The Mirages of Marriage

by Don D. Jackson, William J. Lederer, Karl A. Menninger (Introduction)

s/t: A Profoundly Original Look at the Marital Relationship with No-Nonsense...
This helpful, incisive analysis of marriage in America discusses the false assumptions of modern marriage and how to make a marriage work.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Marriage, Relationships

473 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1968

Reviews

[elbren · Rating 1 out of 5]

OMG. Just stop now. The passive-aggressive subtext is an interesting study in unacknowledged sexism, but in terms of actual marital advice? not so much. They make such a big deal that "he" means "spouse", but - look here! - they use "one" where they actually mean "she". And who can trust any book that purports to study and describe problems in marriage without any discussion of domestic violence or abuse? hmm. maybe it's because those aren't common marital problems, from the perspective of MEN.
In terms of actual useful advice, here, I'll summarize: communicate your actual needs, and be honest about where they're not being met, and listen to your spouse when she does the same. That one sentence is the most helpful thing this book has to say.

[Miriam Holsinger · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the premise of viewing relationships as a system. however the examples, especially in the antiquated situations were tiring and irrelevant.