The husband does a book review: The Dude’s Guide to Marriage

My husband, Gil, recently read a good book he would highly recommend to other husbands...or those wishing to become a husband. Darrin and Amie Patrick co-wrote this fun book, an easy-to-read, yet encouraging guide to helping husbands develop skills to love his wife well. 

I can tell when Gil likes a book. He moves it from room to room in our house- from the bedroom, to the living room, to the dining room- where ever he will sit for a few minutes and read a few pages. Also, he reads me quotes he appreciates from the book. 

Of all the quotes from the book that seemed to really cause us to think, the best one is: ”Community is diverse, disturbing, and challenging, unlike affinity, which is bland, reinforcing and safe.” (58)

We speak a lot about community in our own lives and ministry. We get the importance of having a strong community around ourselves, but using the terms “diverse, disturbing and challenging” brought true community into new light for me. It’s so easy to keep ourselves surrounded by others like us- therefore creating a bland and safe space. But true community is often in-your-face kind of relationships, whether because of extreme differences among the culture of the people involved or because the relationships as deep enough to call each other out in places where growth is needed. The Patricks urge men to involve themselves in true community- I’d say that community is necessary for everyone. 

Gil also liked Darrin’s suggestions of ways to celebrate the Sabbath in chapter 6- Rest, a rested husband is a peaceful husband. I’ll keep those tips a secret for those that read the book- it’s good stuff though. And, since I am a wife to a husband that needs rest, I find this chapter extra helpful because I can learn a few ways to make my husband’s days off even better. 

Go grab yourself, your spouse and someone else a copy of this quick-to-read book. It’ll be like hanging out with a trusted friend for a little while. 

Thank you BookLook for providing me with a free copy of this book to review. It was fun having Gil’s input on one of my reviews! Our opinions are our own. 

Lindsay