Official Review: The 8 Reasons for Divorce

[miztree46]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The 8 Reasons for Divorce" by Thomas G. Papps.]

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A client of Attorney Thomas G. Papps made a comment that he must know a lot about marriage. The client made this remark because it appeared that he knew a lot about the subject. Mr. Papps realized that he actually knew very little about this issue, so he decided to educate himself about what it takes to have a good marriage. He read many journals and other literature about it. During his research he found that many mental health counselors, marriage counselors and clergy only guess and preach about this subject. He also found that many of these professionals are not trained to give good advice about marriage. Disturbed by this reality, Mr. Papps wrote the book “8 Reasons for Divorce: Why Marriages Fail and How to Ensure Yours Doesn't” in an effort “To protect those who love deeply.”

Mr. Papps aimed to accomplish a few goals with this book: to keep people from having to go through the painful process of divorce; to help people approach the issue of marriage with a more discerning eye; to help couples assess their marriage and determine whether or not they are headed for divorce; to help judges, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists act with wisdom and compassion as they guide their clients though pre-marital counseling or divorce proceedings.

The author examined over one thousand files of his former clients to find out why marriages fail. These stories led him to make certain conclusions about what puts a marriage in danger. Once he reviewed his files, he found there were 8 major reasons why some marriages end in divorce. The book includes these factors and provides insight into why certain marriages survive and why some marriages do not. The author talked about the different types of relationship that his former clients had during their marriage and revealed some of the unproductive tactics they use to try to keep their marriage together. Some stories were disturbing. Others were very touching.

What I really liked about the book is that he explained common-law marriage, because many people have assumptions about this topic. The author talked about what people commonly believe and then gave a clear explanation of what a true common law marriage is. He also corrected the misconceptions people have about divorce proceedings.

I give this book a formal rating of 3 out of 4 stars. I whole heartedly agree that many people are not realistic about what it takes to create a good marriage, but I think that the author was a bit harsh when he used certain words to describe some of his former clients. The off-putting language is a sign of the author’s passion and frustration about this subject, but there are some readers whom may take offence when they read some of the author’s conclusions.

I think the tests in the fifth part of the book can be extremely helpful to couples. One test has two parts and is designed to help couples determine if their marriage is headed for divorce. The other test was designed to help people decide if they are ready for marriage. There are also topics and questions that the author believes married and unmarried couples should discuss.

This is an important book. It is well written and it is easy to follow, although there is some legal terminology that may be difficult for some readers to understand. There are a few typos but none of them interrupt the flow of the stories or make it difficult to understand the information that was presented. The book has about two hundred pages but I finished reading it after a few days.

The author’s up-close and personal experience with his clients showed that he knows what he is talking about. I don’t agree with all of his opinions and conclusions, but I believe that the majority of the material in this book will help couples evaluate their marriages or potential marriages. I think it can also be used by the professionals who counsel people about marital issues.

If your marriage is in trouble or you are thinking about getting married, 8 Reasons for Divorce is a book that is definitely for you.

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[ALRyder]

This seems like an interesting new way to look at the topic of a lot of other books.