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For Better for Worse
Relates the story of a Catholic girl from Baltimore and a Jewish boy from Boston, who survive marriage, children, and careers with wit, humor, and affection
- GenresHumor
212 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1981
7 people want to read
About the author
Caryl Rivers
26 books20 followersCaryl Rivers has been called “one of the brightest voices in contemporary fiction.” Her novel VIRGINS was an international critical success, published in the US, UK, Sweden, Germany and Japan. It was on many best seller lists and in paperback (Pocket Books) sold more than a million copies. Her novels deal with American women trying to find a foothold in a rapidly changing world.
She is a nationally known author, journalist, media critic and professor of Journalism at Boston University. In 2007 She was awarded the Helen Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Professional Journalists for distinguished journalism. She is the author of four novels and four works of non-fiction, all critically acclaimed. Her books have been selections of the Book of the Month Club, Literary Guild, Doubleday Book Club and Troll Book club. With her late husband, Boston Globe columnist Alan Lupo, she penned a funny account of modern parenting, “For Better, For Worse.”
“Reading this book is like multiplying Woody Allen by two. Marriage isn’t supposed to be this funny.”
—The Philadelphia Inquirer, on “For Better, For Worse”
Her articles have appeared in the New York Times magazine, Daily Beast, Huffington post, Salon, The Nation, Saturday Review, Ms., Mother Jones, Dissent, McCalls, Glamour, Redbook, Rolling Stone, Ladies Home Journal and many others. She writes frequent commentary for the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune and Womensenews. Of Her book “Selling Anxiety: How the News Media Scare Women” Gloria Steinem says it “will save the sanity of media watchers enraged or bewildered by the distance between image and reality.”
She has co-authored four books with Dr. Rosalind Barnett, senior scientist at the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis—the latest (2011) being “The Truth About Girls and Boys: Confronting Toxic Stereotypes About Our Children.” Articles based on the book won a Casey medal for distinguished journalism about children and families and a special citation from the National Education Writers association. The Editorial Board of the Boston Globe voted their book “Same Difference” one of the best books of the year in 2004. The New York Times called their book “She Works, He Works” a bold new framing of the story of the American family, and praised its lucid prose. The Sloan Foundation cited their book “Lifeprints” as a “classic book” from the work-family canon that has made “a significant contribution and stood the test of time.”
Caryl Rivers also wrote THE CHEATS, an ABC afterschool special about the lives of high school seniors embroiled in a cheating scandal. It won the AFTRA American scene award for its treatment of minority characters. She also wrote A MATTER OF PRINCIPAL, syndicated by Hearst television, a drama about an urban school principal starring Loretta Swit. The drama won the prestigious GABRIEL award in l990 as the best locally produced television program in the U.S. Ms. Rivers was creative consultant for JENNY’S SONG, the first made for television drama to be syndicated nationally by Westinghouse television, starring Ben Vereen and Jessica Walter.
She is a nationally known author, journalist, media critic and professor of Journalism at Boston University. In 2007 She was awarded the Helen Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Professional Journalists for distinguished journalism. She is the author of four novels and four works of non-fiction, all critically acclaimed. Her books have been selections of the Book of the Month Club, Literary Guild, Doubleday Book Club and Troll Book club. With her late husband, Boston Globe columnist Alan Lupo, she penned a funny account of modern parenting, “For Better, For Worse.”
“Reading this book is like multiplying Woody Allen by two. Marriage isn’t supposed to be this funny.”
—The Philadelphia Inquirer, on “For Better, For Worse”
Her articles have appeared in the New York Times magazine, Daily Beast, Huffington post, Salon, The Nation, Saturday Review, Ms., Mother Jones, Dissent, McCalls, Glamour, Redbook, Rolling Stone, Ladies Home Journal and many others. She writes frequent commentary for the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune and Womensenews. Of Her book “Selling Anxiety: How the News Media Scare Women” Gloria Steinem says it “will save the sanity of media watchers enraged or bewildered by the distance between image and reality.”
She has co-authored four books with Dr. Rosalind Barnett, senior scientist at the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis—the latest (2011) being “The Truth About Girls and Boys: Confronting Toxic Stereotypes About Our Children.” Articles based on the book won a Casey medal for distinguished journalism about children and families and a special citation from the National Education Writers association. The Editorial Board of the Boston Globe voted their book “Same Difference” one of the best books of the year in 2004. The New York Times called their book “She Works, He Works” a bold new framing of the story of the American family, and praised its lucid prose. The Sloan Foundation cited their book “Lifeprints” as a “classic book” from the work-family canon that has made “a significant contribution and stood the test of time.”
Caryl Rivers also wrote THE CHEATS, an ABC afterschool special about the lives of high school seniors embroiled in a cheating scandal. It won the AFTRA American scene award for its treatment of minority characters. She also wrote A MATTER OF PRINCIPAL, syndicated by Hearst television, a drama about an urban school principal starring Loretta Swit. The drama won the prestigious GABRIEL award in l990 as the best locally produced television program in the U.S. Ms. Rivers was creative consultant for JENNY’S SONG, the first made for television drama to be syndicated nationally by Westinghouse television, starring Ben Vereen and Jessica Walter.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 20, 2018
Chapters alternate between journalists, husband Alan Lupo and wife Caryl Rivers, dishing about marriage and parenthood and the quirks we love our loved ones for. Written almost 40 years ago, many of their observations are timeless, so I laughed heartily (and, rather embarrassingly, in public since I read a good chunk of it in planes). It did get a bit dark and/or preachy (depending on your POV) towards the end, but that was only a couple of chapters.
My mom asked me to read this one, and I don't regret granting her request. I think my favorite chapter was Alan Lupo's description of trying out white-collar sports like boating and horseback riding.
My mom asked me to read this one, and I don't regret granting her request. I think my favorite chapter was Alan Lupo's description of trying out white-collar sports like boating and horseback riding.
March 28, 2021
Amusing vignettes by a couple of local celebrities. It was a pleasure to "hear" Lupo's voice again.
July 1, 2025
Domestic humor told in alternating chapters by a husband and wife duo.
June 20, 2022
Full disclosure I have always admired the writing of both Caryl Rivers and Alan Lupo. I grew up and went to school with their kids although they were a few years older than I and their son took painting lessons from my mum very briefly. Our little town bookstore had a shelf of books, this was on it along with a new book from Caryl Rivers and her novel Virgins and I bought them all.
This book may seem a little outdated/feel dated but at the time what Rivers/Lupo did was pretty different. They both worked as professional writers and raised two kids. There was no childcare or daycare back in the 1960's/70's -- their writing and humor about two/2 parent and two/2 kid juggling was unusual. And they did it before ATMs, cable tv, internet and cell phones.
Many of the essays covered most topics domestic and child care related, and other related marriage/life tasks from each of their points of view often opposing ways. They incorporated their own backgrounds and cultural foibles into the narrative essays. Personally I was never a close friend of their daughter but in youth theater activities our paths would cross and we had some mutual friends. One is cited a few times in this book which was jarring as she has passed away, and I did not realize as small/grade school children they were that close even though I knew they lived in the same neighborhood area.
It is an interesting look at the idea of juggling career and family especially in today's world where two/2 parents working is pretty much mandatory because of the cost of living. Still many of the lessons/stories here echo true today the idea of what working parents have to do/how impossible it is to even attempt a perfect balance. I think that was an underlying theme here that was very subtle and clever, again using humor as tool.
This book may seem a little outdated/feel dated but at the time what Rivers/Lupo did was pretty different. They both worked as professional writers and raised two kids. There was no childcare or daycare back in the 1960's/70's -- their writing and humor about two/2 parent and two/2 kid juggling was unusual. And they did it before ATMs, cable tv, internet and cell phones.
Many of the essays covered most topics domestic and child care related, and other related marriage/life tasks from each of their points of view often opposing ways. They incorporated their own backgrounds and cultural foibles into the narrative essays. Personally I was never a close friend of their daughter but in youth theater activities our paths would cross and we had some mutual friends. One is cited a few times in this book which was jarring as she has passed away, and I did not realize as small/grade school children they were that close even though I knew they lived in the same neighborhood area.
It is an interesting look at the idea of juggling career and family especially in today's world where two/2 parents working is pretty much mandatory because of the cost of living. Still many of the lessons/stories here echo true today the idea of what working parents have to do/how impossible it is to even attempt a perfect balance. I think that was an underlying theme here that was very subtle and clever, again using humor as tool.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews