Empty Nesting: Reinventing Your Marriage When the Kids Leave Home [Paperback]

David H. Arp (Author), Claudia S. Arp (Author), Scott M. Stanley (Author), Howard J. Markman (Author), Susan L. Blumberg (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0787960411 | ISBN-13: 978-0787960414 | Publication Date: November 26, 2001 | Edition: 1

Fighting forYour Empty Nest-Marriage offers clear-cut instructions for dealing with one of the most difficult periods in any marriage. . .the transition period when the children leave home. Based on the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) and the results of a national survey of long-term married couples, this warm and helpful guide is brimming with practical suggestions and wisdom for learning to let-go of the kids and preserving the sense of commitment, love, partnership, sensuality and fun within a marriage.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Bravo! This book is brimming with practical suggestions and good advice for couples who want to make the second half of their marriage the best half." (David Blankenhorn, president, Institute for American Values, and author, Fatherless America)

"There is no better team of authors for a book on empty-nest marriage-and no better book. Give it to someone whose marriage you care about-including yourself." (Bill Doherty, professor, family social science, University of Minnesota)

"This book is the step-by-step, can't miss, user-friendly guide to having it all-to sharing the happiest time of any marriage with the love of your life. It should be required reading for all those about to embark on the empty-nest journey." (Diane Sollee, founder and director, Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education)

"A team of top-notch marriage savers offers first aid for marriages facing one of life's most disorienting transitions. Their advice is practical and up-beat. It is refreshing to read a book about marriage written by people who don't just believe in marriage but actually understand how it works." (Frank Pittman, M.D., author of Private Lies and Grow Up)

"Married people are healthier, happier, and better off financially than the single. This important book tell you how to keep your marriage itself healthier and happier after kids are gown, with exercises, checklists, and tips for managing conflict. A great `off to college' present for parents." (Linda Waite, professor of sociology, University of Chicago; coauthor of The Case for Marriage) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Bravo! This book is brimming with practical suggestions and good advice for couples who want to make the second half of their marriage the best half."
— David Blankenhorn, president, Institute for American Values, and author, Fatherless America

"This book is the step-by-step, can't miss, user-friendly guide to having it all-to sharing the happiest time of any marriage with the love of your life. It should be required reading for all those about to embark on the empty-nest journey."
— Diane Sollee, founder and director, Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education

"A team of top-notch marriage savers offers first aid for marriages facing one of life's most disorienting transitions. Their advice is practical and up-beat. It is refreshing to read a book about marriage written by people who don't just believe in marriage but actually understand how it works."
— Frank Pittman, M.D., author of Private Lies and Grow Up

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (November 26, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787960411
• ISBN-13: 978-0787960414
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #411,928 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Make the rest the best!, October 24, 2000

By 

Natelle Brown (Morrison, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fighting for Your Empty Nest Marriage (Hardcover)

One word describes this book: OUTSTANDING! Given these two statistics: (1) Every seven seconds, a baby boomer turns age 50, and (2) the divorce rate is up 16 percent for marriages of 30-plus years, this book is a MUST READ for all couples who fall into the empty nest/second half marriage category. Don't let the word "fighting" in the title make you think for a minute that this book is only for couples whose marriages are on shaky ground. It is for ALL couples wanting to build, keep, or return to a great relationship.

This book is the best of the best. It is the best of the book The Second Half of Marriage by David and Claudia Arp in which they identify eight challenges every marriage in the second half faces. And, it is the best of the strategies and techniques of the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) developed by Stanley, Markman, and Blumberg. Not only do the authors suggest powerful, yet simple, ways couples can upgrade their communication and conflict resolution skills, they also stress the importance of building couple friendship, having fun, becoming empty nest lovers, and keeping the relationship strong.

Do you want the rest to be the best? READ this book!

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just the two of us again, September 22, 2000

By 

Sheri Lee Stritof (Ocean Park, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fighting for Your Empty Nest Marriage (Hardcover)

Although we are an empty nest couple, it doesn't seem that way with the pets we inherited from the kids when they moved out. We have 3 cats, 1 dog and an iguana to keep us busy now. I think the kids were easier to raise!

This great book isn't just for couples who have a truly empty nest. Many midlife couples today find that their nests get refilled with boomerang adult kids, aging parents, visits from kids and grandkids, or grandkids on a full time basis.

I liked the section on how to learn about the danger signs of behaviors that can lead couples who have been married for decades to the divorce court. There is also good information on the major issues that midlife couples need to deal with in order to have a strong marriage.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Make the rest the best!, October 24, 2000

By 

Natelle Brown (Morrison, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fighting for Your Empty Nest Marriage (Hardcover)

One word describes this book: OUTSTANDING! Given these two statistics: (1) Every seven seconds, a baby boomer turns age 50, and (2) the divorce rate is up 16 percent for marriages of 30-plus years, this book is a MUST READ for all couples who fall into the empty nest/second half marriage category. Don't let the word "fighting" in the title make you think for a minute that this book is only for couples whose marriages are on shaky ground. It is for ALL couples wanting to build, keep, or return to a great relationship.

This book is the best of the best. It is the best of the book The Second Half of Marriage by David and Claudia Arp in which they identify eight challenges every marriage in the second half faces. And, it is the best of the strategies and techniques of the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) developed by Stanley, Markman, and Blumberg. Not only do the authors suggest powerful, yet simple, ways couples can upgrade their communication and conflict resolution skills, they also stress the importance of building couple friendship, having fun, becoming empty nest lovers, and keeping the relationship strong.

Do you want the rest to be the best? READ this book!