Getting Ready for Marriage Workbook : How to Really Get to Know the Person You're Going to Marry (Paperback)

by Jerry D Hardin (Author), Dianne C Sloan (Author) "Love is one of the most meaningful, yet confusing, words in the English language..." (more)
Key Phrases: two points for each statement, answers about yourselves, problem area score, Jesus Christ, Perception Evaluation, Communication Covenant (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Through interactive exercises, couples discover the roots of their beliefs, sight potential problem areas, and learn how to successfully work through problems. Couples are then encouraged to make their own covenants in specific areas such as financial matters, resolving conflict, religious orientation, and family planning & children - essential in building a strong marriage partnership.

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 7, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0840733208
• ISBN-13: 978-0840733207
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #45,729 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #61 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Protestantism > Self Help
  #63 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Counseling > Couples & Family Therapy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

179 of 195 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Religious Guide, April 6, 2001

By	Simone R. Ryan "[e-mail]" (Madison, WI United States) - See all my reviews

The book itself I'm sure is an excellent guide for devout Christians, or Christians period. The fact that every single page had at least one religious reference made it very difficult for a nonreligious person to read.

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Use to spur important conversations, June 9, 2006

By	Rehey (New York) - See all my reviews

This book is a nice start for Christian couples (not recommended for people looking for a general, nonreligious/spiritual view) in that it raises important issues and encourages you to keep the discussion open afterward. The book is organized into topics such as Finance, Family Planning etc...and your future spouse answers the questions separately from you, guessing how you might answer, as well as answering for him/herself. Then the book asks you to grade how many questions you answered wrong/right, and sign a covenent on each subject based on things discussed. As thorough as this might be, there are some issues to keep in mind while reading this: 1) The language assumes certain roles and biases, which you may or may not agree with whether or not you are a Christian. E.g. "My father usually left a good tip for the waitress/waiter in restaurants," or irrelevant questions such as questions assuming your parents are still together or their relationship was consistent throughout their marriage. Some of the questions don't seem to have been updated for several decades. 2) You have to answer true or false, though many of the statements are not that easily answered. My fiancee and I ended up disregarding the scoring process, and discussing statements we thought were partly true or partly false rather than simplifying things to a T or F. The point is not to get a certain score after all, the point is to grow and learn about each other. 3) The chapter on finances is somewhat unspecific, so my fiancee and I are going to read a guide to finance next. There are other topics that are broad as well, but this book is designed that way. It's up to you to follow through to the next steps. If you think finishing this book prepares you for marriage, you possibly are walking into marriage short-sighted. It is a good vehicle, however, for starting the conversation that you and your future spouse will continue to have for the rest of your lives. Good luck!

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helped us nip a lot of things in the bud!, February 8, 1999

By A Customer

Any pre-marital preparation and counseling is a good idea in my book, but this is something special. While we were engaged and living in different cities, my wife and I went through this workbook individually chapter by chapter and discussed our responses over the phone. So many topics came up that we would never have thought to be major issues for us to deal with! The particular strength of this book over some others is the authors' emphasis on families of origin. We each bring so much baggage and so many expectations into the marriage that comes from our families where we grew up! Many books ignore this, but Sloan and Hardin wisely forced us to look hard beyond puppy love and into real-life commitment. I get the feeling the authors have seen their share of wrecked marriages, have traced the problems, and have used that knowledge in the creation this book. Highly recommended.