Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

I chose this book because the cover caught my eye. “The love she most desires…the respect he desperately needs”. I was intrigued because though I’ve heard sermons on loving one another, I can’t say that the man’s need for respect is really discussed. Dr. Eggerichs focuses on Ephesians 5:33 - "However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." (NIV) to explain what men and women need in a marriage.

I appreciated his fresh perspective and the way he uses common marital discussions (at least in our house) to illustrate the differences between husbands and wives. He breaks the book into three parts, focusing first on the crazy cycle men and women get into when they don’t understand what the other needs. The second part provides specific examples of needs (openness, insight, etc.) and each chapter ends with ways to meet that need. The third part goes beyond the marriage relationship and explains why love and respect should be unconditional.

The examples he provided make the book easy to read and applicable. I hate when you read a book with standards too lofty to actually put into place. You won’t walk away from this book feeling like the ideals presented are unattainable, his message is simple and unique and the examples are reasonable. I would definitely recommend this book to others seeking to better understand their spouse.