Chapman, author of the longstanding megaseller The Five Love Languages
, uses his years of marriage counseling and leading marriage seminars as the basis for his thesis that marriages repeatedly go through periods that can be characterized by the seasons of the year. He begins by describing winter, times when marriages are marked by "coldness, harshness, and bitterness." Spring is "where most marriages begin," while summer is filled with fun. He compares an autumn marriage to "the falling of the leaves." Chapman offers detailed explanations of the emotions, attitudes and actions of the marriage seasons as well as the pros and cons of each. The book's second section provides seven strategies to enhance or change the marriage seasons, from dealing with past failures and speaking your spouse's love language to "maximizing differences" and becoming a positive influence. Chapman also specifically addresses how to improve a marriage where a spouse has no desire to change. While it's valuable to have this information in one place, this book isn't different from what Chapman has written, said and taught many times before. Clear writing, tested strategies and good stories are here, but new revelations are not. (Sept.)
