Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by jursion
The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts by Gary Chapman
4.0
I first read The Five Love Languages after what was, for me at the time, a devastating breakup in my college years. The thought must have occurred to me that I wasn't a particularly good romantic partner, and this book could help me learn from my mistakes. After reading it, I though I had discovered pure gold. Everyone in my life who even hinted that they had relationship issues was guaranteed to have this book recommended to them by me over the next decade. I made a promise to myself that I would read it again when I was about to get married, that my bride-to-be would also read it, and that we would re-read it every other year of our marriage to make sure we didn't forget how to love each other well.
Flash forward to the months before my wedding and our pastor handed us a copy of the book to read through before he tied the knot for us. On my second reading, I stalled out. My wife was good and went through the whole thing, but for my second reading, the ideas presented here seemed more like common sense than revolutionary relationship advice. Maybe that is to the author's credit, that the concepts in the book seemed so valuable that I internalized them and made them my new normal, but I have also shed the naivety of my youth, which made me love the book so much. I now understand that there is no one book to fix every troubled relationship, every time.
If your marriage could use a tune-up, (and if you're married, I can almost promise you it will eventually), then sure, give The Five Love Languages a whirl. It can't hurt, and in many cases it has radically helped couples learn to love each other correctly. Just know that it's not the be-all, end-all, and not a universal cure. If you finish and still need support in your marriage, admit it to yourself and your spouse, and go get more support!
...and yes. If someone were to ask me, it would still be the first I'd recommend.
Flash forward to the months before my wedding and our pastor handed us a copy of the book to read through before he tied the knot for us. On my second reading, I stalled out. My wife was good and went through the whole thing, but for my second reading, the ideas presented here seemed more like common sense than revolutionary relationship advice. Maybe that is to the author's credit, that the concepts in the book seemed so valuable that I internalized them and made them my new normal, but I have also shed the naivety of my youth, which made me love the book so much. I now understand that there is no one book to fix every troubled relationship, every time.
If your marriage could use a tune-up, (and if you're married, I can almost promise you it will eventually), then sure, give The Five Love Languages a whirl. It can't hurt, and in many cases it has radically helped couples learn to love each other correctly. Just know that it's not the be-all, end-all, and not a universal cure. If you finish and still need support in your marriage, admit it to yourself and your spouse, and go get more support!
...and yes. If someone were to ask me, it would still be the first I'd recommend.