Long-Term and Happy Marriage

This book is for adults of all ages who want to get married the first time or be married again. This includes single adults, couples living together, divorced individuals seeking marriage again, and adults who lost their mates through death. It’s also for married couples who want to strengthen their relationship.
There are a lot of ideas and recommendations. These come from over 40 years of happy married life by the author and his wife, and many couples like them. He has studied marriage and taught classes on it. There are questions throughout the book for you to answer. These will help you to compare the material to your life. Anyone interested in marriage will find this book a valuable resource.
The table of contents below shows all the useful material found in the chapters and sections of the book.
1 - Author’s Marital Experiences
2 - Falling In Love
3 - Men and Women Need One Another - Similarities and Differences, Roles, Equality, Social Trends
4 - Yourself before Marriage - Role Modeling of Marriage, Desire, Preparation, Have an Open Mind, Positive Attitude, Judge Yourself Accurately and Fairly, Meeting Potential Mates, Qualifications for Dating
5 - Exclusive Dating before Marriage - Long-Range Perspective, Partner Preparation, Familiarity with New Mate, Health Status, Baggage, Prenuptial Agreements, Hold Off On Some Things, Beware of Certain Things, A Good Fit, Decision Time, Commitment
6 - Being a Good Couple after Marriage - Attitude and Perspective, Marriage Variations, Self, Compatibility, Adjustments in Marriage, Daily Things, Tolerance, Romance, Favors
7 - Communication - Open Communication, Voice Tone, Body Language and Gestures, Emotions and Feelings, Failing to Discuss Some Things, Keep Some Information within the Marriage, Avoid Gossip, Honesty, Criticism, Disagreements, Arguments, Conflicts
8 - Relationship - Interaction, Love, Strengthen One Another, Forgiveness, Harmony, Spirituality, Marital Maintenance
9 - Intimacy - Privacy and Intimacy, Sex in Marriage, Sexual Things to Avoid, Casual Sex and Living Together
10 - Unity - Building and Maintaining Unity, Trust and Loyalty, Cooperation and Teamwork, Flexibility, Resiliency, Joint Decisions, Compromise, Problem Solving,
11 - Things in Common - Goals, Principles and Preferences, Ethics and Morality, Virtues, Strengths and Weaknesses, Values, Interests, Religion, Politics
12 - Dealing with Practical Matters - Sharing in General, Needs and Wants, Negative Materialism, Health Problems, Responsibilities and Duties, Work
13 - Education and Career - Education and Job Training, Employment and Career, Your Own Business, Achieving Your Desires
14 - Money - Family Income, Financial Obligations, Housing, Insurance, Savings and Investments, Budgeting, Financial Records, Money versus Marriage
15 - Activities - Variety, Joint and Separate Activities, Music and Entertainment, Television and Movies, Reading, Sports and Physical Activities, Social Life
16 - Things to Do - Seek Advice, Make Good Choices, Focus Efforts, Achieve Success
17 - Things to Avoid - Control Issues, Dependency, Disappointment, Doing Things Your Mate Doesn’t Like, Irritations, Fights, Frustration, Impatience, Lack of Trust, Loneliness, Pessimism, Pride, Selfishness, Time Apart, Unfairness
18 - Safeguard Your Marriage - The Value of Your Marriage, Monitor Thoughts and Feelings, Windows and Doors Not Walls, Acceptable Progress, Be On Guard, Solve Marital Problems, Marriage Retreats and Counseling, Avoiding Divorce
19 - Marriage and Parenting - Balance Marriage and Parenting, Family Considerations, Active Parenting, Weak Marriage and Parenting
20 - Midlife and Changes - Midlife Crises, Midlife and Active Parenting, Grandparent, Midlife and Marital Activities, Retirement Preparation
21 - When a Marriage Ends - Stop Living Together, Temporary Separation, Divorce, Death
22 - Marriage Begins Again - Remarry Same Person, Marriage after Divorce, Marriage after a Death

In summary this book will help you to get married and stay happily married. Read thoughtfully and utilize its ideas along with your own. Some chapters may be more relevant for your situation today. If you use the book properly, you’ll benefit from it. Remember, just because you know something in the book doesn’t mean you’re fully using it. My wife and I are still working on things in this book.