Two Fleas & No Dog: Transform Your Marriage from Fleadom to Freedom

by Craig Hill

This book is a practical book that presents three key elements that will reignite in your marriage the fulfillment, security, and stress-free environment you had always hoped for: Covenant, Communication and Conflict Resolution.

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Paige Gordon]

Although it is not on any of the bestseller lists for books about marriage (at least none that I have seen), don't let that fool you into thinking this book is not worth your time. Far from it! It is an excellent book about the communication and heart issues couples in every marriage face and gives very practical steps you can take to leave behind the destructive patterns and start working together to build a marriage that will last. Craig talks about three principles - Covenant, Communication, and Conflict - and shares how a proper understanding of the principles behind them, along with taking specific actions to improve all of them, can have a drastic effect on the health of your marriage. I have not read any marriage book so far that delves as deeply into the idea of the Covenant of marriage and I found that part quite fascinating. I also found the recommendations that he gives for improving communication and resolving conflict to be spot on. Overall, this is a very worthy addition to any collection of marriage books and if you do the things that he says, I can guarantee your marriage will improve. Highly recommended!

Favorite Quote: "If I continue this process (having intimate conversation with someone other than my spouse), the account balance may grow to the point that I suddenly I am experiencing romantic or sexual feelings toward this other person to whom I am not married. At this point, I am shocked, as I, myself thought it was just an innocent friendship. Not understanding this sowing and reaping process is how many adulterous affairs begin. In reality, intimate communication is taking place with this other person on a level that it is not taking place with a spouse, and this is meeting a deep need inside... So, the key to affair-proofing your marriage is to not just try and stop the potential feelings toward other people, but rather to keep on open channel of regular, intimate communication with your spouse. When the feeling of romantic love in your heart toward your spouse is high due to regular intimate communication between you, there is very little motivation or temptation to begin that process of sharing from the heart with others."

[Corey]

This is a Christian marriage book that contains extremely surface level advice disguised as an extremely convoluted metaphor. The author repeatedly tries to sell you his own services, and when not doing that he's making wild claims about "eastern cultures" (he does not specify which eastern cultures) without citing any reputable sources on the matter.

He frequently starts a paragraph with "I am told" followed by a bizarre claim that nearly always lacks a source.

If you're a fundamentalist Christian this book might help your marriage but the metaphor is so nonsensical and convoluted that you're really better off asking your pastor for a marriage counseling recommendation with a licensed relationship counselor if you specifically want advice for christians. Nothing Craig Hill says is particularly deep, revolutionary, or helpful.

[Vanessa Allbutt]

A very solid book: could relate to so much of what Craig Hill wrote about the emotional messages we unconsciously send each other. Also loved the challenge to use our marital conflict to analyse ourselves and with God's leading, identify past wounds, so they can be addressed and healed and no longer affecting us.
A couple of the early chapters deal in depth with covenant, and these chapters I found a little slow and heavy, but it provides a foundation for the rest of the book. After all, a biblical covenant marriage should be our goal, and we can't aim for what we can't identify. But after these chapters, it becomes more practical. Excellent advice of heart to heart conversation, emotional vs topical messages, and conflict resolution. Highly recommend this book!

[QueenSchlemiel]

Informative and transforming. Gives a lot of good advice and new insight into what a covenant marriage actually is. Covenant marriage is a much higher calling than a contract marriage. More people need to hear and understand what a covenant actually is.

[Anna D. Samuels]

Interesting concept to marriage

The book opened my eyes to the covenant of marriage. Anyone looking for more insight about marriage will find this useful.

[Tony Kauffmann]

interesting book about relationships. About 3 or 4 chapters are solid gold, the rest is meh