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Marriage Fitness: 4 Steps to Building & Maintaining Phenomenal Love
Revolutionary step by step marriage success program.
191 pages, Paperback
First published March 30, 2004
17 people are currently reading
331 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 24, 2009
This is absolutely the best marriage book I have ever read. The book focuses on serving your spouse instead of focusing on being understood and communicating. This seems strange because being understood and communication is important but I also know you love the people you serve and you if someone serves you, you end up loving them and trusting them. So if you want your spouse to love you, serve them. This book is very practical and real. This is not a quick solution but an incredible one! I read this (and later went through Mort's program) while my husband and I were separated and I attribute us getting back together to this book and praying, and me admitting to myself I had things to change and I could only change myself. We have been back together for almost a year and I am much closer to him and better equipped to handle issues with love. I would recommend this book to anyone!
August 19, 2011
Practical stuff that can really make a difference. But why did he choose to put himself on the cover?
March 18, 2008
All married people should read this book. You know how everyone says marriage takes work, how vague is that. This guy breaks it down, marriage takes 5 non-essential phone call, 6 hugs, 3 yearly getaways, 1 date a week, etc. I complete agree with the idea that when your in love the problems become minor details. I never liked Mars and Venus, thought it's principles were way off, I heard the author is now divorced, I'm not surprised, maybe too much time in the cave telling his wife to understand cuz that's how men are.
July 28, 2014
I read this book for a discussion group. Ugh! I suppose that these techniques would be good for a couple with older children who have family near them. Plus who have a good bit of extra income. Otherwise, trying to hire a baby sitter and go out for a date EVERY WEEK, plus get away for 3 DAYS, 3 TIMES A YEAR(!) would be cost prohibitive. Also, I think his advice might work better for extroverts than introverts. I think my husband used to call me a few times a day when we were first married, and I told him to stop bothering me so that I could get things done. I don't follow the author's advice to always stop what I'm doing when my husband calls, and he prefers it that way. With respct to the author's idea that we should only consult our spouse and not others, it may be appropriate for a spouse to seek input and advice on business stuff generally, but not when your spouse is doing confidential technical stuff or technical stuff the other spouse is not educated in. So it just doesn't make sense in many contexts. All that being said, there is some advice that merits approval as a general matter. We should all prioritize our spouse and make time for discussions with him/her about general matters, not just family administration. If there are activities and/or relationships in our life that are preventing us from connecting with our spouse, we should evaluate whether it is appropriate to continue them. Don't dress or act in ways to attract people to compete with your spouse in an intimate way. But I think those are self-evident. Thankfully, this book super short, so it won't take you long to get through this dreck.
March 4, 2011
When I was working as a marriage therapist I read lots of books on this topic. This book, although somewhat simplistic and sappy at times, is an incredible resource for practical things you can do to improve your marraige. Every couple should read this and begin the 14 week marraige fitness program. It can only increase your happiness.
May 3, 2011
Though this book may have some valid tips for rekindling a marriage, I found it incredibly repetative and a little rediculous. I didn't find it very well written and I definitely felt it was a brag book for the author.
September 15, 2013
This is a GREAT book for anyone who wants to improve their marriage. Whether they already have a great marriage and want to make it even better, or are struggling in their marriage but want to make it work.
October 23, 2007
This book helped me see my part in my relationship with my spouse in a whole new light. Very inspirational. I suggest reading it with your spouse.
January 10, 2016
Todd and I have decided to read this book together. It is about making your spouse your soul mate instead of just being compatable. Very intersting concept in this book.
May 15, 2008
Among my top 4 favorite resources for marriage and marriage counseling!
November 5, 2009
This is the most incredible marriage book I've ever read. It really gets at the heart of creating a wonderful relationship. I'll be reading it over and over.
June 10, 2012
This is an amazing book on marriage!
September 28, 2016
This is a less conventional approach to marriage therapy. I think it could help most marriages if read together before the relationship metastasizes.
February 13, 2021
Really good advice for couples who wanted to make their relationship stronger. You don't have to be in trouble in order to benefit from this.
November 19, 2014
Marriage coach Fertel skillfully inverts the usual solve-the-problem approach and instead asserts that deep, euphoric love will (like magic) make problems go away. Instead of finding the right person, Fertel writes that we should build a lasting love with the person we found. Marriage is being there for your spouse in thousands of small ways; some surprisingly sound methods, e.g., give your spouse a "positive verbal interaction" for a minute or more five times daily, help couples fall back in love. Readers will practically hear Coach Fertel shouting clear, consistent instructions. An excellent choice.
Find reviews of books for men at Books for Dudes, Books for Dudes, the online reader's advisory column for men from Library Journal. Copyright Library Journal.
Find reviews of books for men at Books for Dudes, Books for Dudes, the online reader's advisory column for men from Library Journal. Copyright Library Journal.
June 17, 2008
This wonderful little book is worth its weight in gold ... platinum ... gasoline, even!
The advice in here is strong enough to help a marriage weather a rocky point, but don't wait for that to read it and put its suggestions to use! It's written as a way to build a strong, incredible partnership in the context of any relationship, and it works--really.
And, while it's written for traditional couples, it was pretty simple to adapt while reading and apply it to my own same-sex relationship. In fact, it's fairly easy to apply the basic concepts to building better relationships with children and other family members, too.
I wish I could give this book a thousand stars!
The advice in here is strong enough to help a marriage weather a rocky point, but don't wait for that to read it and put its suggestions to use! It's written as a way to build a strong, incredible partnership in the context of any relationship, and it works--really.
And, while it's written for traditional couples, it was pretty simple to adapt while reading and apply it to my own same-sex relationship. In fact, it's fairly easy to apply the basic concepts to building better relationships with children and other family members, too.
I wish I could give this book a thousand stars!
March 13, 2010
"Love is a verb" - one of the many insightful statements in this book. It's so easy to just ride in a marriage, like it's a bus that I'm taking a journey on; but in reality, successful marriages must be tended daily, more like a garden. There are many stories, lists, exercises, and encouraging examples used by the author to guide towards successful marriage. I also like that this isn't a huge tome - it's only 182 pages.
June 2, 2013
This book was a fascinating discussion about the things that can be done to build connection in a marriage. Some of the author's theories are a bit out there such as never touching members of the opposite sex. However, there are some great activities and ideas that can be used to rebuild intimacy and/or strengthen marital connection.
August 24, 2014
This was a fast, easy read with some very practical strategies for keeping "love" as the main focus of your marriage. Sounds obvious, but can be more challenging the longer you are with someone. This goes beyond communication techniques and fault to the positive side of choosing to fall in love again.
March 5, 2008
A good way of learning how to keep your focus on what is most important. Great tips on how to keep a marriage healthy.
January 1, 2009
Great book. The challenge is to implement his exercises.
February 27, 2009
Great insights and exercises. Less complicated than a lot of marriage books. Yes, I think that most marriages could be helped by reading and applying the concepts in this book.
February 21, 2011
It had good reminders in it and JC and I made it 3/4 the way through the book and then we fizzled and haven't finished it yet
Want to read
March 5, 2011Kirsti says to read it, so I'm going to read it!
March 28, 2016
Had a lot of practical information, but I didn't agree with how much it prioritized the relationship into the #1 status in your life.
April 28, 2017
Very straight-forward and direct style. A completely different focus on marriage and marriage improvement than most other books I have read or seen. Marriage takes "exercise" and attention just like every other kind of fitness (physical, spiritual, emotional), and this book has some great ideas - most of which seem like common sense after reading them. Quick read and worth it for anyone married, in a relationship or planning to be in one.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews