I love, love, LOVE Christian marriage resources, probably more than the average bear. Ok MUCH more than any average person (who I know) loves a good marriage book.
I suppose if I had one hobby that was just something I enjoyed by myself, it would be reading. And I like reading something that’s encouraging, educational, or fun, so marriage books are often at least one or two of those.
And I got a chance to read and review Dude’s Guide to Marriage, so I jumped on it. I mean, I’m not a dude, but I do like to know what’s being said to dudes in marriage books. So it peaked my interest.
Dude’s Guide to Marriage by Darrin Patrick (with thoughts from his wife Amie) promises 10 skills every husband must develop to love his wife well. (You may recognize his name from Dude’s Guide to Manhood which I have not read, because, again, not a dude.)
The 10 skills he talks about are how to : listen, talk, fight, grow, provide, rest, serve, submit, pursue, and worship. Each of these is backed by stories or studies, include his wife’s thoughts and perspectives, and then 5 questions to think about, reflect on, or even, I don’t know, discuss with your wife…she might like that.
I’m a fan of his writing style, in that it’s super approachable, easy to read, and even when he sites studies or research it doesn’t feel like reading research which is good because, that can suck the fun right out of a room.
I also like that the appendix offers dude-friendly resources and thoughts on singleness, counseling, spirituality, and using love languages. High five.
Here’s my only caveat to any wife, soon-to-be-wife, or other woman reading this post: while I liked this book and in talking to my husband think men would like this book, I do not recommend buying a book like this for your husband and say, leaving it on his pillow in hopes that he “takes the hint” and learns something about marriage.
Each of our journeys looks differently, including our husbands’ and if he wants to and is ready to grow, then he will look for or ask for help in finding a resource.
Final Thoughts: I appreciate dudes taking time to talk to other dudes about dude-stuff and dude-growth in marriage. So thanks to Darrin Patrick for dudin’ it.
What are some of your favorite marriage resources? I’d love to hear about them!
**I received a copy of Dude’s Guide to Marriage from Family Christian. The opinions here are my own. Please check out my Disclosure Policy.**
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