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Title: The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands
Author: Laura Schlessinger
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 4/10
# pages: 180
Date read: November, 2006
Summary: In her newest book, Schlessinger relies upon her experience in private practice, radio and letters she received from men and women in tackling the issue of women who mistreat their men and suffer the consequences of unhappiness. The women who criticize their husbands in the stories that Schlessinger relates are depressed in their marriages and feel little love from their husbands. Unabashedly asserting that man is a "very simple creature," who needs only "direct communication, respect, appreciation, food, and good loving'" to respond with devotion, compassion and love, this controversial marriage and family therapist claims that every woman can achieve a deeply satisfying marriage if she adheres to certain fundamentals men require. Preparing dinner, caring for the children without complaint, greeting her husband with a kiss and engaging in sexual intimacy instead of "tearing down a husband's necessary sense of strength and importance" can result in the harmonious marriage women crave. While many of her listeners and readers claim her unequivocal advice has salvaged teetering marriages and improved marital harmony, others perceive Schlessinger as a throwback to what many see as years of female oppression in the home. (From Amazon.com)
Review: I'd been wanting to read this one for quite awhile, as I'd heard a lot of good things about it. Unfortunately I was very disappointed by it. While Laura did have a lot of good points, she also did sound quite a bit like it was all up to the wife to work on the marriage while the husband could just sit back and relax.
Especially the chapter about cheating annoyed me, because even though Laura made sure to say that she was talking generally, and that she knew not all relationships were like this, she wrote that usually the wife could have done something different to avoid her husband cheating on her. Excuse me? Now, I know that SOMETIMES this may be the case, but it is still an explanation and not an excuse, and in most cases there was absolutely nothing the wife did or didn't do that would have made any difference. What a way to put blame where it definitely doesn't belong.
Of course, the book wasn't all bad. A lot of what she wrote was sound advice and spot on. I just disagreed with her on too many issues to really enjoy the book. I definitely wouldn't recommend it to anybody as a book on good maritual advice. They'd be much better off reading "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman or "The Marriage Book" by Nicky and Sila Lee.
Book List
Author: Laura Schlessinger
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 4/10
# pages: 180
Date read: November, 2006
Summary: In her newest book, Schlessinger relies upon her experience in private practice, radio and letters she received from men and women in tackling the issue of women who mistreat their men and suffer the consequences of unhappiness. The women who criticize their husbands in the stories that Schlessinger relates are depressed in their marriages and feel little love from their husbands. Unabashedly asserting that man is a "very simple creature," who needs only "direct communication, respect, appreciation, food, and good loving'" to respond with devotion, compassion and love, this controversial marriage and family therapist claims that every woman can achieve a deeply satisfying marriage if she adheres to certain fundamentals men require. Preparing dinner, caring for the children without complaint, greeting her husband with a kiss and engaging in sexual intimacy instead of "tearing down a husband's necessary sense of strength and importance" can result in the harmonious marriage women crave. While many of her listeners and readers claim her unequivocal advice has salvaged teetering marriages and improved marital harmony, others perceive Schlessinger as a throwback to what many see as years of female oppression in the home. (From Amazon.com)
Review: I'd been wanting to read this one for quite awhile, as I'd heard a lot of good things about it. Unfortunately I was very disappointed by it. While Laura did have a lot of good points, she also did sound quite a bit like it was all up to the wife to work on the marriage while the husband could just sit back and relax.
Especially the chapter about cheating annoyed me, because even though Laura made sure to say that she was talking generally, and that she knew not all relationships were like this, she wrote that usually the wife could have done something different to avoid her husband cheating on her. Excuse me? Now, I know that SOMETIMES this may be the case, but it is still an explanation and not an excuse, and in most cases there was absolutely nothing the wife did or didn't do that would have made any difference. What a way to put blame where it definitely doesn't belong.
Of course, the book wasn't all bad. A lot of what she wrote was sound advice and spot on. I just disagreed with her on too many issues to really enjoy the book. I definitely wouldn't recommend it to anybody as a book on good maritual advice. They'd be much better off reading "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman or "The Marriage Book" by Nicky and Sila Lee.
Book List
