The 6 Husbands Every Wife Should Have: How Couples Who Change Together Stay Together

Marriage counselor Craig often finds himself telling his male clients, "It sounds like [your wife] wants a different husband," and while some may be quick to deem such a notion unjust, the ability to change is precisely what Craig considers necessary for a successful marriage. Sectioning a marital relationship into six stages, Craig explains that the husband of Stage 1%E2%80%94that fun and carefree fellow%E2%80%94is not the husband she needs in, for example, Stage 3 ("Then Comes Baby"). Craig offers solid how-to advice for both spouses, through inviting quizzes, popular myth busting, and the occasional, saccharine-sweet aphorism ("Marriage isn't a marathon; it's a decathlon."). However, it is clear that Craig feels genuine compassion for his clients, and he includes several of his own personal anecdotes. It all adds up to an interesting and useful book for married couples, those in the planning stages, and folks who might not fit into the "mainstream" model, like couples without children or those with aging parents. Replete with encouragement, realistic tasks, and measurement tools%E2%80%94all crafted around real-life examples to illustrate key points%E2%80%94this book is a worthwhile investment of time and money for anyone in the midst of, or looking to run, the race. (Feb.)