Marriages and Families: Intimacy, Diversity, and Strengths [Hardcover]

David H. Olson (Author), John DeFrain (Author), David Olson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0072523441 | ISBN-13: 978-0072523447 | Publication Date: August 12, 2002 | Edition: 4

This introduction to marriages and families accentuates the positive aspects of relationships and focuses on enriching students’ knowledge and experience in building strong, successful couple and family relationships. The authors, both seasoned family scholars and therapists, integrate research, theory, and practical application with an interdisciplinary perspective on marriage and family.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

DAVID H. OLSON is Professor Emeritus of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota, where he has been for more than 25 years. He is founder and president of Life Innovations, a past president of the National Council on Family Relations and of the Upper Midwest Association for Marriage and Family Therapists, a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, and a Fellow of the American Association for Marital and Family Therapy (AAMFT). He has received numerous awards, including the Distinguished Contribution to Marriage and Family Therapy Award from both the AAMFT and the American Family Therapy Association. David Olson has written or edited more than 20 books, published over 100 articles with the theme of bridging family research, theory, and practice, and has been on 10 editorial boards of family journals. Olson and his colleagues at the University of Minnesota have developed the Circumplex model of Marital and Family Systems and a variety of couple and family assessment tools, including PREPARE, ENRICH, FACES, PAIR, and AWARE. JOHN DEFRAIN is an Extension Professor of family and community development at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he has been a member of the faculty for 27 years. He received his doctorate from the University of Wisonsin-Madison in 1975, and has codirected a graduate training program in marriage and family therapy. He is the cofounder of the National and International Symposium on Building Family Strengths, and has co-authored four dozen professional articles on family issues and 16 books. John DeFrain and his wife Nikki are currently working with the University of Newcastle, N.S.W., Australia, on family strengths projects.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 640 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 4 edition (August 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072523441
• ISBN-13: 978-0072523447
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,064,336 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A very average book, December 13, 2004

By 

C. K. Welch "b boy" (Salt Lake City, UT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Marriages and Families: Intimacy, Diversity, and Strengths (Hardcover)

I bought this book for a class at a university. It was an easy read and easy to understand, but not overly interesting. It is a typical sociology book. Most people who buy this book will be students required to purchase it for class. However, if you are the rare person considering this book as an addition to your library, I suggest rethinking your decision. I suspect that the people who find this subject matter interesting already know everything in the book. It is written on a very basic level.

If you are looking for a book to improve your marriage, look elsewhere. This book offers theoretical ways to have a successful relationship, but like too many sociology books it has little practical relevance. For example, this book teaches that a successful relationship will have optimal balances of cohesion, flexibility and communication. While that principal is probably correct the application is vague.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Conservative and Boring, December 9, 2009

By 

Clare Jean - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marriages and Families: Intimacy, Diversity, and Strengths (Hardcover)

I had to use this book for class. It is a extremely simplistic book that reads much more like a high school text then something intended for college. It was generally uninteresting. The authors are obviously fairly traditional in their views of family relationships and the whole text seems out of date for today's society. There was no information in this book that isn't just common sense. Also, there was an over emphasis on the positive of family relationship, which though warm a fuzzy, is not particularly relevant or helpful. I spoke to the department chair at my college about this book and they will not be requiring it next year.

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read book!, August 13, 2011

By 

KayeKaye216 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Marriages and Families: Intimacy, Diversity, and Strengths (Hardcover)

I received this book for my class in a very timely manner in great condition and for a great price. It is a good book so I decided to keep it instead of resale. This vendor was reliable and dependable too.