Marriage, Just a Piece of Paper? [Hardcover]

Katherine Anderson (Author), Don S. Browning (Author), Brian Boyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2002 | Series: Religion, Marriage, and Family

"Almost everyone aspires to marriage something these books go to some lengths to explain, albeit in completely different ways. As the title suggests, I Like Being Married is an unabashed celebration of marriage; it's fluff but enjoyable fluff. Leach, executive director of Orbis Books, and Borchard, author of the children's book series "The Emerald Bible Collection," have collected bits and pieces quotes, stories, traditions, and even top-ten lists that show why people take pleasure in matrimony. The quotes and stories come from both celebrities (e.g., George Bush, Winston Churchill, Celine Dion, Natasha Richardson, C.S. Lewis, and Mel Gibson) and regular Joe and Jane Does. Charming and well edited, it contains just enough variety in length and subject to be interesting, yet it is also cohesive. Public libraries should purchase. The companion book to a PBS documentary that aired Feb. 14, Marriage Just a Piece of Paper? is far more serious in tone and scope. Although it is also a smartly chosen m lange of quotes from different people, it focuses on the societal changes that have led to increased divorce rates, cohabitation, and single motherhood despite the beneficial aspects of marriage. Sociologists, politicians, ministers, and the occasional person on the street are all given a chance to explain whether they think marriage especially as it relates to the raising of children is in decline and, if so, what might be done to stop that decline. Editors Anderson and Brian Boyer worked on the documentary as managing editor/producer and executive producer/ director, respectively, and Don Browning is a professor of ethics at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Given that the effects of divorce on children is a major topic (see, e.g., Judith Wallerstein and others' The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce and E. Mavis Hetherington and John Kelly's For Better or for Worse) and that many patrons probably watched the PBS special..." - Library Journal

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Almost everyone aspires to marriage something these books go to some lengths to explain, albeit in completely different ways. As the title suggests, I Like Being Married is an unabashed celebration of marriage; it's fluff but enjoyable fluff. Leach, executive director of Orbis Books, and Borchard, author of the children's book series "The Emerald Bible Collection," have collected bits and pieces quotes, stories, traditions, and even top-ten lists that show why people take pleasure in matrimony. The quotes and stories come from both celebrities (e.g., George Bush, Winston Churchill, Celine Dion, Natasha Richardson, C.S. Lewis, and Mel Gibson) and regular Joe and Jane Does. Charming and well edited, it contains just enough variety in length and subject to be interesting, yet it is also cohesive. Public libraries should purchase. The companion book to a PBS documentary that aired Feb. 14, Marriage Just a Piece of Paper? is far more serious in tone and scope. Although it is also a smartly chosen m lange of quotes from different people, it focuses on the societal changes that have led to increased divorce rates, cohabitation, and single motherhood despite the beneficial aspects of marriage. Sociologists, politicians, ministers, and the occasional person on the street are all given a chance to explain whether they think marriage especially as it relates to the raising of children is in decline and, if so, what might be done to stop that decline. Editors Anderson and Brian Boyer worked on the documentary as managing editor/producer and executive producer/ director, respectively, and Don Browning is a professor of ethics at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Given that the effects of divorce on children is a major topic (see, e.g., Judith Wallerstein and others' The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce and E. Mavis Hetherington and John Kelly's For Better or for Worse) and that many patrons probably watched the PBS special, this book should be on all public library shelves. One caveat, however: the lack of an index makes it less useful as a research tool. Pam Matthews, MLS, Shaker Heights, OH
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 410 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; 1st edition (February 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802839762
• ISBN-13: 978-0802839763
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,997,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging Accounts of the State of Marriage in America, August 15, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Marriage, Just a Piece of Paper? (Hardcover)

This engaging read is a collection of complete transcripts of experts and "real people" interviewed for the PBS national broadcast of the same name. The program was seen in most markets on Valentine's Day 2002. There is a "Marriage--Just a Piece of Paper?" video that readers may want to seek out. The video video, narrated by television journalist Cokie Roberts, contains an extra half-hour of footage and should be required viewing in every church group, marriage preparation course, and high-school or university course on marriage and relationships in this country. The experts include a range of professionals--from academics, to judges, to therapists, to ministers, to United States senators from both political parties. The interviews with these experts along with those of men, women, and children and their "real life" experiences of family life today are all collected here. One particularly poignant interview with a dad in the process of divorcing, along with other accounts of fatherhood in the book, really opens the eyes to the important of fathers for families of and of families for fathers. Two of the Gen X women interviewed (and there are many Gen Xrs talking about the realities of dating, single life, and marriage today)--one a single mother and the other twice-divorced and dating--speak of their experiences with such humor and candor (and with such personalities in the accompanying video!) that they could be destined for sitcom stardom if they ever make it out to Hollywood. Read it straight through or interview by interview--but definitely read it and seek out the accompanying video if you want to understand the state of marriage and family today.

5.0 out of 5 stars Portraits of marriage, October 18, 2002

By 

William Muehlenberg (Melbourne Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Marriage, Just a Piece of Paper? (Hardcover)

On Valentines Day 2002 the PBS in America featured a one-hour documentary examining the status of marriage and family. This is the companion volume to that film, featuring leading marriage and family experts along with the stories, testimonials and recollections of many ordinary Americans. Taken together it provides a fascinating and incisive portrait of the related issues of marriage, divorce, parenting and family in contemporary American life.

The book features a number of perspectives, including those who argue for gay marriage and easy divorce. But probably a majority of contributors recognise (academically or experientially) that marriage and family are troubled institutions today, and they are in need of help and support.

Many of the articles are quite good, from a pro-marriage and pro-family point of view. A number of experts more or less supporting such a view are featured, including David Blankenhorn, Wade Horn, Judith Wallerstein, David Popenoe, Linda Waite and William Galston.

Many of their insights alone are worth the price of the book. For example, Wade Horn's article on fatherhood is an important contribution, given all the problems we have in this area: "..."

And the well-documented evidence is quite clear: children are hurt by father absence. Indeed, children are hurt by divorce. And the hurt goes on for decades. Judith Wallerstein, who has studied children for three decades after their parent's divorce knows this all too well:

"..."

And marriage is what best protects children. As David Popenoe reminds us, "..."

David Blankenhorn reminds us that marriage is more than just a private relationship. It is also a public institution. Marriage effects not just the couple, but the in-laws, children, and society as a whole. And marriage has even more far-reaching importance:

"..."

And it is not just the conservatives who make such claims. Democratic Senator Joseph Lieberman from Connecticut, for example, is also aware of these truths: "..."

In addition to the experts, many of the testimonies from ordinary Americans also strongly make the case for marriage and the natural family. Some of the heartbreaking tales of the impact of divorce on children for example are worth recounting. One mother offers this perspective on how her four kids responded to their parents' divorce:

"..."

Other stories could be recounted. But as this book makes clear, marriage is still very important for the overwhelming majority of Americans. And the institution of marriage is being severely tested these days. This collection of articles, stories and essays shows that marriage is more than just a piece of paper.