mike_danley's review against another edition
3.0
Was recommended this book by our therapist. Overall very good, insightful and certainly helpful. Where it fell flat for me however, was obviously just the constant barrage of religious musings. Now I know this is written by a Christian writer and it's obviously the angle he's coming from, so certainly not gonna hold that against him. But for a thoroughly lifelong ungodly heathen like myself, the Jesus stuff just really took me out of it at times and was quite a struggle to get through and take seriously. That being said, had this book not had all that in it and cut down to half its size, it would be just as useful and the general message would still ring true. If I'm being completely fair, even some of the religious metaphors sometimes hit right too, so I'm not gonna totally discard that stuff, even if I don't have faith. Would thoroughly recommend this to anyone though that wants the best from their relationships. I'm certain I'll be dipping into certain chapters again over time to keep the message fresh in my mind.
kristinasshelves's review against another edition
2.0
There are some great points made in this book, with practical advice about how to cherish one's spouse. We could all stand to cherish more, whether in our marriages or any other relationships in our lives. However, there was not enough content to warrant a whole book on the topic, which made it repetitive.
That being said, this book blatantly suffers from eisegesis. Aside from the seemingly endless personal stories, I was uncomfortable with the insistence that wives view their husbands as Adam, while husbands view their wives as Eve. I understand the intent is to focus on your spouse as the only man/woman in existence, but I want to see my husband for who is and who God created him to be and hope he sees me in the same way; not that we're stuck with one another as this analogy implies.
I also have a major issue with a book published as Christian non-fiction explaining the meaning of the gospel in the last chapter, especially after continuously referencing Scripture. Further, defining the gospel as it relates to us and our benefits is entirely missing the point that it is about Christ, not us. This flawed explanation is then followed by the line: "this will sound very religious to some of you". This is allegedly Christian non-fiction so isn't the point to be religious? The eisegesis only continues with the author attributing portions of the Bible to marriage, when he himself concedes they are not speaking about marriage.
All this to say that I did get some benefit from the book in terms of the importance of cherishing my husband and continually making efforts to do so- but this was not a book I'd recommend, even hesitating to call it a Christian book.
That being said, this book blatantly suffers from eisegesis. Aside from the seemingly endless personal stories, I was uncomfortable with the insistence that wives view their husbands as Adam, while husbands view their wives as Eve. I understand the intent is to focus on your spouse as the only man/woman in existence, but I want to see my husband for who is and who God created him to be and hope he sees me in the same way; not that we're stuck with one another as this analogy implies.
I also have a major issue with a book published as Christian non-fiction explaining the meaning of the gospel in the last chapter, especially after continuously referencing Scripture. Further, defining the gospel as it relates to us and our benefits is entirely missing the point that it is about Christ, not us. This flawed explanation is then followed by the line: "this will sound very religious to some of you". This is allegedly Christian non-fiction so isn't the point to be religious? The eisegesis only continues with the author attributing portions of the Bible to marriage, when he himself concedes they are not speaking about marriage.
All this to say that I did get some benefit from the book in terms of the importance of cherishing my husband and continually making efforts to do so- but this was not a book I'd recommend, even hesitating to call it a Christian book.
juniperblueak's review against another edition
5.0
I highly recommend this book. Some great inspiration and lots to mull over. I will definitely be listening to this again.
kreinard's review against another edition
5.0
Wow.
This book was beautiful and convicting and instructive and thought-provoking. It came at a time in my marriage when I needed to show I cherished my husband and shower him with grace more than any other time in our short 3 years of marriage. It opened my eyes to the things I wasn't doing to show him I cherished him and the things I was doing that did not align with this mission.
This book was a game changer for me and I am so excited for my husband to read it next and to recommend it to other married couples that I know. I got this one from the library, but I will definitely be purchasing it and highlighting and annotating to no end to soak up all the goodness in these pages. I'm also so excited to take a look at some of Gary Thomas's other works, as they are sure to be just as focused on the message of grace and how that plays out in our marriages, parenting and daily lives as this one was.
A must read.
This book was beautiful and convicting and instructive and thought-provoking. It came at a time in my marriage when I needed to show I cherished my husband and shower him with grace more than any other time in our short 3 years of marriage. It opened my eyes to the things I wasn't doing to show him I cherished him and the things I was doing that did not align with this mission.
This book was a game changer for me and I am so excited for my husband to read it next and to recommend it to other married couples that I know. I got this one from the library, but I will definitely be purchasing it and highlighting and annotating to no end to soak up all the goodness in these pages. I'm also so excited to take a look at some of Gary Thomas's other works, as they are sure to be just as focused on the message of grace and how that plays out in our marriages, parenting and daily lives as this one was.
A must read.
hargreaves15497's review
4.0
Another Great Read
Sometimes you need a reminder that there are two people involved in a marriage. This is that reminder that it's not all about me !
Sometimes you need a reminder that there are two people involved in a marriage. This is that reminder that it's not all about me !
loridori70's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
One of the best books on marriage I’ve ever read in my 30 years of being married
cmareads's review against another edition
5.0
Great
This book is wonderful for anyone looking to depend their marital relationship. It was practical, relatable, and convicting. I highly recommend this and anything by this author.
This book is wonderful for anyone looking to depend their marital relationship. It was practical, relatable, and convicting. I highly recommend this and anything by this author.