I'd Trade My Husband for a Housekeeper: Loving Your Marriage After the Baby Carriage
by Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile

Available in paperback or Kindle. Chronicle Books, 2009; ISBN: 0811867358; 178 pages.

These authors have a gift for picking titles. Their previous book, I Was a Really Good Mom Before I had Kids, claimed to "reinvent modern motherhood." I've not read that one, but I can tell you I've had a love-hate response to this one. It encouraged and discouraged me at the same time.

What I Liked: In an age and culture where most hold a consumer's view of marriage, this book offers a mature look at commitment. In other words, some people need to grow up! A promise is a promise. Sometimes it will be great, and sometimes it will take a lot of work. The authors use logic, persuasion, personal stories, expert quotes and statistics to show what works in marriage and what doesn't. They encourage moms to care not only for their children, but for themselves and their marriages as well. If we want healthy marriages, we must make them a priority. Furthermore, by preserving healthy marriages and healthy self-image, mothers actually help their kids to have greater confidence, positive self images and a solid sense of security. I loved the main text of this book.

I greatly appreciate the extent of the authors' research. They relaid wisdom from experts in business, relationships, parenting and even time-management -- all of which applies to healthy families and marriages.

On top of all this, the book is beautifully packaged. It's attractive, funny and witty (in parts) and generally well-written.

What I Disliked: The sidebars and random quotes were too much. Readers will find at least one for every two-page spread, sometimes as many as three. They interrupted the flow and distracted from the better, meatier text. The "Little Dirty Secrets" (quoted confessions from real wives) are horrible. Most promote unhealthy behavior rather than offer positive corrections. Some sidebars consumed a whole page and, while they may have been interesting, had nothing to do with that section of the book.

Overall: I would definitely recommend the book IF the sidebars were eliminated or, at the very least, severely decreased in number. As is, it's just a ho-hum book. There are some great bits of information, but it all could have been compiled into a neat pamphlet or ebook instead of a big, rather expensive paperback.

Caveat: Please note that this book does contain foul language. Most occurrences use the b-word or the s-word. A couple sidebar quotes use the f-word.

Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture

by Mary E. DeMuth

Available in paperback. Harvest House Publishers, 2007; ISBN: 0736918620; 250 pages.

Do we need another parenting book? Well, this is a different kind and so the answer is yes --- but not any more. Mary has done a fantastic job looking at parenting outside of cultural definitions. This book is not about modern vs. postmodern parenting, though she does touch on that. This book is about consistent Christ-filled parenting in spite of the culture. It is a timeless resource for parents of this generation and many to follow.

What is meant by "authentic parenting"? Rather than brutal honesty, it is simply a lack of hypocrisy. Christianity in America often favors the picture-perfect family. Appearances matter. We want everyone to think we've got it all together. We also cling to our sub-culture, our Christian bubbles, rather than engaging the lost culture around us. Well, the truth is we're human and so no one has it all together. Secondly, Scripture tells us to be in the world, but not of it. We can't be in it, if we refuse to acknowledge it. Mary's book encourages believers to be authentic, not just in their Christianity, but in their parenting as well.Authentic parenting (as detailed in this book) is conversational in nature. Children and parents learn together and from each other (a truth laced throughout this blog and my writing from the beginning). Parents create a haven where children can be children safely. They seek out the treasures hidden in their kids and encourage them with optimism.

"Whatever we believe, we will pass, overtly or subliminally, to our children, who will then use what we have taught them as a filter through which they will view all of life," (p. 49). The difference between this book and other parenting books discussing culture is the persistence of absolute truth. As Christians we know experience may be relative, but truth is not. Society is moving closer and closer to having no definition of truth whatsoever. But God is truth. He is the definition. As Christian parents, we must instill the knowledge and respect of this Truth in our children while preparing them to live in a culture that refuses to acknowledge it.I highly recommend this powerful book. You can read an excerpt from the book by clicking here.

Here is a glimpse of Mary's heart via quotes from this book: "What bothers me [is] all the pontificating. It's as if we've lost Jesus in the midst of our very intellectual discussions about postmodernity. ... And all the while we write and talk and parent, using words, but not living them out. ... Jesus is a person. He is more than mind. He is even more than words. Perhaps we do ourselves a disservice by if we allow our minds to intellectualize everything. I preach this to myself. I love words, make a living from them. But I don't want to be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Jesus. I don't want to forget Him -- He who rescued me from myself, sin, hell. ... I pray that [when asked how I feel about Jesus] my heart would be so knitted to His, so grateful for His life, that all I can do is weep. Or maybe laugh." (pp. 54, 55)

Final Thoughts: A must-read for Christian parents whether culturally savy or not. Definitely recommended.

For Women Only: what you need to know about the inner lives of men

by Shaunti Feldhahn

Available in hardcover, paperback, audiobook and instant download. Multnomah, 2005; ISBN: 1590523172; 192 pages


While doing research for one of her novels, Shaunti Feldhahn stumbled upon some shocking information. Men have been trying to tell women about themselves, but women have consistently misinterpretted those messages. As a result, women are relatively clueless about the inner lives of their men. Through extensive surveys and analytical interviews, the author continued her research then compiled the findings in this book.

Easy to read and supported by facts from her research, this book is certainly eye-opening. Not every aspect is perfectly accurate for every man -- these are generalizations of the norm, but there are always exceptions. Even with the exceptions, this book is of great worth. It has helped me value my husband and his struggles to a greater degree. It has encouraged me to be a better help-mate for my husband, a cheerleader and someone he can't wait to come home to.

The author has written a similar book for men about women and more for young people.

Final Thoughts: VERY GOOD.