Judith S. Wallerstein (1921–2012)

The only non-fiction book that has ever managed to bring me close to tears. It is scary how many times I saw myself and my life in these pages. It explained some of my own characteristics and behavior patterns that I never quite understood before. And it ultimately helped me to overcome some of them.

This book seemed a little dated, but I guess that's because it was published in 1996. Wallerstein writes about only hetero marriages. None of the categories seems to fit my good marriage, but it was interesting to read about many different healthy relationships. I learned of this book after reading Wallerstein's obituary: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/21/health/research/judith-s-wallerstein-psycholog...

A must read for anyone interested in one marriage for a lifetime.

The transcript of a very interesting short interview with Judith Wallerstein by Elizabeth Farnsworth on the Jim Lehrer Newshour in 2000 can be found at: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/conversation/july-dec00/wallerstein_12-19.htm

And a balanced review of the book by Margaret Talbot in the New York Times can be found at:
http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/10/01/reviews/001001.01talbott.html