Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage: Unlocking the ... (ISBN 1416558799)

Dare to believe that marriage is good...:
Reviewed by Leslie Storey for RebeccasReads (7/08) This book is about the differences between men and women and how it affects their relationship with each other. The concept is similar to many books out there but the author puts a slightly different spin on the principles by including scriptures when applicable and humor. The author, Mark Gungor, is a pastor at Celebration Church in Wisconsin, a motivational speaker, musician and CEO of Laugh Your Way America. He includes real life experiences, both his personal experiences and experiences of those that he counsels or attend his seminars. I will admit that the title is a bit misleading. I'm not sure what I was expecting; maybe how to laugh in your marriage and this book didn't provide that information. It did, however, provide a lot of insight into men and women and how they think or process information and how it will affect their spouse. It gave me a lot to think about when I request things from my husband and how he might act or react. Overall it is a good book and one that was an easy read. There is a section in the book called Sex, Lies and the Internet that is directed towards men in particular. Sure men may read the whole book but he starts the chapter by welcoming the men and saying that if they are like most guys they flipped to this chapter first. I'd say that he is pretty accurate with that statement. Women will learn from this section too, so don't skip it! There are a few quotes and passages that really struck me from this book and made me rethink how I view marriage whether it is my own or someone else's. "...finding someone to journey with in marriage is the slenderest part of a life-long relational journey. Marriage is more about work than about divine luck, more about finding someone to love than about finding someone to meet your own laundry list of personal needs." "Dare to believe marriage is good, that the one you are in is good. Dare to ask God to help you treasure it, appreciate it, and stay committed to it..." I would recommend this book to anyone that is looking to strengthen his or her relationship or wants to ensure that it continues to be successful.

A Helpful Marriage Guide:
This book is filled with a lot of information that should help couples save or strengthen their marriages. There is great advice and insight on the way men and women think and relate differently. There is an especially good explanation about what marriage really entails: it is not (and can not be) the Hollywood, romantic fantasyland that people are led to believe it should be. It is hard, hard work, with lots of ups and downs. In the end, couples who weather the guaranteed storms of married life end up stronger and happier. I am ambivalent about Pastor Gungor's use of straight talk when discussing sexual issues. I agree with him that a large part of misinformation comes from the hesitation of churches and families to speak openly and truthfully about what sex is and what it entails. On the other hand, reading a book by a Christian pastor that includes explicit references to private (and sometimes really private) parts - I don't know, it made for awkward reading on the subway. In addition, although Gungor takes the conservative Christian perspective on divorce, pre-marital sex and other related issues, he emphasizes only the secular arguments and stays away from the moral aspects of the discussion, which seems peculiar for a Christian pastor. Nevertheless, I recommend the book for any married persons who need to improve their situation, and get a few laughs along the way from Pastor Gungor's humor (that's where the laughing part comes in).

This book is all about how men and women differ...:
Laugh Your Way To A Better Marriage is NOT just for married people! It is a funny, effective look at the fundamental differences between men and women. Everyone could learn from Mark Gungor's book. I highly recommend it!! Kelly is CA

Reruns:
I always said that one of the things I loved most about my husband was that he made me laugh. Many people say that what they look for in a partner is a sense of humor. We have a great marriage but this sounded like a fun book to read and maybe help explain the way men think. However, it was a huge disappointment. There was nothing I hadn't heard before. A much better book is Men are like waffles--- Women are like spaghetti. In fact, it was like the writer read that book before he wrote this one. There are other books that say the same thing. If we don't know these things already we have been living in a box. (How many times do we have to be told that when we ask our husband what he is thinking and he says nothing, he really is not thinking about anything? How many times do we have to hear that women are always thinking but men can shut their minds off? How many times do we have to be told that men think about sex all the time (he really likes to talk about this and get explicit)and women don't? He even goes into what it takes to get a woman interested as opposed to men (everything gets a man interested). We never have a chance to forget that this guy travels around giving seminars as he mentions it in nearly every chapter. Endless self promtion as he is on You Tube over and over also. The only good thing I found in this book, was the last chapter which dealt with forgiveness. It was wonderful advice for everyone in any situation and really didn't fit in this book.

Love This Book!:
THIS BOOK IS AMAZING AND SO ON POINT WITH THE FACTS. THE SELLER WAS VERY FAST!