Marriage Actually - An honest look at marriage

Marriage, a History

by Bald Man on February 12th, 2008

I came across a book that looks quite interesting, Marriage, a History, by Stephanie Coontz. This is from the book jacket:

Marriage today is held up as a blissful haven of love and friendship, sex and stability. We long for the gold standard, the traditional marriage, but marriage turns out to have a checkered past. This real look at what people think of as “traditional” finally explains why so many people are so anxious about marriage.

In this groundbreaking book, award-winning historian Stephanie Coontz takes us on journey from the marital intrigues of ancient Babylon to the sexual torments of Victorian lovers to the current debates over the meaning and future of marriage. She provides the definitive story of marriage’s evolution from the arranged unions common since the dawn of civilization into the intimate, sexually fulfilling but volatile relationships of today.

I’ve got the book on request from my library and will review it in due time. While you’re waiting, you can read the first chapter on-line over at the author’s website.

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POSTED IN: Marriage Books