The Good Marriage: How and Why Love Lasts [Paperback]

Inspired by the hope that the experience of satisfied husbands and wives might provide useful lessons to others, Wallerstein, a clinical psychologist and specialist on divorce, and Sandra Blakeslee, who writes frequently for The New York Times, interviewed 50 predominantly middle-class, northern California couples who had been married nine years or more and had at least one child. These strong marriages flourish, they argue, because every partner confronted a series of psychological tasks including separating emotionally from the family of childhood, carving out his or her autonomy and creating an environment where anger and conflict could be safely vented. The couples reveal their interior lives in rich, explicit detail. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Based on interviews with 50 happily married couples, this book examines the factors that allow relationships to succeed.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Although Wallerstein is best known for her work on divorce, she and Blakeslee (coauthors of Second Chances, LJ 2/1/89) have put together a very appealing book based on interviews with 50 couples who are still together, and still happy, after years of marriage. Most of the book is concerned with defining the four types of marriages (romantic, rescue, companionate, and traditional) that Wallerstein discovered through her interviews. Descriptions of four couples who idealize these types are given in minute detail. The rest of the book outlines nine developmental tasks-derived from Wallerstein's practice as well as the interviews-that couples need to accomplish if their marriage is to be a happy one. Despite some oddities, such as the amount of extraneous detail given when discussing the interviewees' homes, and the fact that this was based on a small and skewed sample group-all participants were middle or upper-middle class and all but one couple were Caucasian-this book will appeal to public library users who want a clearly written and clearly thought out analysis of this universally interesting topic.
--Pamela A. Matthews, Missouri Western State Coll., St. Joseph
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

What's Your Marriage? * The Romantic Marriage: exciting, sensual memories of your first meeting radiate a glow over years. * The Rescue Marriage: the healing that follows early emotional trauma becomes the central theme. * The Companionate Marriage: commitment to careers seeks a balance with commitment to relationship and children. * The Traditional Marriage: the woman takes charge of home and family while the man is the primary wage earner. Hundreds of books have been written about marriages that don't work. But what about the ones that do? Now Judith S. Wallerstein, bestselling author and leading relationships expert, reveals the natural stages of marriage and the nine tasks you must undertake to make a good marriage. As she introduces us to a number of ordinary yet fascinating couples, the intimate interiors of their lives, and the countless pressures they face in an age of divorce, you'll see how happy, lasting marriages are challenged and rebuilt every day-and how, whatever your marriage type, you and your partner can share a joyful, exhilarating, and fulfilling lifetime together.

Fifty interviews with couples in good marriages show "how and why love lasts." The authors describe four types of marriages and list developmental tasks a couple must achieve to find happiness. Mattingly controls the drama with great skill and adds much to the comprehension and enjoyment of the program. Because the authors allow the interviews themselves to predominate over advice and abstractions, the program flows. This combination of content and performance will be a marvelous addition for anyone interested in good marriages. T.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.