As psychiatrist John Jacobs explains in this fresh and impassioned book, marriages today are incredibly fragile. Once we recognize the new realities of marriage and confront the seven lies, we can reverse marital problems before it's too late.

Part of the problem is that we refuse to see how social and historical forces have changed the very meaning of marriage, causing serious unhappiness.We tend to believe in the "lies of marriage" and forget to engage in the constant hard work required to keep our marriages alive.

The Seven Lies (And Truths) Of Marriage

LIE: All you need is love.
TRUTH:Marital love is conditional.

LIE: Talking things out always works.
TRUTH:Marital communication is more than honest speech.

LIE: People don't change.
TRUTH:Change is always possible and little changes can produce big results.

LIE: When you marry, you create your own family.
TRUTH:You bring your upbringing along no matter how hard you fight tokeep it out.

LIE: Egalitarian marriage is easier than traditional marriage.
TRUTH:You'll be whipsawed between the old and the new marital paradigms.

LIE: Children solidify a marriage.
TRUTH:Children are a serious threat to your marriage.

LIE: In bed, you're safe from outside influences.
TRUTH:There's a media circus in bed with you.