 Family Life
The Marriage Garden
Recommended Reading for Strengthening Marriages
Among the best (most important listed first):
Gottman, John M. The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work.1999.
[One of the most solid books on marriage, this teaches core principles from
extensive research.]
Chapman, Gary. The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt
Commitment to Your Mate. 1995. [Sensible ideas for effectively showing
love.]
Christensen, Andrew & Neil Jacobsen. Reconcilable Differences. 2000.
[Acceptance is a vital part of good marriage]
Seligman, Martin E. P. Authentic Happiness. 2002. [How to be a
flourishing human.]
Buehner, Caralyn and Mark. Fanny’s Dream. 1996. [A delightful
children’s book for teaching principles of healthy relationships.]
Gottman, John. Why Marriages Succeed or Fail. 1994. [Discusses three
kinds of relationships and the blessings and challenges of each.
Gottman, John M. The Relationship Cure. 2001. [Especially good section
on bids, i.e., our efforts to connect, and the ways we can respond to bids.]
Gottman, John M. & Gottman, Julie Schwartz. 10 Lessons to Transform Your
Marriage. 2006. [Ten case studies to help each of us see how to apply the
principles that strengthen marriages.]
Goddard, H. Wallace & Marshall, James P. The Marriage Garden. 2007 at
www.arfamilies.org.
[Six lessons on key principles of marriage.]
Very good books (in alphabetical order by author’s last name):
Arbinger Institute. Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box.
2000. [Self-deception exacts a terrible cost at work and at home.]
Beck, Aaron T. Love is Never Enough. 1988. [Strong marriages require
more than strong feelings. Ideas for changing the way you think about problems.]
Doherty, William J. Take Back Your Marriage. 2001. [Don’t let the
world pull you apart.]
Fowers, Blaine J. Beyond the Myth of Marital Happiness. 2000.
[Insightful book about the importance of values in sustaining marriage.]
Glass, Shirley P. & Jean Coppock Staeheli. Not “Just Friends”: Protect
Your Relationship from Infidelity and Heal the Trauma of Betrayal. 2003.
[Affairs can be prevented or overcome.]
Stanley, Scott. The Heart of Commitment. 1998. [Commitment is a key to
a strong relationship.]
Van Epp, John. How to Avoid Marrying a Jerk. 2007. [By using good
sense--and by managing level of commitment, anyone can make a better choice.]
Waite, Linda & Maggie Gallagher. The Case for Marriage. 2000.
[Describes the many benefits of marriage.]
Warner, C. Terry. Bonds that Make Us Free: Healing Our Relationships,
Coming to Ourselves. 2001. [When we refine our motivations, we will have
better relationships.]
Weiner-Davis, Michelle. The Divorce Remedy. 2001. [How to strengthen
your marriage and prevent divorce.]
Weiner-Davis, Michelle. The Sex-Starved Marriage. 2003.
[Physical intimacy is a challenge for many couples.]
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