Building a Love that Lasts: The Seven Surprising Secrets of Successful Marriage [Paperback]

Charles D. Schmitz (Author), Elizabeth A. Schmitz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 7, 2010

The "Best Relationship Book of 2008" is now in paperback

Drs. Charles and Elizabeth Schmitz's award-winning book reveals how to sustain a long-term loving marriage. In addition to exploring the seven key ingredients that define a successful marriage—togetherness, truthfulness, respect and kindness, staying fit, joint finances, tactile communication, and surprise and unpredictability—the authors have included hundreds of insightful and practical interviews with happy couples.

• Focuses on what's right about a successful relationship, rather than what's wrong
• Written by a popular and very active couple known as "the marriage doctors," who lead lectures, training, workshops, and other events every week all over the country
• Contains candid interviews with a diverse collection of happily married couples from around the world

This book offers a positive, upbeat approach to living happily ever after.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

In this best-selling book, America's #1 love and marriage experts Drs. Charles D. and Elizabeth A. Schmitz show what it takes to create and sustain a long-term loving marriage. Step-by-step they reveal their "Seven Surprising Secrets of Successful Marriage" that define a happy relationship—togetherness, truthfulness, respect and kindness, staying fit, joint finances, tactile communication, and surprise and unpredictability. Taking an upbeat, positive approach to living happily ever after, Building a Love That Lasts helps couples focus on what's right in their partnership rather than on what's wrong. The book includes many inspiring and beautiful stories of couples who've been together for at least 30 years.

Praise for Building a Love That Lasts

"This book will make a positive difference in your life." —Dr.Cheryl Beamer, vice president, The Gallup Organization

"The resonating theme of this wonderful book is that love is simple to understand and to make work." —Dr. Mark Pope, past president, American Counseling Association

"[This book] gives tips and anecdotes about how to help build loving and lasting marital relationships." —Sandy and Pris McDonnell, benefactors for Character Education; Sandy McDonnell, former CEO, McDonnell Douglas Corporation

"Provides a refreshing and uplifting perspective into one of society's most valuable institutions." —Dr. Robert Frank, Ph.D., president, Illuminor LLC, Dallas, Texas

"I know for a fact that the Schmitzes have captured what it takes to make marriage work. I love their book!" —Dr. Blanche M. Touhill, former chancellor, University of Missouri-St. Louis

About the Author

Dr. Charles D. Schmitz is dean and professor of counseling and family therapy, University of Missouri-St. Louis, and his wife, Dr. Elizabeth A. Schmitz, is president of their joint enterprise, Successful Marriage Reflections, LLC. Married for 43-plus years, they live in St. Louis, Missouri.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (January 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470571543
• ISBN-13: 978-0470571545
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.9 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #228,879 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple, powerful, a must read! June 1, 2012

By Christian counselor

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

With all the books available on marriage, this book is truly a breath of fresh air. The power of this book is in it's absolute simplicity - no deep psychological reasoning or profound theological explanations of how to achieve a sound and happy marriage. In fact the sheer power of the simple truths can easily be missed by the reader if one reads without paying too much attention. The art of enjoying the simple things in marriage like laughter, sharing in fun together, touching, and lots of communication are well discussed. As a marriage counselor, I highly recommend this book for the both the young and not so young.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book September 11, 2011

By B. Allyn

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a great book for anybody looking to improve their marriage and make it survive. The book gives you information on each topic then gives you examples from couples they have interviewed over the years.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Great Practical Advice April 9, 2010

By John Digger

Format:Paperback

Having a successful marriage requires the doing of simple things, just like the authors say. My wife and I are amazed that there are people out there that don't understand this notion. This is a great book and we would highly recommend it to everyone contemplating marriage and all those who are already married and in love. It has lots of great practical advice for how to make a marriage work.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This should be "The Handbook" for marriage and relationships! February 21, 2013

By Traveling Gal

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you want "The Handbook" for marriage and relationships, this is the book! It is full of simple things you can do to make your marriage great. No wonder their books have won so many prestigious awards. My husband and I will read this book again and again. We want to be one of the couples the Doctors interview because our marriage is so terrific. Can't wait for their next book. We heard it is coming out in 2013. Sure hope so.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book is the Perfect Gift April 9, 2010

By Venice

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

My husband and I have read this book twice! We love it. Joe and I have been married for 12 years and do believe that we are well on our way to Building a Love that Lasts. The Schmitz's book has described exactly how to make a relationship really work and we are doing it! Now we are buying this book for all our friends who are married or who are thinking of getting married. Wow, what a wonderful book! Joe and I understand why this book has won so many awards.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this multiple award winning book! April 7, 2010

By Salty Dog

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

My wife and I just finished reading Building a Love that Lasts. It was fabulous! No wonder this book won so many awards including the Mom's Choice Award Gold Medal for Best Relationship and Marriage Book. We saw them on ABC 7 News and WGN in Chicago and they are really cool. We have been married for 32 years and this book describes our love affair to a tea. We absolutely love their book!

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly remarkable book December 31, 2009

By R. Frank

Format:Paperback

How often is it that you read a book that is so enjoyable, so informative, so thought provoking and so valuable that over the course of the next two years you purchase and give away nearly 20 hardback copies of that book? That is what I have done with Charles and Liz Schmitz's book, Building A Love That Lasts. I am 58 years old and have been divorced for over 15 years after nearly 20 years of marriage. I not only have learned more about relationships through their book than through any other means. I have found the book to be so compelling and insightful that I have given copies to many single men and women that I socialize with as well as newlyweds and those who have been married for decades. Their books and research are not only applicable to "loving" relationships, but they detail the principles and behaviors that are necessary for ALL relationships such as compassion, commitment, concern, attentiveness and respect. They show us, through their decades of research on "successful relationships" that it is often the little and simple things that matter and that hearing "I love you" at the end of a phone call often means more than a diamond necklace. We can all learn from the research and stories Charles and Liz provide. I can't wait to get my hands on their next book!

5 of 12 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars useless April 2, 2010

By Soccer Mom

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is written as a compilation for cheesy beauty magazine articles. I've been married for over 15 years and would describe my marriage as highly successful although a little stagnant at this point. Friends trust and respect me and frequently ask me for relationship advice. I bought this book to help me with my own marriage and to possibly give me further insight when counseling friends. It did neither. I would not recommend it, and must describe it as "useless".