For Better

“A jam-packed, lucid survey of the science behind a sound marriage. No wonder she is so popular.”—Mehmet Oz, M.D., host of The Dr. Oz Show and Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University 

“This terrific informative book on marriage should be given out with every marriage license! There is something here for everyone, gay or straight, newly married or celebrating many years! Highly recommended.”—Susan M. Love, author of Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book and Live a Little

“Finally! A real guide to making your marriage work. Tara Parker-Pope gives us all the latest concrete scientific information about how to get and keep life’s greatest prize—a good partnership. It’s educated; accurate; and honest. And it’s a good read.”—Helen Fisher, Ph.D., author of The New York Times bestseller Anatomy of Love

“This is science writing at its best. Tara Parker-Pope has as keen an eye for sociological spiderwebs as Malcolm Gladwell. She takes the most hidden-in-plain-sight situation—a struggling marriage—and cleverly follows all the causative strands.”—Christopher McDougall, author of the New York Times bestseller Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and The Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

“Step by step, Tara Parker-Pope demystifies our most entrenched assumptions about love, sex and marital bonds. By translating the latest science into engagingly told, smartly considered insights, Tara has given us a landmark look at marriage—and profound reasons for optimism about the love in our lives.”—Jeffrey Zaslow, author of The New York Times bestseller The Girls From Ames

“A truly excellent exploration of marriage, written in clear and compelling prose, delighting the reader with surprising observations.”—Jerome Groopman, M.D., author of the New York Times bestseller How Doctors Think

“I couldn’t wait to read Tara Parker-Pope’s For Better, consuming it in one swoop. Tara takes her rigorous reporting in a field swamped with self-help books and cuts through to the science of marriage, returning with lessons that are counterintuitive: it’s the little gestures that matter, eye-rolling is a predictor of divorce rates, and having outside friends can help strengthen a marriage. This is a book that parents will give to their children, groomsmen give to their friends, and spouses will give to each other for a long time to come.”—Jennifer 8. Lee, author of the Fortune Cookie Chronicles

“A savvy, practical guide for side-stepping the doggy poop and dead ends that all couples encounter along that zany, zig-zaggy path we travel from ‘I do’ to ‘I can…and will!'”—Harvey Karp, M.D., author of the New York Times bestseller The Happiest Toddler on the Block

“A gem of a book on marriage. It is chock full of rich scientific findings and tips on how the male and female brain can love better and live better together. Reading this book will absolutely improve your marriage.”—Louann Brizendine, M.D., author of The Female Brain and The Male Brain

“Countless self-help books have been written about marriage. It’s the rare work, however, that has the rigor and factual grounding of For Better: The Science of a Good Marriage. Written with a sharp eye by New York Times health reporter Tara Parker-Pope, the book examines research studies on marriage and distills their findings into lessons for couples… Armed with studies showing the health and financial perks to being married, and sharing proven ways to achieve a happy union, Parker-Pope succeeds in making a convincing argument for investing in our marriages.”—Rasha Madkour, Associated Press
 
“Recommended reading for GeekDads and GeekMoms—indeed, for anyone contemplating marriage (or divorce).… For Better is great because it gives you a way to assess the health of your marriage and find its strengths and weaknesses, and then offers concrete steps towards addresses the problem areas.”— Jonathan H. Liu, Wired
 
“Well-crafted, comforting, helpful—yes. For Better is a good gift for the lovelorn.”—Susan Jane Gilman, NPR.com