VoiceMale: What Husbands Really Think About Their Marriages, Their Wives, Sex, Housework, and Commitment

As Chethik learns from in-depth interviews with 70 men and a survey of another 288, sex, money, in-laws, styles of communication, the division of housework and child-rearing philosophy are the most volatile areas of the marriage relationship. No surprises there. But within those categories Chethik culls insights about the importance of these issues and successful strategies husbands employ to minimize the friction they create. For example, Chethik (FatherLoss ) found that couples who divide housework satisfactorily are less likely to consider divorce, less likely to stray, less likely to say their marriages are unstable, and, for good measure, they have more frequent sex. According to Chethik, marriages pass through four phases—newlyweds, family times, empty nest and mature marriage—and he explores husbands' changing viewpoints as they pass through these stages. Readers will find the discussions of mature marriages most original and will also be encouraged by the level of happiness reported by so many men in long-lasting relationships. Chethik ends with a number of suggestions on how to develop a happy marriage that are well taken and offered with a generous spirit. Agent, Alice Martell. (Jan.)