I was not as impressed with this one as I was the Five Love Languages. ( )

Great!

My wife and I recently led a marriage retreat and we used this book to help tell our own story. Chapman hits a home run with this book! ( )

A slightly different take on a book about marriage, this one looks analogies with the four seasons of the year. Every marriage, the author contents, goes through different seasons: the joy of springtime, at the start, and at other new phases; the contentment of summer; the concerns and changes of autumn, and the dryness and darkness of winter. The book looks at reasons why the more difficult times come, with strategies for moving out of winter to spring or summer, and - where possible - going back from Autumn to a happier season, avoiding the neglect that can lead to winter.

There are many anecdotes, with names changed, describing typical couples in each of the four 'seasons' of marriage, and then several strategies for moving into spring or summer. None of these strategies were new to me - focusing, as they did, on love languages, empathic listening, and more - but they were all useful reminders.

There's a strong Christian emphasis, which underlies the author's beliefs and reasons for his strategies, but the principles of helping marriages change for the better could apply to anyone. There's a brief questionnaire for couples to determine what 'season' they are currently in, and thought-provoking discussion questions at the back.

Definitely recommended. ( )

Although there is a fair amount of repetition, the basic suggestions or "strategies" for improving marriage are straightforward and based on the ideas of being responsible for our own issues and not trying to change our partner, but rather love them more effectively. I got some good ideas for improving my family relationships. ( )