Love and Respect For a Lifetime is a non-fiction gift book about making a marriage work according to God's promises. In Ephesians 5:33 Paul tells husbands to love their wives and wives are to respect their husbands. This bible verse is the premise for the entire book, the message being that women are already wired to love unconditionally but not wired to respect unconditionally and that men are wired to respect unconditionally but not to love unconditionally. Dr. Emerson Eggerichs claims that men need respect like they need air and that women need love like they need air and that either gender is not wired to offer they other what they need so desperately. His book details how men need to be respected and offers examples of ways in which women can respect their husbands and details how women need to be loved and offers examples of that as well. This book really encourages you to open up to your spouse and ask them what they need and how you can meet those needs.
Dr. Eggerichs also offers another book with the same title that goes into more details and philosophy. I think the gift book is nice because it sums up the other book and has lots of pictures illustrating the examples. This book is easier to get through (I have read the other) and takes less time. The message is the same in either book.
Personally, I think this is a good book and my husband and I have used this methodology in our relationship. It helps give you a vocabulary to use when you have a disagreement that the other partner can understand. One thing I disagree with Eggerichs on is that sometimes women need respect, maybe not in the same way as men but still many of the needs that my husband has with regards to respect I have as well.
I am glad that I read this book and would recommend it to other Christian couples who are married, engaged or thinking about becoming engaged. I enjoyed the gift book and would recommend actually giving it as a gift.
To comply with new regulations introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, I must post that BookSneeze has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book to review. I also must say that the opinions are all mine.
