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rigglet's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.5
sami_bassett's review
5.0
Great read for anyone who struggles to communicate in ANY relationship, not just couples with babies. I am a person who needs practicality and not theory from books like this, and that's exactly what I got. The Gottman's break down several real life examples of unproductive conflict and then give an example of how the conflict could have been resolved. I know Goodreads has a five star scale but... 10/10 ⭐ for emphasis.
erikars's review
5.0
A baby puts stress on a relationship. How well a couple weathers that stress is important both for the health of that relationship and on the longer term happiness and well being of the baby. The effects are both direct and indirect: stress can lead directly to distress in everyone in the family, and it can also lead to eventual divorce and the negative consequences of that.
This book takes a practical and concrete approach to helping couples handle the changes that a new baby brings. Unlike much of the advice on the topic, this isn't just things like "appreciate each other" or "divide chores evenly". This book is filled with detailed exercises which, if you go through them with your partner, will help you figure out what areas are likely to be troublesome for you and help you deal with them.
One thing to note about this book: most of it isn't specific to parents. Although I haven't read all of Gottman's books, of the three I have read (this one, [b:Why Marriages Succeed or Fail|56692|Why Marriages Succeed or Fail And How You Can Make Yours Last|John M. Gottman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1395628761l/56692._SY75_.jpg|55249], and [b:The Science of Trust|10650879|The Science of Trust Emotional Attunement for Couples|John M. Gottman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348431457l/10650879._SY75_.jpg|15559902]), this one is by far the best presentation of practical exercises to help a couple improve their communication. My husband and I found the exercises valuable as we went through them, even ignoring the upcoming baby. So even if you aren't parents, this book may be worth taking a look at.
This book takes a practical and concrete approach to helping couples handle the changes that a new baby brings. Unlike much of the advice on the topic, this isn't just things like "appreciate each other" or "divide chores evenly". This book is filled with detailed exercises which, if you go through them with your partner, will help you figure out what areas are likely to be troublesome for you and help you deal with them.
One thing to note about this book: most of it isn't specific to parents. Although I haven't read all of Gottman's books, of the three I have read (this one, [b:Why Marriages Succeed or Fail|56692|Why Marriages Succeed or Fail And How You Can Make Yours Last|John M. Gottman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1395628761l/56692._SY75_.jpg|55249], and [b:The Science of Trust|10650879|The Science of Trust Emotional Attunement for Couples|John M. Gottman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348431457l/10650879._SY75_.jpg|15559902]), this one is by far the best presentation of practical exercises to help a couple improve their communication. My husband and I found the exercises valuable as we went through them, even ignoring the upcoming baby. So even if you aren't parents, this book may be worth taking a look at.
hatichai's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Great if you haven’t read his other books, otherwise it is repetitive.
robc's review against another edition
3.0
If you have read any of the other Gottman books, such as Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child or any of his relationship books, you can pass on this one since it contains much of the same material.