Behind Every Good Man

This last week I finished John Bytheway's newest book: Behind Every Good Man. I actually started reading it because of the store meeting I had at Deseret Book last week. It sounded good and I like John Bytheway, so I picked it up. Even though I'm not yet married, I learned a lot from it that will help me while I am dating.

The book is geared to improve marriages and is mostly written for women. It is designed to help women understand how men think and how to help them progress without criticizing them or nagging them, since both methods are very ineffective. However, being a guy, I was able to learn more about how women think and react based on the issues that the author addresses. I also learned ways that I can improve myself.

My favorite part of the book talked about the need to see one's spouse through Heavenly Father's eyes. Sometimes we, as mortals, tend to focus on the negative and on the lack of improvement. We need to take a step back and see the value that the person has in our Father's eyes. The author suggests that the best way to do this is to read your spouse's patriarchal blessing. He quotes someone else who said that you will never find a patriarchal blessing that says, "I'm sorry. You're a loser." The author said that whenever he reads his wife's blessing he always thinks, "Wow! I married someone really special!" I really liked this part. Whether or not I am in a position where I ought to read someone else's blessing, I want to do better at seeing what the Lord sees in the person.

This book is very easy to read, has John Bytheway's typical humor, and is also very thought provoking. Whether your marriage is strong or needs improving, whether you are male or female, I think this book could prove to be very beneficial. Even as a single man, I still gleaned a lot from it to help me.