Customer Reviews

More Than Me: The 4 Essentials of Relational Wholeness

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If I were a marriage counsellor,I would make "More Than Me: The 4 Essentials of Relational Wholeness" mandatory reading for all couples that walked through my office door.Actually,the good thing about this book is that your marriage doesn't have to be in trouble for you to benefit from it."More Than Me" is ideal for any couple that desires to have a strong and healthy partnership that can withstand the unavoidable trials we all face.

"More Than Me" is filled with biblical references which might be a turn off for some and thats understandable but do yourself a favor and read it anyway.The book is so deep to where you'll find yourself compelled to read it not just once but twice and maybe even thrice.I love how the book tackles topics like forgiveness,love and tolerance without being self-righteous and preachy.

The path to a healthy relationship definitely starts with "More Than Me".

I have just completed my second reading of the book More Than Me. I totally enjoyed the framework the 3 authors--Petersen, McMahan, and Russ--have used to give us a foundation for relational well being. Although the book is punctuated with biblical references, it is done in a very appealing and winsome manner. Their use of 'God' and "Jesus Christ' actually make the subject of spirituality and religion more accessible than most books I've read.

It's evident from the introduction of the book that these authors are committed to being vulnerable and transparent, as well as promoting a way of life that doesn't treat people as 'objects' to be used or manipulated, but they communicate the beauty of humankind's identity as being rooted in the imago Dei, the image of God. And that we need to treat them as the Creator intends.

Unlike so much exclusivistic religious/spiritual writing, these men use non technical language, but appealing language and metaphors and illustrations to capture the essence of what makes life deeply meaningful and worth living.

I loved this book so much I have started a book club with 15 other people over our bi weekly breakfast to talk about the implications of these insights in our various roles in life.

The only additional suggestion I would make to the authors would be that if they are going to write a book on relationships, that it would be helpful to include a women's insights, especially if it's three men writing. Other than that, this book is a huge hit with me and my friends.

There are so many books that claim to tell people how to have healthy relationships, and what I like most about this book is that it addresses the reasons why so often the other books don't work, and why therapy (especially couples therapy) often fails to heal relationships despite even the best therapist's skill and compassion. Other books explain components of a healthy relationship and tell the reader what to do. This book explains the components of a healthy relationship and tells the reader what it is about the human heart that keeps us from doing what we obviously need to do. Therapy fails so often because the therapist helps the couple realize what to do, and one or both partners is unwilling and/or unable to do it. Anybody who does therapy or counseling should give this book to first-time counselees and say, "Here, digest this. If you don't, nothing we do together will help you." And even people who aren't in therapy will take a vast leap forward if they grapple with what this book says. Understanding what it takes to have a healthy relationship isn't that hard. But actually doing things like love, humility, integrity, and forgiveness turns out to be extremely hard for a lot of people. Why is that, and what can a person do about it? That's where this book shines.

"Some people, by the way they relate to others, leave a trail of hurt and pain as they go through life. Others bring healing and joy and health."

The three authors who wrote this book are very knowledgeable about the Bible and have many modern stories to share with the reader. Reading this book will make you a better person if you take the ideas seriously. Through a thoughtful exploration of this book you will learn to love more deeply, have more integrity, be humble and practice forgiving those who offend or hurt you. I especially liked the idea of having a close group of friends to share your daily struggles with. This makes you responsible to other people and can actually encourage living a more fulfilling and Christ-centered life. I felt that this was a very comforting read and it made me want to try even harder to be a good person. It made me think how we can either be a gift or a curse to people in our lives.

~The Rebecca Review