a quest fr masculine identity. The
author says, "I am an explorer in the undiscovered continent of
love, a scientist in the laboratory of masculine longing. Can a
middle-aged man, scarred by the sex wars at home, find a new
beginning on a tropical island where women are still
feminine? Things don't look so goo at this moment. Is
my hupothesis wrong? Or will it be discredited because
I chose the wrong woman? I sense the satisfaction
feminists would be feeling now. But I am not about to panic." The
authis is the inventor of the board game Sruples and teaches about
gender. Silas Green Publishing, silas_green@go.com
Due out 3/01. ISBN 0-9687725-0-1 Buy
This Book!
Marsh, Anthony & Jay Blumenfield, The
Groom's Secret Handbook: how not to screw up the biggest day of
her life,. No man should enter the weird world of matrimony
without this advice. You'll learn everything you need to know
about the engagement, wedding, registering for gifts - from
realizing you have no use for any of this stuff to learning which
stores give cash back on returns. Then there's the bachelor party
and much much more. Fireside Books www.SimonSays.com
1997 Buy
This Book!
Omelianuk, Scott and Ted Allen, Things a
Man Should Know About Marriage. You must pretend convincingly
to care about the china pattern over which your fiancee will
agonize. Some women believe expensive diamond rings are silly and
excessive. We've not yet met one. Your ex-girlfriends are not
invited. It's all right to be nervous. It's all right to wonder,
however fleetingly, whether you're making a terrible mistake. It's
not all right to soil your tuxedo. On the honeymoon: Relax,
enjoy everything, roll with problems, don't sweat the small
things. A wife needs her husband to have a den, if only to have a
place to banish his bachelor furniture. Before we
forget: Your Little Black Book goes into the shredder.
Riverhead Books, www.penguinputnam.com
1999 ISBN 1-57322-777-3 Buy
This Book! Preferably BEFORE you even hint you might even
consider getting married, here are some more
things you should know.
Polikoff, Nancy, Beyond (Straight and
Gay) Marriage: Valuing all families under the law.
This book reframes the family-rights debate by arguing that
marriage shouldn't bestow special legal privileges upon couples
because people, both heterosexual and LGBT, live in a variety of
relationships - including unmarried couples of any sexual
orientation, single-parent households, extended biological family
units, and myriad other familial configurations. The author shows
that the law can value all families, and why it must. Beacan Press
www.beaconpress.com 2008,
ISBN 978-0-8070-4433-9 
Reynolds, Greg, Why She Cheated, and It's
Your Fault. Your wife is going to cheat, unless you do
something to stop it. Women have changed and they want
A LOT more out of their marriages than our mothers
wanted. Men sit around banging their heads trying to figure out
what it will take to make their wives happy, and the answers are
right in front of them. Right now is your chance to learn what it
will take to keep her happy and faithful. This book was written
for men, and it has the answers, finally, that we have been
waiting for. Stop being naive. At least 50% of women admit to
cheating on their husbands. Are you really secure enough to think
you are going to dodge that bullet? PublishAmerica, www.PublishAmerica.com,
2008, ISBN 1-60672-979-9 
Russell, Bertrand, Marriage & Morals. This book
quietly proposes a rational approach to sex and love: one based on
the realities of need and desire, rather than on ancient tribal
and religious tabus. Because it deals candidly with free love and
trial marraiage - always holding human happiness higher than
venerable institutions - it has been the focus of bitter
controversy and hysterial attack. Actually, this clear, unbiased
look at morality is a small but integral part of the whole, lucid
structure of the author's thought: simply one aspect of his
lifelong opposition to restrictive dogma, his unshakable faith in
the adequacy of man and the power of the human intellect. Bantam,
1963
Sanna, Lucy and Kathy Miller, How to Romanc
the Woman You Love - The Way She Wants You To! Do you flirt
with your partner, court her, write her playful love
letters? Do you know what surprises will delight her,
what gifts she will cherish? Could you use some tips for
creating a romantic getaway? Perhaps a few new
techniques for keeping the world at bay while you romance the
speical woman of your life? Inside this book are powerl
strategies for creating romance every day. Based on substantial
research, this book reveals the most intimate desires of women
from across the country, helping you gain a new understanding of
romance. You can easily develop a deeper, more fulfilling
relationship with your own partner - in imaginative and often
fantastically fun ways. Romance can be real again. Prima
Publishing www.primapublishing.com
1995 ISBN 0-7615-0870-8 Buy
This Book!
Sherman, Ed, California Marriage Law.
From prenuptial agreements to divorce planning plus advice for
unmarried couples and separated parents. Entering into or ending a
marriage has legal consequences that will affect every aspect of
your life for years to come. Living together unmarried has
important legal consequences you should know about also. Separated
parents should know the rules. Here is important, practical advice
for people who are: Married, getting married, unmarried
couples, separated parents, victims of domestic abuse, those
thinking about divorce. For a generation, this practical handbook
has been the best source of information for those who want to
understand how California law affect their personal lives and
relationships. Nolo Press, 1997
Sherven, Judith and James Sniechowski, The
Smart Couple's Guide to the Wedding of Your Dreams: Planning
together for less stress and more joy. You and your partner
probably decide mutually which movie to see and where to have
dinner, so when it comes to your wedding, should just the bride
(or groom) make all of the decisions? Of course not. This
useful and entertaining guide will show you how to plan a
celebration together that will reflect your true desires for the
occasion while building your relationship as a couple. With
practical suggestions and true-life stories, the husband and wife
authors offer advice and ideas on all of the choices awaiting you,
from how to pop the question to whether to play Mendelssohn or
"Going to the Chapel" during your ceremony. New World Library,
www.newworldlibrary.com,
2005 ISBN 1-57731-341-0 
Sinrod, Barry & Grey, Marlo,
Just Married: A sexy, irreverent, eye-opening look at how
we met, dated, and married the one we love. Who says married
people are boring? The authors bide us a
behind-the-bedposts peek at the lives of America's newlyweds.
Based on the recently completed surveys of 3,876 newlyweds from
all 50 states, the book is an intimate, intriguing, often
hilarious look into the world of the newly hitched. Among the
shocking secrets the authors uncover: 83% of the
couples kissed on the first date (17% slept together), 11% said at
least one of them was a virgin when they got married. And among
virgin couples, 16% were both virgins. 72% find their lovemaking
better now that they are married. 67% show together. 36% have to
be kissed in order to make love. 31% have made love to a sleeping
spouse. And 70% like to fool around while driving. In this book,
the authors dare to ask and newlyweds dare to answer, the
questions that reveal the naked truth about life after "I
do." Andrews McMeel Publishing www.andrewsmcmeel.com
1998 Buy
This Book!
Staheli, Lana, "Affair-Proof" Your
Marriage: Understanding, preventing and surviving an
affair, Cliff Street Books, www.harpercollins.com
1997
Staheli, Lana, Sonia Weiss, The Complete
Idiot's Guide to Affair-Proof Love. You don't need to hide
behind lock and key to avoid an affair! You're no idiot, of
course. You know a good relationship takes a lot of hard work,
and, despite that, infidelities still occur. But when it comes to
stopping an affair from happening, or even surviving the
aftermath, you feel like breaking his (or her) cheating heart.
Don't tear up your marriage license just yet! This book shows
you the secrets of spotting an infidelity before it starts, and it
teaches you how to live through his (or her) affair and make your
marriage stronger than ever. Alpha Books, www.mgr.com
1999. ISBN: 0-02-863414-4 Buy
This Book!
Thoele, Sue Patton, Heart Centered
Marriage: Fulfilling our natural desire for sacred
partnership. We all have a deep yeaerning for a loving
relatinship with our spouse, but many of us find harmony and
fulfillment we crave to be disappointingly elusive. This book
offers a new and refreshing approach for couples who wish to enjoy
a more passionate and beartfelt union. In her trademark warm and
witty style, the author offers pragmatic advice, candid honesty
about her own marraige journey, and the shared stories of many
couples who are leaning how to make their relationships sing. It
is both poetic and practical, offering helpful suggestions for
creating the complementary partnership we desire. You will learn
how to: Live gently with yourself and your mate. Honor the
ongoing process of yur marriage. Refresh and revitalize a marriage
flattened by fatigue or frustration. Communicate heartfully, not
hurtfully, even when fighting. Move from competition, control and
conqwuering to cooperatoin, compassion and connectedness. Fill
your sexual relationship with bot sizzle and sacred sensitivity.
Become a blessing to your partner and "grow your own soul: in the
process. Connari Press, 1996 ISBN 1-57324-017-6 Buy
This Book!
Thornton, James, Chore Wars, How households can share the work
& keep the peace, Conari, 1997
Wild, Russell, Why Men Marry: 150 guys
reveal what prompted them to pop the question. More than 90
percent of all men marry. Of those who lose or leave their wives,
80 percent marry again. What is it about the institution of
marriage that men can't seem to resist? What calls and
recalls more men to the altar than to the Super Bowl and World
Series combined? The author was determined to find out.
In this throughly engaging, provacative and at times downright
amusing book. The author interviews 150 married and engaged men of
all ages and backgrounds. Some are first timers, some are nuptial
veterans. Some married for romance, others to start a family,
others were given an ultimatum. And all of them offered intriguing
insights into what made them take the plunge. In addition to these
interviews with married men, the author also includes perspectives
and advice from relationship experts and psychologists on what
makes men want to commit and how they go about choosing a spouse.
Contemporary Books 1999
Wolf, Ken G.,
Marriage Vows 2000: The new marriage contract for
the next millennium. This book gives you an easy-to-use
systematic format to help you make your own customized marraige
contract that will make your marriage work! Make this
your first and ever-lasting marriage! If this is not
your first marriage, make this one your last and best marriage. If
you are already married, learn what you can do to make your
marriage stronger. By going into a marriage with the New Marriage
Contract instead of the vague old vows of the past, each partner
is better protected and will find happiness in the age old
institution of marriage. Learn how to handle the day-in, day-out
problems that are faced in all marriage. Develop a more realistic
idea of what you are getting into by marrying and you will
succeed. Read this book and answer the questionnaire, listing and
discussing issues specific to you. Take your completed New
Marriage Contract to your attorney for validation in your state.
If your present marriage is on the rocks, this may save it -
everyone can benefit. GTC Press 1999 (Ed. - We believe in the
importance of "Informed Conscent" which means knowing everything
that you are getting involved in with a legal marraige before you
get married. Conscious decisions are most important prior to this
momentous experience. And, while it's never too late to learn,
prior to the event is by far more important. To add to this, check
out the information in Issues.)
ISBN 0-9665598-0-0 Buy
This Book!
Yalom, Marilyn, A History of the
Wife. How did marriage, considered a religious duty in
medieval Europe, become a venue for personal fulfillment in
contemporary America? How did the notion of romantic love, a
novelty in the Middle Ages, become a prerequisite for marriage
today? And, if the original purpose of marriage was
procreation, what exactly is the purpose of marriage
now? Combining "a scholar's rigor and a storyteller's
craft", a distinguished cultural historian charts the evolution of
marraige in the Judeo-Christian world through centuries and shows
how radically our ideas about marriage have changed. For any woman
who is, has been, or even will be married, this intellectually
vigorous and gripping historical analysis of marriage sheds new
light on an institution most people take for granted, and that
may, in fact, be experiencing its most convulsive upheavel since
the Reformation. And men, don't feel left out. Though directed to
women, this is a real wake-up call for many men. Perennial,
www.harpercollins.com,
2002, ISBN 0-06-093156-6 Buy
This Book!
Zwack, Joseph, Premarital Agreements: When, why
& how to write them. Who needs a premarital
agreement? Consider these horror stories.
A widower remarries. When he dies, his own children from his
first marriage end up with nothing; his wife and her children get
everything. A rich elderly bachelor in poor health marries an
ambitious young housekeeper. His sisters, who have cared for him
over the years, find themselves out in the cold when he dies. A
calculating Casanova invests a few years in marriage to a rich
woman he doesn't love, then files for divorce, seeking a big
property settlement. A premarital agreement (PREMA) could have
changed the script in all these stories. The fact is, the minute a
marriage takes place, the law writes an estate plan for you. Even
with a will, you can't be sure that your wishes will prevail. So
if you're a remarrying or late-marrying couple, and especially if
there's a significant difference between you in age and/or wealth,
this book is essential reading. Here are the ins and outs of
prenuptial agreements explained in an authoritative, readable,
easy-to-understand manner. If you decide you need a PREMA, you can
go to your lawyer and participate fully in drawing one up. Or you
can use the forms in the appendix and draft your own, being
careful to follow the guidelines in the body of this book. Lawyers
not familiar with PREMAs will welcome these sample forms and the
tips that are provided for preparing them. Perennial Library, 1987
ISBN 0-06-096181-3 Checek out our information on Informed
Consent BEFORE marriage!I have come to conclude that marriage and parenthood are God's
pleas with human beings to grow up. Michael Levine
|
|
