Best 20 Relationship Books To Help You Save Your Marriage
1- The 5 Love Languages
by Gary Chapman, 1992
Falling in love is easy.
Staying in love—that’s the challenge. How can you keep your relationship fresh
and growing amid the demands, conflicts, and just plain boredom of everyday
life?
In the #1 New York Times
bestseller The 5 Love Languages, you’ll discover the secret that has
transformed millions of relationships worldwide. Whether your relationship is
flourishing or failing, Dr. Gary Chapman’s proven approach to showing and
receiving love will help you experience deeper and richer levels of intimacy with
your partner—starting today.
The 5 Love Languages is as
practical as it is insightful. Updated to reflect the complexities of
relationships today, this new edition reveals intrinsic truths and applies
relevant, actionable wisdom in ways that work.
2- Getting the Love You Want : A Guide for Couples
by Harville Hendrix Ph.D, 1988
Originally published in 1988,
Getting the Love You Want has helped millions of couples attain more loving,
supportive, and deeply satisfying relationships. The 20th anniversary edition
contains extensive revisions to this groundbreaking book, with a new chapter,
new exercises, and a foreword detailing Dr. Hendrix’s updated philosophy for
eliminating all negativity from couples’ daily interactions, allowing readers
of the 2008 edition to benefit from his ongoing discoveries during his last two
decades of work.
Harville Hendrix, Ph.D., in
partnership with his wife, Helen LaKelly Hunt, PhD., originated Imago
Relationship Therapy, a unique healing process for couples, prospective
couples, and parents. Together they have more than thirty years’ experience as
educators and therapists and their work has been translated into more than 50
languages, with Imago practiced by two thousand therapists worldwide. Harville
and Helen have six children and live in New York and New Mexico.
Review:
“Hendrix provides much
insight into how spouses can mature through one another.” ―Booklist
“Harville Hendrix offers the
best program I've seen for using the love/hate energy in marriage to help a
couple heal one another and to become whole together.” ―T. George Harris,
Editor-in-Chief, American Health
“I know of no better guide for
couples who genuinely desire a maturing relationship.” ―M. Scott Peck, author
of The Road Less Traveled
3- Couple Skills: Making Your Relationship Work
By Matthew McKay PhD and Patrick Fanning, 1994
Love takes work, but, when it comes to
relationships, it pays to work smarter. Couple Skills, Second Edition, revised
and updated from the therapist-recommended classic, will show you how to work
smarter in your relationship. You'll learn to improve communication, cope
better with problems, and resolve conflicts with the one you love in healthy
and creative ways. Each chapter teaches you an essential skill that supports
greater relationship satisfaction and deeper intimacy.
4- Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus
by John Gray, 1992
Based on years of successful
counseling of couples and individuals, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus
has helped millions of couples transform their relationships. Now viewed as a
modern classic, this phenomenal book has helped men and women realize how
different they can be in their communication styles, their emotional needs, and
their modes of behavior ; and offers the secrets of communicating without
conflicts, allowing couples to give intimacy every chance to grow.
Review:
“Gray offers a Berlitz
of the heart, a translation of that foreign language your spouse is speaking.
And hearing.” (USA Today)
5- The 100 Simple Secrets of Great Relationships
by David Niven, Ph.D., 2000
What are the essential
qualities of a great relationship? What do people in healthy and happy
relationships do differently? Scientists and academics have spent entire
careers investigating the nature of relationships, dating, and marriage, yet
their findings are inaccessible to ordinary people, hidden in obscure journals
read only by other academics. Now the bestselling author of the 100 Simple
Secrets series has collected the most current and significant data from more
than a thousand studies on relationships and spells out the key findings in
plain English. The advice is not based on one person's unique experiences or
opinions, but offers for the first time the research of noted scientists
studying the lives and loves of average Americans. Each of the findings is
accompanied by a true story that shows the results in action.
6- Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man
by Steve Harvey, 2009
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a
Man is an invaluable self-help book that can empower women everywhere to take
control of their relationships. The host of a top-rated radio show listened to
by millions daily—and of cable TV’s The Steve Harvey Project—Harvey knows what
men really think about love, intimacy, and commitment. In Act Like a Lady,
Think Like a Man, the author, media personality, and stand-up comedian gets
serious, sharing his wealth of knowledge, insight, and no-nonsense advice for
every good woman who wants to find a good man or make her current love last.
Review:
“Harvey’s must-have
guide to unlocking the male mind, understanding his game, anticipating his
moves and countering with unstoppable offense and defense.” (Los Angeles
Sentinel)
“Women should listen to Steve
Harvey when it comes to what a good man is about. Steve Harvey dispenses a lot
of fabulous information about men. It’s more than the average man will usually
tell you. Steve Harvey will give it up.” (Aretha Franklin)
“A thorough, witty guide to
the modern man....those in need of tough (but ticklish) love advice should
check it out (especially the hysterical last-chapter Q&A).” (Publishers
Weekly)
7- Love Is Never Enough: How Couples Can Overcome Misunderstanding
by Aaron T. Beck M.D., 2010
With eloquence and
accessibility, Dr. Aaron T. Beck analyzes the actual dialogue of troubled
couples to illuminate the most common problems in marriage--the power of
negative thinking, disillusionment, rigid rules and expectations, and
miscommunication.
Review:
“Beck is the anointed
father of cognitive therapy . . . In Love Is Never Enough, [he] goes back to
the well of distorted thoughts and says they’re also the source of most
relationship problems.” (Philadelphia Magazine)
“It’s practical. It’s wise.
It’s down to earth. It should help many marriages.” (Dr. Helen Singer Kaplan)
“Overflowing with insights,
advice and exercises which add up to the solutions that may save a failing
marriage or make a good relationship better.” (Dennis Wholey, author of The
Courage to Change)
8- The Soulmate Experience: A Practical Guide to Creating Extraordinary Relationships
by Mali Apple and Joe Dunn, 2011
The Soulmate Experience has
helped thousands of people around the world create relationships that are
intimately connected on every level: emotional, physical, and spiritual. This
practical guide to love and intimacy is really two books in one:Part 1 gives
singles and couples tools and techniques for creating a truly extraordinary
relationship. Chapters like Loving Your Body, Reducing Your Baggage, and
Raising Your Soulmate Potential will help you identify and let go of anything
that might be keeping you from experiencing true and lasting love. Part 2
shares the secrets for continually creating an environment for your
relationship to thrive. Chapters like Turning Expectations into Invitations,
Transforming the Energy of Jealousy, and Exploring the Edges show you how to
approach anything as an opportunity for deeper connection. And Playing Leapfrog
explores how to lovingly inspire each other to reach your full potential in
every area of your lives. Whether you’re single and searching for your
soulmate, or want more excitement and connection in the relationship you
already have, these groundbreaking ideas--and the inspiring stories of real
people putting them into practice--will open you up to a whole new world of
possibilities. Because The Soulmate Experience is more than a book. It’s a
great way of living life.
Review:
"What a beautiful
book! Written without the trappings of spiritual or psychological jargon, The
Soulmate Experience is a user-friendly guide to a completely authentic way of
being. In a simple and personal way, Mali and Joe usher you into a new paradigm
of relating where the truth of unconditional love can actually be known and
lived." ~Tobin Giblin, author of The Art of Mindful Living
"No matter how many other relationship
books you've read, this is the book that gives you the tools to attract a
soulmate, and find solutions to the challenges of relationship that will allow
that soulmate experience to blossom." ~Joanne Sprott
"Reading this book is
like listening to your best friend who knows you better than anyone else and
loves you unconditionally." ~Laura Alavosus
"I just need to keep
reading this book over and over again. It's made a huge difference in meeting
new people." ~Deborah Newton
9- Love, Sex and Staying Warm: Creating a Vital Relationship
By Neil Rosenthal, 2014
Love, Sex and Staying Warm:
Creating A Vital Relationship, is an instruction manual on how to keep your
relationship close, connected and intimate. Cracks and crevices can start to
appear in even very close relationships.
And if you’re unable to spot
them, a relationship that was once rock solid will slowly begin to grow less
connected and intimate. It’s knowing how to spot the cracks, or how to stop
them, that’s the secret behind maintaining a successful intimate relationship
over time.
10- The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
By John Gottman, 2001
Gottman provides the tools you
need to make your relationships thrive. In The Relationship Cure, Dr. Gottman:
- Reveals the key elements of
healthy relationships, emphasizing the importance of what he calls “emotional
connection”
- Introduces the powerful new
concept of the emotional “bid,” the fundamental unit of emotional connection
- Provides remarkably
empowering tools for improving the way you bid for emotional connection and how
you respond to others’ bids
- And more!
Packed with fascinating questionnaires
and exercises developed in his therapy, The Relationship Cure offers a simple
but profound program that will fundamentally transform the quality of all of
the relationships in your life.
Review:
"John Gottman is
our leading explorer of the inner world of relationships. In The Relationship
Cure, he has found gold once again. This book shows how the simplest, nearly
invisible gestures of care and attention hold the key to successful
relationships with those we love and work with."-- William J. Doherty,
Ph.D., author of Take Back Your Marriage: Sticking Together in a World That
Pulls Us Apart
"This is the best book on
relationships I have ever read -- a truly impressive tour-de-force. John
Gottman has discovered the Rosetta Stone of relationships. He has decoded the
subtle secrets contained in our moment-to-moment communications. By introducing
the simple yet amazingly powerful concept of the "bid," he provides a
remarkable set of tools for relationship repair. By the middle of the second
chapter, you're likely to say to yourself, "Oh, so that's what's happening
in my relationship with my partner (or colleague, boss, or sister), and now I
know what to do about it."-- Daniel B. Wile, Ph.D., author of After the
Fight: Using Your Disagreements to Build a Stronger Relationship
11- 75 Habits for a Happy Marriage: Marriage Advice to Recharge and Reconnect Every Day
by Ashley Davis Bush, 2013
The stresses and strains of
life can unravel the tight bond you once had with your spouse, leaving you
feeling lonely, frustrated, and unfulfilled. 75 Habits for a Happy Marriage
shows you how to restore that intimate and joyful union with simple, positive
actions that bring you closer together throughout the day.
Designed by authors Ashley and
Daniel Bush, each activity takes only a matter of minutes and gives you a
moment to set aside the demands of your career, finances, and chores in order
to focus on what matters most--your love. When practiced consistently, these
powerful behaviors will become lifelong customs and an important part of your
daily routine, ensuring that your relationship continues to grow in the right
direction in the years to come. From embracing each other for at least twenty
seconds after work to touching your partner during dinner, these valuable
habits will instantly boost warm, passionate feelings and help you maintain
that loving connection even when managing a crowded schedule.
12- Radical Marriage: Your Relationship as Your Greatest Adventure
by David Steele, 2014
What kind of marriage do you
want?
Most couples don’t want an
ordinary, boring, routine relationship. They want excitement, fun, closeness,
love.
When we get married we make
vows to be together until death do us part, but 50% of marriages don’t or can’t
keep that commitment. We have a dream or vision of how we want our life
together to be. If we don’t believe our dream is possible we feel hopeless,
stuck, and eventually leave the marriage mentally, emotionally, and often
physically.
Radical Marriage is for
couples who believe that they are together for a reason, which is to experience
life to the fullest through their relationship.
Review:
"Radical Marriage
providesclear ideas, easy strategies to follow, and a 'radical' newparadigm for
creating the relationship of your dreams." - Harville Hendrix, Ph.D. and
HelenLaKelly Hunt, Ph.D., Co-authors of Making Marriage Simple
"Radical Marriage is
anaccessible and clear description of the steps for relationship success
withmany easy-to-follow strategies for making life and love better."- Don
Ferguson, Ph.D. authorof Reptiles in Love and The Couples' Manual
By Mia Conrad, 2014
![Relationships: The Ultimate Guide To Better Relationships! - Communication In Relationships To Handle Dysfunctional Relationships And Create Lasting Relationships ... Sociology, Small Talk, Talk To Anyone) by [Conrad, Mia]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51BJjw6SDBL.jpg)
Eliminate toxic relationships
in your life and create amazing new ones!
There’s much room in your life
for brand new bonds and lifelong relationships. Through this book, you’ll be
able to learn the essentials of having lasting relationships and to create
harmony in your life like never before!
14- To Date a Man, You Must Understand a Man
by Gregg Michaelson, 2014
Doesn't it drive you nuts how
a man will show his soft underbelly to his male friends but not you? He won't
show you crap when it comes to his emotions but he spills his guts to his buds.
It's like there is some secret society that only men know. I will teach you
"MAN MODE" to crack this secret just like his friends can. Man mode
is how you communicate to a man just like his male friends do. It's simple,
MAGICAL, and he won't even know you are doing it!
Review:
"The author of this
book has unveiled the mind of a man. Ladies, get your copy. It contains all you
need to know about spicing up your relationship and the GPS to the right man.
Get your copy, read, follow instructions and live happy. . . .Simple" - By moods
"I like to thank Mr. Gregg
Michaelsen for such awesome book, I really enjoy reading it. Not only it is
very entertaining and easy to read but it is so enlightening. Oh gosh... while
reading it I could stop thinking "that is so true".. ... I felt very
grateful to have Mr. Michaelsen email me. Thank you keep up your wonderful work" - By Allie M
"This book is so spot on. I am
empowered after reading it. I liked Michaelsen so well I purchased a couple
more of his books without even reviewing. I know they will be good reads. What
I really appreciate about him is he cares about people...it shows through his
writing" - By Dea Dietrick
By David Richo, 2008
In this book, psychotherapist
David Richo explores how we replay the past in our present-day
relationships—and how we can free ourselves from this destructive pattern. We
all have a tendency to transfer potent feelings, needs, expectations, and
beliefs from childhood or from former relationships onto the people in our
daily lives, whether they are our intimate partners, friends, or acquaintances.
When the Past Is Present helps us to become more aware of the ways we slip into
the past so that we can identify our emotional baggage and take steps to unpack
it and put it where it belongs.
By Mira Kirshenbaum, 2012
Whether broken trust is due to
daily dishonesties, a monumental betrayal, or even a history of hurts from the
past, it can put a relationship at risk. This is the first book to show you
exactly what to do to restore trust in your relationship, regardless of how it
was damaged.
In this complete guide,
couples therapist Mira Kirshenbaum will also help you understand the stages by
which trust strengthens when the rebuilding process is allowed to take place.
And you will learn how the two of you can avoid the mistakes that prevent
healing and discover how to feel secure with each other again.
Review:
“This book, based on
so much experience and wisdom, will be tremendously useful for millions of
people in relationships where trust has been damaged. I found important
insights and suggestions everywhere.”—Pepper Schwartz, author of Love Between
Equals
“If you want to find your way
back to the people you love, this book is a must read. It offers a step-by-step
map for rebuilding trust and helping you find peace within.”—Michele
Wiener-Davis, author of Divorce Busting
“A path breaking book on
restoring trust in relationships. A wonderful read based on deeply felt
experiences.”—Janis Abrahms Spring, Ph.D., author of How Can I Forgive You?
By Krystal Kuehn, 2014
In Marriage Help: Restore Your
Marriage & Fall in Love Again you will discover how to build a strong and
successful marriage. Each chapter contains relationship building tools and
empowering ways to apply them. In this highly effective and engaging approach,
you will be encouraged to make positive differences in the way you relate to
one another. You will work through marriage problems and discover successful
solutions. With tools, applications, insights and inspiring reflections, you
will embark on a lifelong journey to better communication, unconditional love
and understanding, and genuine demonstrations of affection and heartfelt
gratitude.
This book can provide the
marriage help you need to overcome marriage problems and to bring true hope,
new life, and true love back into your marriage again!
18- Getting Over Getting Mad
By Judy Ford, 2001
With society increasingly held
hostage to stress, conflict, and violence, the issue of anger is getting lots
of attention. Couples, families, schools, and workplaces are all focusing
attention on anger and how to effectively deal with it.
In contrast to books that
analyze the causes of anger or discuss the issue on a societal level, Getting
Over Getting Mad provides us with inspiration and suggestions for making
positive changes in ourselves and our relationships. The book's primary
emphasis is on prevention, encouraging us to deal with stress, frustration,
tantrums, and annoyances quickly, before these disturbances sour feelings and
burn bridges. The book also gives concrete suggestions for handling anger in
ongoing difficult situations, and chronicles the author's own experiences as a
therapist and workshop leader.
By Dr. Bethany Marshall, 2007
Relationships are hard work,
but how hard should they be? When do you know you are struggling too hard to
make a relationship succeed?
Deal Breakers is about getting
out of this “relationship purgatory”—where the present is unfulfilling and the
future is the only thing you can hope for. But there is no magic future. If he
won’t work on problems today, it’s unlikely they’ll ever be resolved. And
passively hoping for change will only cost you years of depression or expensive
therapy.
Dr. Bethany Marshall is here
to remind women that relationships—like business relationships—are deals. In
the business world, a deal breaker is the one nonnegotiable term that, if not
agreed to, means the deal is off. But in the world of relationships,
identifying your deal breaker can be much more promising, as it holds out the
possibility of helping you to understand where the relationship has gone wrong,
what needs to be done in order to make it better, and when to walk away because
you’re doing more work than him to fix it.
A deal breaker is a boundary
that smart people set for themselves because they know that falling in love can
make them do stupid things. Through case studies, deal breaker scenarios, and
suggested courses of action, Deal Breakers expertly guides frustrated women. By
defining your deal breaker, you hold all the power to create the happiness you
deserve.
By Mira Kirshenbaum, 1996
Mira Kirshenbaum provides
expert guidelines that are the key to making all your choices, concrete steps
that you can implement right now, and the ultimate way to determine your
personal bottom line—what you need to be happy. This remarkably insightful and
probing guide offers advice that lets you see the truth about your
relationship—and with wisdom and compassion, it helps you act with the
confidence of knowing that whether you decide to go or stay, you are doing the
very best thing.
Review:
“Brilliant.”—Shere
Hite, author of The Hite Report
“A powerful self-help resource
for anyone caught in a web of relationship distress… Excellent.”—Christopher L.
Hayes, author of Our Turn: Women Who Triumph in the Face of Divorce
“Few have written with such
common sense and clarity about how to come out of the trap of ambivalence in
marriage. I’ve recommended the book to colleagues and clients.”—CloĆ© Madanes,
co-founder, The Family Therapy Institute
“A wise, compassionate, and
very readable book. It will bless many lives.”—Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of
When Bad Things Happen to Good People
Our Take
Keep in mind that simply
reading one of these books (or even all of them) won’t change your relationship
all by itself. Books are meant to give you the tools and information that you
must apply to see change. Mere information is powerless without application. So
while reading any book, think of ways you can apply what you’re reading to your
life, write them down and try to apply one thing at a time.
What are your favorite relationship books?
If you have other books you’d like to recommend, let me know in the comments! I’m always looking for more great books to read.
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1 commentaires
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