Are you looking for a way to rekindle the intimacy in your marriage? Does the fact that he is spontaneous, which you once thought was great, now drives you up the wall? If she gets caught up in a book and forgets about fixing dinner one more time, will you run screaming to the hills?
There's Hope!
The authors of "Just Your Type" say that these personality quirks and behaviors don't have to mean the end of your marriage. There is hope! Although no relationship is perfect, with commitment and work, even the most opposite spouses can learn to accept, understand and appreciate one another. Differences can be looked at in a positive light.The extensive research that was done for this book represented a wide range of ages, education levels, finances, ethnicity, time in the relationship, and political beliefs along with all four temperaments and all sixteen Myers-Briggs types. A key finding was that the single most important component of a satisfying and successful relationship is effective communication.
Long -Term Marriages
An interesting comment was made about long-term marriages: Every relationship has its times of closeness and distance -- of ebb and flow. Sometimes the key is to just wait faithfully for the tide to turn. As one couple explained, "Every couple has something they're good at together. Maybe it's entertaining, or parenting, or traveling, or just working on the house together. Find that something. And then when times are difficult, do it. Do it while you pass the time and one of you figures out what else to do or until things shift on their own. They often do, you know."Bottom Line
We like the fact that Paul and Barbara stress that you can't change anyone else but yourself. This book can give couples valuable insight into themselves as individuals and as a couple. Once you have identified your types, you can easily find your couple combination and learn the joys, the frustrations, and tips on how to best reach your partner.Great book. Highly recommended.
The book includes interesting and helpful exercises to help a couple get to the heart of their relationship.
by Paul D. Tieger & Barbara Barron-Tieger
Paperbook, 336pp. ISBN: 0316845698
Little, Brown & Company , Dec. 1999
