Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
32nd out of 1,336 books
—
4,914 voters
Behind Every Good Man: Helping Your Husband Take the Spiritual Lead at Home
Behind every good man is a good woman, the old saying goes. How can a wife help her husband grow and progress and be a priesthood leader in the home without criticizing, nagging, or making him feel like he s not measuring up? As a result of some wide reading, pondering, and research, John Bytheway attempts to answer that question in this book. With his trademark humor and...more
Paperback, 126 pages
Published
April 1st 2009
by Deseret Book
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
821)
Disclaimer! If it weren't for my husband's consistency, we would have no scripture study or family prayer at all. So, let it be known that I did not read this book because I'm trying to fix my husband--he's great! I heard about this book in Relief Society (someone made a comment) and decided to look for it at the library. I had to put it on hold. The woman who mentioned it in RS had stated that the title was sort of a trick or joke because the book is more about how the WIFE should behave! And i...more
This is a pretty quick read (although technically it took me a month because it sat on the back of my toilet seat and I read it in short bursts - sorry to whoever checks it out next from the library). It was fine. I didn't think anything was earth shattering. Be nice to your husband. Help him. Don't nag. I don't even remember. I finished it but almost forgot to review it. That's how unmemorable it was.
I'm sure if this is a topic that interests you (trying to get your husband to take charge of s...more
I'm sure if this is a topic that interests you (trying to get your husband to take charge of s...more
I'll admit being wary of having to read a book on marriage for our April challenge. I like books (especially with a spiritual integer) that help me become a better person--especially in relationships. But I worry about just how much a book on marriage will focus on only marital relationships and not be applicable to my single self preparing for marriage. I did not have to worry about this with this book, for it was absolutely wonderful and just what I needed to hear. I learned so much for myself...more
If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have to admit that I have never read any books by John Bytheway, but have listened to his talks. I thought this was wonderfulo book on becoming better wives and helping our husband's become better as well. He points out in this book that women in general in the LDS church ar distressed that more men are not taking the spiritual lead in their homes. Some of it is because we as women take the lead first without allo...more
While the content of the book is mostly good other than some double edge compliments Bytheway suggests giving to your husband, the premise of the book bothers me. I think if he had titled it something else and wrote it for both men and women it would have been better.
I am bothered by the fact that some people think it is the woman's responsibility to drag her man to heaven. I also don't agree that behind every good man is a good woman. Some good men have a witch from hell standing behind them,...more
I am bothered by the fact that some people think it is the woman's responsibility to drag her man to heaven. I also don't agree that behind every good man is a good woman. Some good men have a witch from hell standing behind them,...more
This is a small simple read that summarizes ways wives can help their husbands along this journey of mortality.
The word "help" not "change" is key to this book. Despite some of the principles taught, I do not view them as keys to "changing" your husband. Some readers may come to this conclusion. However, I simply see it as a book that can help inspire greater love and acceptance through staying committed to helping one another grow together.
I am currently not married, but I'm thankful to have r...more
The word "help" not "change" is key to this book. Despite some of the principles taught, I do not view them as keys to "changing" your husband. Some readers may come to this conclusion. However, I simply see it as a book that can help inspire greater love and acceptance through staying committed to helping one another grow together.
I am currently not married, but I'm thankful to have r...more
A very quick read. You can read this in a couple of hours. Just so that my husband doesn't think I have some complaints, we are reading this for book club. I thought it was interesting that you would think this book would be about how to change your husband, but really it is all about changing yourself. I loved that it gave me perspective on how I treat my husband everyday and basically the whole idea is treat your husband with love and respect. I liked how it talked about how we need to give 5...more
A small book with lots of great tips to help people change--particularly husbands. This book reads very smoothly and has great quotes. I've heard many of these ideas before, but I liked how John Bytheway put them together and illustrated them with fun anecdotes. Here are some pithy suggestions:
People don't change people. People change themselves or are changed by the Holy Ghost.
Rarely is anyone criticized into change.
It is important to note that correction is different from criticism.
One of th...more
People don't change people. People change themselves or are changed by the Holy Ghost.
Rarely is anyone criticized into change.
It is important to note that correction is different from criticism.
One of th...more
This is a very quick read...so I read it twice. There are several insights that the author gave about how men think and feel. I want to use many of his suggestions to communicate better with my husband. He has some great ideas for understanding your marriage and making it even better.
*Change can only happen through love, not through criticizing.
*Stop complaining, stop resenting. Start forgiving, start loving.
*Clarify your expectations
*Be generous and specific in your praise and appreciation.
I al...more
*Change can only happen through love, not through criticizing.
*Stop complaining, stop resenting. Start forgiving, start loving.
*Clarify your expectations
*Be generous and specific in your praise and appreciation.
I al...more
I really enjoyed this book. I got it for Christmas from my mom who just wanted each of the kids to be reading something to improve their marriage. Keith and I don't have a perfect marriage, but I really liked what I learned. I felt uplifted reading it and founds some good reminders that I need to work on to be a better wife. You don't have to be having marriage problems to want to improve and learn about how to have a better relationship. We read parts together and I took notes of things that st...more
LDS Marriage Help. John Bytheway is a great motivational speaker and comedian. Here he addresses ways to be a supportive, encouraging spouse. The focus of the book is on wives helping husbands to fulfill their spiritual responsibilities at home, but the lessons easily apply to husbands and wives in general marriage. (I am even thinking some of these strategies could be helpful in my calling.) Nothing earth shattering, perhaps, but it's always good to have a refresher. And this is done in a light...more
This is an awesome book! It not only gives great advice on how to help your husband out but it just points out how women can be better wives in general. It really made me think about how I can be better at bringing the Spirit into our home, give Joe compliments and praise more often, and not to criticize Joe for doing things "his" way just because I wouldn't do them that way (like when he uses 20 wipies on Colton's butt when there was only pee he had to clean up). See? Still need some improvemen...more
I have to preface this by saying I did NOT read this book to "fix" my husband. I think he's a spiritual giant. I read it because the back of the book talks about learning not to nag and complain. I need that.
The book was fabulous. I read this in one sitting. I was hooked. The author uses humor and tenderness to explain that you can not change another person's heart. Only the Spirit can to do that. So he teaches women how to better invite the Holy Spirit into their homes and their relationships....more
The book was fabulous. I read this in one sitting. I was hooked. The author uses humor and tenderness to explain that you can not change another person's heart. Only the Spirit can to do that. So he teaches women how to better invite the Holy Spirit into their homes and their relationships....more
2 likes · like · see review
view all 3 comments
Good read. I love listening to John Bytheway on cd, so decided to check this book out. It didn't seem to have as much of the usual JB humor, so I was a little disappointed in that. It was a nice, easy, short read though. I was able to read a short chapter or two, (or three!), each night. As the back of the book says, "Simple tools...", that's what I loved about it. Simple, useful, "oh DUH, why didn't I think of doing that??!" tidbits :) I will definitely re-read sometime. BTW, I am willing to bo...more
Short and sweet book. Really, it will take you all of 20 minutes to read the whole thing.
What did I learn?
Besides the fact that I am not as good of a wife as I thought I was?
#1 And most important (which is really hard for wives to hear) You can't change your husband.
#2 Love your husband. Just the way he is, and you might inspire him to be better.
#3 Be grateful that your husband puts up with you.
#4 Your husband is really a lot better than you give him credit for.
#5 Don't criticize EVER. Unless he...more
What did I learn?
Besides the fact that I am not as good of a wife as I thought I was?
#1 And most important (which is really hard for wives to hear) You can't change your husband.
#2 Love your husband. Just the way he is, and you might inspire him to be better.
#3 Be grateful that your husband puts up with you.
#4 Your husband is really a lot better than you give him credit for.
#5 Don't criticize EVER. Unless he...more
Read this today while waiting at the doctor's office. (It was a long wait...)
It was a great little John Bytheway book about how to get your husband to take the lead in spiritual things with your family... and also a bit about how men think and what kinds of things they do and do no respond well to (i.e. why wives shouldn't nag). It made me think a lot about how I treat my husband—specifically how I speak to him. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to know how to get their husbands to s...more
It was a great little John Bytheway book about how to get your husband to take the lead in spiritual things with your family... and also a bit about how men think and what kinds of things they do and do no respond well to (i.e. why wives shouldn't nag). It made me think a lot about how I treat my husband—specifically how I speak to him. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to know how to get their husbands to s...more
A good friend of mine recommended this book to me. Not because I was looking for ways to change my husband, but more because I was looking for ways to improve the spiritual relationship in my marriage. This book had some great insights and has truly given me a lot to think about. The approach isn't so much on changing your husband, but changing yourself. There were so many points that struck me with guilt. I felt my head falling in shame several times as I thought to myself, Oh... I do that or O...more
This was a short, quick little book with a lot of wisdom, much of it geared towards improving marriage rather than changing your spouse. There's a lot of great advice. Some of it is common sense, but isn't that the best kind? Here's some of the points made by the book:
* Stop criticizing. It doesn't help bring change.
* Make expectations clear.
* Let your husband do things his own way. Don't micromanage (my word, not his).
* Don't take over.
* Be generous in praise.
* Stop criticizing. It doesn't help bring change.
* Make expectations clear.
* Let your husband do things his own way. Don't micromanage (my word, not his).
* Don't take over.
* Be generous in praise.
I know Bytheway can be cheezy, and maybe it's just because of the mood I was in as I read it, but I REALLY loved this little book, and the truths it had on changing hearts (and how we can't really change other people's hearts, but we CAN love them better than we do). It boosted my marriage, which I am always happy for, and I am fiercely curious about the matter of changing hearts--this was a really good exposition on it. Thanks for the pleasant surprise!
I found this book to be throughly enjoyable. It was a fast, easy to read, and informative in a fun and witty way. I have heard John Bytheway in quite a few of his books on tape/cd and really felt uplifted by the end. This 126 page book was no exception. Just read it on a Sunday afternoon in about an hour and half. I highly reccommend it to both newlyweds and couples who have been married 30 years. It is never too late to gain new knowledge and apply it, especially in your marriage relationship....more
I really enjoyed this book, though I have been a fan of Bytheway for many years. My husband and I both read it, separately, and it provided us with some good things to talk about together afterward. It was a gentle-enough critique for women of the ways in which they can make it challenging for men to fulfill their responsibilities at home. I think I learned from it, and I was thankful for the opportunity to consider my honey's feelings more in this way.
I really liked this book! It helped me to be able to change my attitude towards a lot of things in my home, especially when it comes to my husband. I usually don't get into the self-help type books, but this one was written in a way that was easy to understand as well as entertaining! I have applied what I have learned from this book in many aspects of my life and it has worked wonders! Mostly, the no critisizing & complimenting more! It's awesome!!
John Bytheway gave a great lecture series during Education Week about this topic of the expectations we have, and it was really cool to hear what he had to say about how spouses can HELP rather than coerce, nag at or manipulate each other. Always a good thing to remember, right? Currently mortified that I am posting a review, knowing that it will go straight to my cute mother- and sister-in laws! We all know that I don't deserve Preston! :)
The author wrote the book to answer a question he got at the Women's Timeout in Cincinnati years ago where I was present at the time. It's a very small book but the points presented were very profound. Criticizing and nagging don't work in marriage and we should treat man as the person we want them to be, not what they are at present. It's a great book for anyone who desires to improve the marriage!
I love how Bytheway (now Bishop Bytheway) doesn't profess to be an expert about this topic. He's taken a question and researched everything he could get his hands on to answer it, and gives credit where it's due. The potted version: we can't change someone's heart, but we can change ours and, just maybe, influence our spouses for good. I LOVED the part about deciding to be delightful. There's lots of funny, too. Of course there is.
I got this book not because my husband doesn't take the lead, but because I wanted to understand how to be a better support to him. I can honestly say that the things in the book aren't new--but I really enjoyed how they were presented. I have seen marriages fall apart because of issues that are addressed in this book. It's an easy read and worth the time for the upward boost, if nothing else.
The title sounds TERRIBLE to the feminist ear, but honestly, I liked the book. It was easy to breeze through and the ultimate point (that change comes with love, not criticism) hit home. I'm not married, and it will be a couple years before I even think about taking that step, but I think it provides some good insight to ALL romantic relationships (and maybe even the Platonic ones).
I've read a lot of marriage books, but what I loved about this one is that it gets to the heart of the matter. Bytheway puts many things that I have read in a clear, concise way that sticks with you. I'm glad I bought it (thanks Melissa for letting me know of it and the $3.99 price at Seagull!)- I'll be reading this one over again since I'm so good at forgetting great advise.
This is such a terrific little book. I finished reading it in about an hour. Then I passed it on to my husband who also gave it high praise. The title made me think it was going to be a "give the women a round of applause" type of book. Instead, Mr. Bytheway give straight advice on how to be a good person, wife, mother, friend or other. I wish I'd had this book years ago.
After reading the reviews on this book I decided to buy it because it seemed to focus on how I can change---not on how I can change my husband. He already does a wonderful job at leading in our home.
I loved this book. It was a short and easy read and helped me to recognize some simple changes I can make to improve my marriage and the relationship I have with my husband.
I loved this book. It was a short and easy read and helped me to recognize some simple changes I can make to improve my marriage and the relationship I have with my husband.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
John Bytheway (born October 1962) is an American author and academic, who is well known as a comic motivational speaker for youth within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Born in Salt Lake City, Bytheway attended the University of Utah and Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, receiving a Master's Degree in Religious Education. He also served as a missionary for the LDS Chu...more
More about John Bytheway...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
