Marriage, for Equals

Book excerpt: Marriage, for Equals: The Successful Joint (Ad)Ventures of Well-Educated Couples pulls back the curtain on a number of dangerously misleading messages promoted in the media and popular press that encourage us to commit to ticking-time-bomb relationships. In addition to revealing the telltale signs of doomed relationships, this book also describes a form of marriage that is highly successful and deeply rewarding to many of the smartest women in this generation. To profile these relationships, Marriage for Equals draws from a poll of more than 1200 women, mostly Harvard graduates and their equally capable friends, who are working to create truly equal partnerships. The end result is a guidebook to a marriage of equals that offers a blunt, bold, and refreshingly truthful approach about what it takes to create and sustain an exceptional partnership. "With a combination of research, clinical insight, and plain good sense, author Shauna Springer sorts out the state of romantic love today, bursting more than a few myths in the process. For anyone confused about intimate relationships, this book offers a clear, highly readable, and entertaining road map." -- Dr. Benjamin Karney, Professor of Psychology, UCLA "A fresh look at love and marriage, stripping away the fantasies and revealing the realities, this book should be read by every person who is (or hopes to be) in love and/or married. While grounded in research, the concepts are presented in common sense terms and are presented in a way that is both entertaining and enlightening. I wholeheartedly recommend it." -- Peggy Vaughan, Author and Host of DearPeggy.com "The best predictor of well-being is a healthy and happy relationship. By drawing on clinical experience and solid research, this wonderful book can help you realize your potential for well-being--and love." --Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, Author of Being Happy Shauna Springer, Ph.D., earned her undergraduate degree in English Literature from Harvard University and her doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Florida. She has particular expertise in marital counseling, stressor effects on marriage, trauma recovery, and women's issues.