Customer Reviews

A Handbook for Engaged Couples

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm not engaged, or even close to being engaged. Nonetheless, I found the Frylings' handbook refreshing and honest about communications and expectations among couples. I bought it on a whim, having heard that the Frylings do not sugarcoat reality in their presentation. My own relationship was floundering and I needed direction. I wish I had bought it several months earlier!

While written from a evangelical Christian perspective, it has that special universality of truth for every couple looking to understand and to communicate with their mate or future spouse.

I can see it being read alone for personal growth, with your fiance, or even the two of you with a counselor or older, wiser friend. Better yet, try going through this (be ready to be challenged!) with a married couple who seems to "have it together."

Catholics will love it as an addition to their time spent in pre-marital counseling. You're best to buy two copies, with each person reading a portion (set up in topical chapters with discussion questions).

Though I'm one who has never been married, I believe it would be great for a couple married several years as well, helping re-ground your marriage. Don't think of this as just a tool to get your spouse to open up, but as a mutual opportunity to renew the love which drew you to marriage in the first place.

This book is no panacea, but it can assist a new beginning, or a careful grounding for a future marriage.

For you single guys (and gals) get a copy of "A Handbook for Engaged Couples" and read it. It'll help you (and me) relate to anyone you might consider saying "I do" with on an altar someday.

(post-script: I have since been engaged, and can further attest to this book's usefulness, having been happily married now since 2004).

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

I was really excited to try this book with my fiance. I looked at so many books for engaged couples, but most were just that; books that you read. I really wanted a workbook that we did together that brought up topics we should discuss and showed us ways to work out problems that would arise in our relationship. The first few chapters were good, I was impressed by the first chapter on the roles of marriage and the chapter on problem solving, but the rest were so superficial. I already knew most of what my fiance was going to say. I know how we like to spend our free time, what his childhood was like and how many kids each of us wanted to have. All in all, I felt that it could have gone a lot deeper. If you don't know the answers to the questions, or haven't discussed these topics yet, you haven't known each other long enough to be getting married. A better time to do this study is when you first decided to take your relationship to a committed, serious level, not when you've already made the decision to dedicate the rest of your lives to each other. Nothing seems to replace time spent with a pastor or counselor.

I really liked this book. Our pastor got us to purchase it as a part of our premarital counseling. It has a short ammount of information that gets straight to the point in each chapter (2 or 3 pages), and then it has at least a page, if not two, of great discussion questions. The questions are deep and thought provoking. They challenge the couple to really deal with the issues at hand. The information is short, but impactful. The book also has a great, natural flow. I love it!

I have used this book for premarital counseling for several years. I can give one to each person and use it as a "get started" tool to help in counseling. It provides a very good scriptural groundwork for our sessions. It also covers some hard-to-counsel areas very well.

I have used this book in premarriage counseling for over 30 years. It is the best I have seen. It is also helpful to use after the wedding for fine tuning. If a couple is dilagent in filling out the questions & then discussing them together and/or with a trained counselor, they will be richly rewarded with a good marriage. This book should be used by all who are getting married with each person having their own copy.

This handbook is smaller than I imagined (stapled spine, very thin), but contains information and exercises that completely exceed my expectations! This concise book has excellent readings, as well as questions to lead discussions. It ties in Christianity and is truly a gift to any couple that is trying to build their relationship on Christ. I noticed a reviewing saying that this was better for new couples, but I honestly think It is most appropriate for a couple who is engaged/looking to become engaged. I strongly recommend this handbook for anyone who wants to become closer and build a solid foundation before making the commitment of a lifetime.

I couldn't finish this book - well extended pamphlet really. It's Christian overtones drown the message about building your relationship. The discussion on sexuality is laughable. Further this book is from 1996 and doesn't seem to translate well to today's couple.

Lots of little questionaires for you and your partner to walk through together. Helps you see that even if you agree on an item- you might agree for different reasons and that matters- but that means that you'll disagree for thos same reasons later on!
Really good conversation over dinner that doesn't involve work/school/tv/weather/ or the in-laws ! :)

This book was so helpful in guiding my fiance and I into some important discussions. While some topics didn't exactly apply, it made us talk about other topics that we may not have thought of on our own. The Biblical influence helped us know we were basing these discussions on the foundation of our faith. We highly recommend!

At first I was really disappointed about the size but since we have started it I have loved this book!
It covers a wide variety of topics and it asks thoughtful questions. There are good Christian principles behind this book but it does not make the all too common mistake of telling every couple to be the same way.
The book is not going to tell you how to be engaged or be married but it sets up things that you must discuss and that will be important to your marriage.
The authors are very insightful and give good Christian morality as well!