7 Stages of Marriage: Laughter, Intimacy and Passion Today, Tomorrow, Forever - Hardcover

DeMaria, Rita M.; Harrar, Sari

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0762107251 ISBN 13: 9780762107254

Publisher: Readers Digest, 2006

Draws on the advice of top marriage experts as well as a survey of more than one thousand couples to trace the evolution of a marriage and offer advice on how to keep a relationship fulfilling and healthy in the face of such challenges as child care, aging parents, and individual interests, in a guide that is complemented by self-check quizzes and easy exercises.

From Publishers Weekly:

Marriage therapist DeMaria and co-writer Harrar present a short guide to the seven stages of marriage-Passion, Realization, Rebellion, Cooperation, Reunion, Explosion and Completion-along with techniques for "feeling happy, secure and satisfied" in any of them. Told in an upbeat, family-friendly style, most information and advice are specific, practical and reinforced with simple exercises and humanizing anecdotes from Readers' Digest surveys. In the Realization chapter, Harrar and DeMaria urge readers to "understand your expectations" and those of their partner, a tricky proposition for which the authors provide a quick exercise and solid tips: "Be realistic about what you do ask for," "Use disappointment as a signal for unconscious expectations" and "Don't compare your spouse to other people's spouses." Unfortunately, some chapters devolve into vague suggestions that smack of filler: "Pull out the music you enjoyed together and dance in the dining room. Go canoeing. Play Scrabble. Wear your sexiest lingerie under a dress when you go out to dinner." This guide will make a helpful addition to a married couple's library, but it lacks the depth to help anyone more than moderately troubled.
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• Publisher: Readers Digest
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0762107251
• ISBN 13: 9780762107254
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352