Customer Reviews

The Soul-Mate Marriage: The Spiritual Journey of Becoming One

5 star:		(4)
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3 star:		(1)
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Let's face it: most marriage books tell you to communicate better, learn how to fight fair, and go on date nights more often. Haven't we read this stuff in dozens (hundreds?) of books so far?

HERE'S SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. This new book by family counselors and authors Dr. David & Lisa Frisbie talks about things NO OTHER MARRIAGE BOOK has ever talked about. There are topics, ideas and concepts here that I have not seen, heard about, or read in any other published book.

This book focuses on how to "go deep" in a relationship. So you can forget about date nights and love languages (valid ideas, but they are widely available elsewhere). Instead, this book shows you how to begin right where you are --- and build spiritual and emotional intimacy into your marriage relationship.

The chapter on "Busting the Ghosts" (dealing with past sexual relationships) is among the best sections of the book. So clear, so helpful and so very needed in today's world where many of us marry after having had one or more previous sexual partners.

This book amazed me and I'm not easy to amaze. I was among a handful of readers who were given sample chapters while the book was being written, so that we could offer feedback and criticism. (The authors told me they sent sample chapters to more than two dozen married adults in their 20's, 30's and 40's for input, feedback, and criticism.)

I don't know if my reading and input made any difference in the final form of this book, but here's what I do know --- THIS MATERIAL IS NOT IN OTHER BOOKS. This is clear and simple: REAL HELP. It is not available anywhere else that I've seen.

Barbara Sheldon, M.S.W.
I also recommend: Fireproof Your Marriage: Couples with Book(s) and DVD

Every now and then a book will grab you from the first page. It will quicken within you a hope or create a bubble of excitement. You can't wait to read more. And, on a very rare occasion, this book will even be non-fiction. The Soul-Mate Marriage is just one of those books for me.

I've read marriage books that promise results. Some of them have delivered. I've read about how to properly feed and care for my husband. Excellent information. I've read marriage books that teach me how my brain works (I'm both Venusian and Spaghetti, or so they say). I do love to read books that encourage me in this dance called marriage. I find it highly valuable to cultivate what is arguably one of the most important relationships I will have. And STILL, after years of reading these marriage-building books, I found one with different information that I will be quoting for years to come.

Building upon the theory that every marriage relationship needs more TV--Transparency and Vulnerability (sorry guys!)-- The Soul-Mate Marriage encourages deeper, more fulfilling marriages. They use humor, real-life stories, and their experience as marriage counselors to teach us how to make our marriages great (not just "pretty good"). This book does attempt to speak to readers right where they are so there are portions that may not apply to all readers (if you've already chosen a spouse, I suggest you not go looking for another using their how-to-choose-a-spouse methods, for example). However, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to anyone and everyone looking to improve their marriages. After all, who doesn't want to be the marriage that everyone else envies?

Armchair Interviews says: Excellent resource for couples and singles from this couple.

If you've seen the new "FireProof" movie and taken "The Love Dare," here's the next step for your relationship, from veteran family counselors Dr. David & Lisa Frisbie.

So readable --- I couldn't put it down --- I was caught up from the very first story of the young parents fighting at the counselor's office. WOW.

This is a hugely readable book; give it as a gift and someone will thank you for it --- because they'll actually read it! This book won't get dusty on a bookshelf or a coffee table somewhere.

I bought this book at a megachurch in Southern California where the authors are frequent speakers and presenters. I've attended several of their marriage workshops and they're the same in person as they are in these pages: positive, encouraging, funny...and filled with hope.

Isn't there enough depressing news about marriage these days? Here's exactly the opposite: step-by-step encouragement about how to take your relationship to a closer, stronger, more intimate, more satisfying place.

Lauren Hodge
Apple Valley, California

Our young-married small group loves this book! We've been laughing our way through it, and learning while laughing.

For one thing, this book hits us right where we live --- It's like these authors have been following us around, taping our kitchen conversations on a Flip video recorder. Wow! How do they know these things???

This is first book we've studied where everyone actually does their homework. Everyone does their reading, because the book is so readable and so interesting.

We are laughing and learning here!

This book should only be purchased by people who are followers of the Christian faith. The description stating that the authors "review up-to-date studies" is somewhat true although most of what they quote is scripture. This "informative and entertaining guide reveals practical steps" that are only relevant within the context of Christianity, they are not practical at all otherwise. The authors do have some messages that are applicable to all couples but it is very difficult to wade through this narrowly-focused text. I found the description of this book misleading and unhelpful given the content of the book. I would definitely not recommend this if you are not Christian, it takes far too much time for far too little applicable benefit.

This book opens in an informative manner that can draw in readers from almost any spiritual background. However, the author becomes increasingly heavy-handed in his use of teachings from his conservative Christian perspective, which employs an Old-Testament view of God. If readers from other traditions can translate these teachings into their own spiritual language, the book can be helpful for mending a marriage. His view that Transparency and Vulnerability are important for any marriage to thrive is right on.