Making a Success of Marriage: Planning for Happily Ever After - Tapa dura

In a crowded field of marriage self-helps, author and pastoral counselor, Yount crafts a fresh entry full of excellent insights, as well as above-average inspirational quotes from luminaries like John Donne and Tolstoy. Yount covers all the bases in one volume, from the decision to marry to the decision to divorce, but always emphasizing the importance of taking marriage vows seriously to keep a marriage strong, or at least sustained, through complicated situations such as troubled children or long-term illness. Though his approach doesn't present a new set of solutions, Yount's text is full of vivid examples that demonstrate his ideas working in real marriages. Sticking close to the topic of wedded bliss, Yount keeps his Christian perspective on marriage apparent but far from overwhelming; a useful 101-question "compatibility test" offers a serious inventory of issues that every couple should consider for their long-term health. * Publishers Weekly, Web Exclusive Review December 2009 * What impressed itself on me was the book's multidimensional presentation of married life. Without slighting a couple's personal relationship, Yount situates marriage within a larger context. * The Conference Of Catholic Bishops, February 2010 * Making a Success of Marriageis a much-needed guide for couples who truly want to make their relationships work. David Yount has an engaging and compelling formula for taking the guess-work out of marriage and helping couples to continually deepen the commitment and foundation that drew them together in the first place. Great for any couple, whether long-married or considering marriage for the first time. -- Rabbi Steven Carr Reuben Ph.D., author of There's an Easter Egg on Your Seder Plate Surviving Your Child's Interfaith Marriage

Experienced counselor and author David Yount offers road-tested, gimmick-free advice on topics ranging from finances and in-laws to intimacy and children to help couples build a marriage that lasts 'till death do us part.' Yount also includes chapters on divorce and marrying later in life, as well as a 100-question questionnaire designed to stimulate reflection and discussion on key issues. With over 50% of marriages today ending in divorce, this timely book offers helpful suggestions for couples, whether newly engaged or long-married, on reaching shared expectations and building a long-lasting and joyful marriage.