This is the seventh review in a series of posts about books for married men.

The 10 Commandments of Marriage, by Ed Young, is definitely the most basic of the seven books I’ve reviewed so far in this series. It’s a great primer on the relationship of a husband and wife… how do do the big things. Here’s the ten commandments:

1. Thou Shalt Not Be a Selfish Pig
2. Thou Shalt Cut The Apron Strings
3. Thou Shalt Continually Communicate
4. Thou Shalt Make Conflict Thy Ally
5. Thou Shalt Avoid The Quicksand Of Debt
6. Thou Shalt Flee Sexual Temptation
7. Thou Shalt Forgive Thy Mate
8. Thou Shalt Keep The Home Fires Burning
9. Thou Shalt Begin Again And Again
10. Thou Shalt Build A Winning Team

As far as the content of the book goes, that’s it in a nutshell. I’ve given too much of it away already to say much more; suffice that every point is well supported and well explained. The writing sometimes feels corny, like the author is trying too hard, but it’s a lot of solid advice and wisdom for any couple. While I’m not likely to recommend it to men as strongly as some of the other books that made deeper points, this is certainly a starting point for anyone who’s researching the “how to” of an “I do” relationship.

This is the sixth review in a series of posts about books for married men.

Stu Weber has some pretty intense manliness credentials. At left is the Bronze Star, the fourth-highest combat award of the U.S. Armed Forces. Stu Weber has three of them. That he won as a Green Beret. He also holds a Master’s of Divinity, and a doctorate. Anyone with higher qualifications of manliness may skip this post. Now that I have everyone’s attention, on to the book.

This is the fifth review in a series of posts about books for married men.

Sheet Music, by Kevin Leman, is an interesting book to review since it deals with marriage exclusively through sex. This is perfect if you are newlyweds, or if your marriage needs some “BAM! Kick it up a notch!”; however, it’s not a book for anyone who’s more than a week away from marriage. That said, the review will be G-rated (and rather short since the book certainly isn’t!). Leman describes the book best in chapter one when he writes, “It’s not just a how-to-do-it manual… [it’s] a do-it-yourself look at why to do it and how to do it better.”

Here’s a great article my wife Twittered @me today from Time Magazine. One good line: “A lasting marriage is the reward, usually, of hard work and self-sacrifice.” Now, that’s certainly not to say it isn’t worth it. But it’s like anything else: a good marriage doesn’t come from a microwave. Is there hope for the American Marriage?

This is a guest post from my lovely wife. I’m including it in my series of reviews of books for married men since it is the original book from which For Men Only was derived. I will say that the book (which I haven’t read yet) has helped me a ton, since it’s helped my wife love me, and a loving wife is the most precious gift God has given me aside from salvation.

This is the third review in a series of posts about books for married men.

For Men Only (and the counterpart For Women Only) by Jeff and Shaunti Feldhahn were required reading when Emma and I went through our marriage counseling. They’re quick reads - but they were also some of the most helpful books we read.

For Men Only is really a guide to understanding why women do certain things. It’s broken down into six categories - “Key Findings About Women” - that were noted handily in a “Quick Start Guide” right inside the front cover. The six areas are outlined briefly below.

This is the second review in a series of posts about books for married men.

Love and Respect, by Emmerson Eggerichs, was given to Emma and me as an engagement gift and the advice in it has helped us more than we know.

Dr. Eggerichs writes about relationships between man and wife based on Ephesians 5:33. He believes that the deepest need of a man is to be respected, while the deepest need of a woman is to be loved. That simple explanation really resonated with Emma and me on our respective sides of the equation, but Eggerichs goes deeper. Men, he writes, are motivated to love when they feel respected. Women are motivated to respect when they feel loved. Out of this, according to Eggerichs, relationships develop into three different cycles.

This is the first review in a series of posts about books for married men.

It’s a pretty common recommendation for newlyweds to read, and for good reason. Dr. Gary Chapman’s The Five Love Languages is a relationship classic with editions for couples, singles, parents, divorcees, those struggling to feel God’s love…. I know without a doubt that it has helped Emma and I to understand and show love for each other - which makes us both feel more loved!

I got married last month, and lots of people have given me books about how to be a married man, how to treat my wife, how to understand (or at least cope with not understanding) my wife, etc, etc, etc. And I think that, if you’re married, being a real man depends very strongly on how you get along with your spouse. So I’ve decided that I’ll review each one of the books as I read them (or as I find the time to write reviews) with the goal of doing about one every week or two. Below is a list of the books I intend to review in this series; comment if you think I’ve missed any good ones!

Finally! Emma, I have longed to be with you day after day… this is the happiest day of my life, and I know that when I wake up tomorrow morning with you beside me, I will be that much happier. I love you. If you were wondering, yes, I wrote this post ahead of time; right now, I’m completely focused on my wife.

“An excellent wife is the crown of her husband.” -Proverbs 12:4