EVERYONE should read this book!!

I'm a member of the Goodreads website, and when a "friend" updates what they've read and rated, it sends an email letting you know. So my friend Debbie had updated and I took a look at the books she read. There was one that caught my eye, and she gave it a high rating, so I thought I'd check it out from the library.

Holy cow, am I glad I did!! Folks, I introduce you to...

If you can't read what it says, it's "The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work" by John Gottman.

Now, just so you understand, I wasn't interested in this because I thought mine and Dave's marriage was in trouble. I'm just always interested in how to make things better. And with Dave's history in human development and stuff, this intrigued me.

As members of the Church, we're taught to seek out the best books. I've read books that were great, good, and downright horrible. I've noticed when authors have a gift for writing. I really believe that Heavenly Father gives people different gifts and talents for the greater good. I really believe that He wants us to enjoy life and so He blesses people with talents to entertain us. Sorry if that sounds weird. But what I mean is that there are fictional books out there that are great and uplifting or teach us lessons or bring us happiness, and I feel like those authors were blessed with the gift of writing. I don't think it's just happenstance that authors, entertainers, and musicians are so incredibly talented. They were blessed with those gifts by Heavenly Father, and then they were given agency to choose how they use those gifts. Some have chosen to use them for good, and some not.


So, back to the reason for my post. I love it when I'm reading a book and I FEEL that the author was inspired with the topic. I love feeling uplifted and knowing that what I'm reading would receive God's approval 100%. And that is what happened with this book. This book is for EVERYONE. It's for the couple who is happy with their marriage, the couple who is struggling, the couple who doesn't know that they're struggling, the couple that just wants a little revitalization. The principles taught in this book are applicable. He gives guidance and exercises that, though they are hard and take time, are WORTH IT.


People crowd their lives with so many unnecessaries. We waste a LOT of time. Some spend their time on worthwhile things, but not on the things that are of the MOST WORTH. Your marriage is of the most worth. If you take the time necessary to read this book and do the exercises, you will have made one of the most important investments of time in your life. I haven't even finished the book and I am already so much more aware of how I contribute to the happiness AND the unhappiness of our marriage, and I know how to make things better. I don't feel hopeless about the things I'm failing in because I'm given tools to fix them. This book can give a lot of hope to a couple who really might be on the road to divorce or who are experiencing severe problems and issues. It cleared up a lot of misconceptions about what a "successful" marriage is. A lot of times we (women in particular!) have this idea of what marriage (or even romance) should be. And when our relationships aren't that way, we think there's something wrong. This book helps you see what you are doing right and helps you feel better about the successes in your marriage. I just really love what I've been reading.


So, there's my plug. And if sometime in your life you receive this book as a gift from me, it's not because I think your marriage is failing :) I just think everyone should own a copy of this book!