The 8 Essential Traits of Couples Who Thrive

I first read this book about 6 years ago, and it reinforced my desire to have a great marriage. I am serious about not settling for an almost good relationship and now my spouse thinks the same way. His first marriage ended after years of bitter conflict so he was not predisposed to thinking marriage was going to be great. We read this book together and talked about the ideas before we married. There are many concepts and ideas in this book, but one in particular is helpful for us: if one person isn't ready to discuss something we agree to a time and place later in the week when we will discuss the issue fully. This strategy allows both people to think about the issue and generally we actually end up agreeing by the "talk time."

I bought my first copy of this book 6 years ago, and have purchased dozens of replacement and gift copies since then. It's a wonderful reference for anyone in any situation... it's the one relationship book I've shared that men really appreciate.

This book has been wonderful for my fiance and me. It has inspired us to make our relationship what we always dreamed it could be but were told was impossible. This is a very affirming book for couples who would like to stay in love.