Marriage Boot Camp: Defeat the Top 10 Marriage Killers and Build a Rock-Solid Relationship

by Elizabeth Carroll, James Carroll

From the stars of WE tv’s Marriage Boot Camp comes a definitive guide to creating and maintaining a healthy marriage.

Marriage is hard work. After the fairy-tale “I Dos” come chores, bills, fights, and plain weariness. Many couples are unsure how to fix their problems and wonder if their relationships really have what it takes to go the distance. ( They do!)

Luckily, relationship experts Elizabeth and Jim Carroll have created a program proven to mend marriages, revive relationships, and make the happily-ever-afters come true. After twenty years of resuscitating thousands of marriages, the Carrolls bring their wisdom directly to readers through this do-it-yourself relationship bible. Filled with advice, exercises, quizzes, and games, Marriage Boot Camp will teach couples to fight the Top Ten Marriage Killers

• Keeping the heat in the bedroom
• Arguing effectively instead of fighting dirty
• Managing money
• Creating—or rebuilding—trust
• And much more!

Through each time-tested exercise, couples will discover what matters to them as individuals and as part of a pair, and learn why marriage is not 50/50 but 100/100 at all times. With the right skills, any couple can create the marriage they’ve always dreamed of.

Genres: Relationships, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2015

Reviews

[Malin Friess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marriage is hard work and Men and Women are fundamentally different. Elizabeth and Jim Carroll write a readable book looking at the top 10 marriage problems: communication, sex, money, chores, personality differences, parenting, cheating, conflict resolution, forgiveness, and letting go of the past.

The authors draw frequently on two substantial ideas: the five love languages (Chapman) and the Myers-Briggs Personality tests. 3 stars. The overall divorce rate is 50%. If divorce were a medical disease it would be a public health issue.

[Kelly Nichols · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 5 languages of love is better in my opinion. This book does mention the 5 languages of love book. This book I think would be good for couples who are having issues in there communication. Bottom line communication is key, lets make sure we are communicating effectively.

[Garrett Lachney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as a novelty. My mother got it for me after I was married a few years back as a quasi tongue-in-cheek gift. I like reading all the books I have on hand; I’m a completionist I guess, so I picked it up. That said, I went into it with an open mind not really sure of what to expect.

I think this perhaps may be a good book for those that are really experiencing a relationship on the rocks. There’s some decent concepts here that are universally applicable (hopefully) and will help those who are faltering put some structure around how they interact with their spouse. That said, if you’re someone who REALLY needs the tools this book has to offer (conflict resolution, fighting the “right” way, and so on), I do wonder if you are mature enough or even self-aware enough to pick this book up in the first place, let alone implement the tools and strategies in a constructive way. It’s kind of like jogging: generally the people doing it aren’t the ones who “need” it. I think it’s maybe a similar thing for relationship self-help. So I left skeptical about its helpfulness.

One thing I really didn’t care for was the book’s attempt to introduce various forms of psychotherapy in text. “Picture yourself sitting across from you as a child, now recall a traumatic experience... punch the pillow as if...”. For me that kind of stuff did not transfer from text to concept. I could not take it seriously. I think those types of exercises really need a trained professional guiding you through legitimate therapy.

If you’ve got relationship issues, perhaps worth a read - only because you’ve got nothing to lose - but it won’t be very meaningful to most other people, and that’s a camp I fall into.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF.

I impulsively picked this one up from the library, thinking "Ooh, fun! Strategies for strengthening marriages." It turns out that the intended audience is for A. people with marriages in full-blown crisis and B. fans of a reality TV show I've never heard of.

Overall, the book rubbed me the wrong way. Although there was plenty of perfectly reasonable advice to be found, too much of it was stereotypically gendered or sneakily religious. It also relies upon some pretty sketchy "research" such as the debunked Myers–Briggs Personality Test and even an author from the hate group Focus on the Family.

[Sheila Guevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid foundational book on marriage.

Chapters include: Communications, Sex, Money, Chores, Personality Differences, Parenting, Cheating, Fighting, Wrestling with the Past, The Need for Forgiveness.

Each chapter gives clear guidance for both evaluation and exercises or practices you can put into place to help strengthen that aspect of your relationship.

No quick fixes and nothing unexpected. Solid relationship advice.

[Phillip M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not Christian but does refer to some Christian books. It is good about giving conversation starters for couples and how to talk about hard and uncomfortable topics.

[Samar Zahran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book. It is very informative and has lots of good point that you can use it in your life to help you understand the big picture.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked most of this book....it had a lot of tips and suggestions to use to make and/or keep your marriage healthy.