The Good Fight: How Conflict Can Bring You Closer by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott
Non-fiction. 288 Pages. 4 Stars
Synopsis:
Discover the secret to a genuinely happy marriage! Drawing on extensive research and their years as marriage counselors, Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott
uncover common misbeliefs about marital conflict, showing couples how a “good fight” actually enriches a relationship, making it stronger. Men and women will learn what pitfalls to avoid, how to use conflict for good, and how to diffuse anger and hurt feelings. Filled with practical advice that couples can implement quickly and easily, The Good Fight helps husbands and wives build a relationship where harmony outweighs tension and peace finds a home.
My Review:
As I get older, I find that I really like non-fiction more and more. The trick is finding non-fiction on subjects that interest you. Apparently, psychology interests me more than I thought. This is a book about how to fight, not what issues are petty or worth fighting over. Good fighting vs. bad fighting isn’t about whether or not to fight and it isn’t about topics to fight over. It’s about addressing the differences and conflicts you have appropriately and in such a manner as to productively seek a resolution.
I am not married, but read this as part of a book club. As a result, I can say as a single gal, I still found the content useful. I appreciated the tag-teaming of the married couple who wrote the book together. They write simply and clearly. They break down the big, scary psychological ideas–when those are even necessary to include–into easy to understand bite-sized pieces. The writing was very approachable and targeted to normal, everyday people. The ideas were clear, concise, and practical. They provided not only the eye-opening ideas to consider, poignant, real-life examples to support those ideas, but also practical ways to apply potential solutions.
An excellent read that I would suggest for anyone who wants to dig deeper into their relationships and learn more about themselves and others. There is one short section that addresses specific topics (the top most argued about topics in marriage) and sex is one of those topics, but they take a very professional approach to the two to three pages.