Until very recently, no society had seen marriage as anything other than a conjugal partnership: a male–female union. What Is Marriage? identifies and defends the reasons for this historic consensus and shows why redefining civil marriage as something other than the conjugal union of husband and wife is a mistake. Originally published in the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, this book’s core argument quickly became the year’s most widely read essay on the most prominent scholarly network in the social sciences. Since then, it has been cited and debated by scholars and activists throughout the world as the most formidable defense of the tradition ever written. Now revamped, expanded, and vastly enhanced, What Is Marriage? stands poised to meet its moment as few books of this generation have. Sherif Girgis, Ryan T. Anderson, and Robert P. George offer a devastating critique of the idea that equality requires redefining marriage. They show why both sides must first answer the question of what marriage really is. They defend the principle that marriage, as a comprehensive union of mind and body ordered to family life, unites a man and a woman as husband and wife, and they document the social value of applying this principle in law. Most compellingly, they show that those who embrace same-sex civil marriage leave no firm ground—none—for not recognizing every relationship describable in polite English, including polyamorous sexual unions, and that enshrining their view would further erode the norms of marriage, and hence the common good. Finally, What Is Marriage? decisively answers common objections: that the historic view is rooted in bigotry, like laws forbidding interracial marriage; that it is callous to people’s needs; that it can’t show the harm of recognizing same-sex couplings or the point of recognizing infertile ones; and that it treats a mere “social construct” as if it were natural or an unreasoned religious view as if it were rational.

Relationships don't have to be that hard! Billions of people are walking around on this Earth, trying to connect with others and build meaningful and satisfying bonds. Yet for so many, there is something getting in the way of this wonderful experience. Something is preventing individuals and couples from having the joyful life they want and deserve. Rational Relating guides you through the simple, step-by-step process of creating and sustaining a relationship structure that serves to enhance love, serenity, and pleasure, while minimizing stress, resentment, and fear in relationships. It outlines the "five pillars" that will uphold and sustain emotional connections, even during the rough times. It will give you clear tools and resources for discovering abundance in your life, while using the power of your mind and spirit to enhance positive, nurturing relationships. If you are in the early stages of a new relationship, heading toward marriage or partnership, or even looking for refreshing ways to reconnect in a long-term partnership, then Rational Relating will offer you smart, innovative, and fun ways to create the love you want with others. Based on two decades of experience and thousands of sessions, Damon L. Jacobs has developed a simple framework that helps couples build a lasting and sustainable union that endures the largest and smallest of relationship earthquakes.

Just when the clamor over "traditional" marriage couldn’t get any louder, along comes this groundbreaking book to ask, "What tradition?" In Marriage, a History, historian and marriage expert Stephanie Coontz takes readers from the marital intrigues of ancient Babylon to the torments of Victorian lovers to demonstrate how recent the idea of marrying for love is—and how absurd it would have seemed to most of our ancestors. It was when marriage moved into the emotional sphere in the nineteenth century, she argues, that it suffered as an institution just as it began to thrive as a personal relationship. This enlightening and hugely entertaining book brings intelligence, perspective, and wit to today’s marital debate.

Seven time-tested secrets to dating the husband of your dreams -- taken from the centuries-old tradition of arranged marriages Want commitment, love, and romance? Forget The Rules, and stop waiting for an idealized Prince Charming. In First Comes Marriage, Reva Seth shares the wisdom of more than three hundred women in arranged marriages...and shows how this classic tradition can teach twenty-first-century women important lessons about how to find -- and keep -- Mr. Right. The men you date will become the men you marry. The seven secrets in this counterintuitive guide will help you become more selective and increase your chances of finding the right person to share your life with. Seth knows her secrets work -- she married her husband after only meeting him seven times. Secret #1: Your man doesn't have to be your best friend. (That's why you've had a best girlfriend all along, right?) Secret #4: It doesn't matter if he doesn't dance. (Common interests are less important than shared values.) Secret #6: Sexual chemistry isn't always organic. (Attraction can be created -- if you know how to unlock your passion.) A practical, surprisingly progressive guide to love and romance, First Comes Marriage will open your eyes to what makes a guy perfect for you...and will help you find him, date him, and keep falling in love with him forever.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Over a million copies sold! “An eminently practical guide to an emotionally intelligent—and long-lasting—marriage.”—Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work has revolutionized the way we understand, repair, and strengthen marriages. John Gottman’s unprecedented study of couples over a period of years has allowed him to observe the habits that can make—and break—a marriage. Here is the culmination of that work: the seven principles that guide couples on a path toward a harmonious and long-lasting relationship. Straightforward yet profound, these principles teach partners new approaches for resolving conflicts, creating new common ground, and achieving greater levels of intimacy. Gottman offers strategies and resources to help couples collaborate more effectively to resolve any problem, whether dealing with issues related to sex, money, religion, work, family, or anything else. Packed with new exercises and the latest research out of the esteemed Gottman Institute, this revised edition of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work is the definitive guide for anyone who wants their relationship to attain its highest potential.

"Inspired by the ideas of Ayn Rand"--Cover.

A Marie Claire Book Club Pick! Even with a step-by-step plan, these fake fiancés might accidentally fall for each other in this hilarious, heartfelt romantic comedy from the author of The Marriage Game. Daisy Patel is a software engineer who understands lists and logic better than bosses and boyfriends. With her life all planned out, and no interest in love, the one thing she can't give her family is the marriage they expect. Left with few options, she asks her childhood crush to be her decoy fiancé. Liam Murphy is a venture capitalist with something to prove. When he learns that his inheritance is contingent on being married, he realizes his best friend's little sister has the perfect solution to his problem. A marriage of convenience will get Daisy's matchmaking relatives off her back and fulfill the terms of his late grandfather's will. If only he hadn’t broken her tender teenage heart nine years ago… Sparks fly when Daisy and Liam go on a series of dates to legitimize their fake relationship. Too late, they realize that very little is convenient about their arrangement. History and chemistry aren't about to follow the rules of this engagement.

This is a compact and insightful presentation of 12 valuable principles to live by for the husband of a “Proverbs 31 woman” or, indeed, any woman.