Best Friends for Life

Rating:
Summary: Counter-Productive & Disappointing
Review: I firmly believe in the principles of courtship. Having read widely on the topic, I am convinced that many well-written, logical, thought-provoking materials are available for those interested in pursuing romance creatively -- without dating. Unfortunately, this book is not one of them. Not only was it boring and insipid, but frequently, the authors contradicted themselves and made radical claims that they could not reinforce with any solid evidence. If I had not already believed that alternatives to dating were the way to go, this book would have driven me as far as possible from the "not dating" route. Probably most disappointing to me was the lack of any quality to the writing style; someone with Michael Phillips' experience should have produced a far better product. If you are interested in alternatives to dating, check out books by Elisabeth Elliott, Joshua Harris, or Eric & Leslie Ludy -- all of which are far superior to this one.

Rating:
Summary: Counter-Productive & Disappointing
Review: I firmly believe in the principles of courtship. Having read widely on the topic, I am convinced that many well-written, logical, thought-provoking materials are available for those interested in pursuing romance creatively -- without dating. Unfortunately, this book is not one of them. Not only was it boring and insipid, but frequently, the authors contradicted themselves and made radical claims that they could not reinforce with any solid evidence. If I had not already believed that alternatives to dating were the way to go, this book would have driven me as far as possible from the "not dating" route. Probably most disappointing to me was the lack of any quality to the writing style; someone with Michael Phillips' experience should have produced a far better product. If you are interested in alternatives to dating, check out books by Elisabeth Elliott, Joshua Harris, or Eric & Leslie Ludy -- all of which are far superior to this one.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book with a thought-provoking perspective!
Review: I just finished reading this book, after hearing much about it for years. I was very impressed! It was really, really good. The Phillips have a great perspective on marriage preparation. I really appreciated their extreme emphasis on character, as well as the parents' role in courtship. I wished they would have talked more about how emotional purity was supposed to enter in, however. I was a bit confused on that point, as they encouraged "breaking up" after a couple was totally in love, if they didn't think the marriage was God's will. Though I'm still in the thinking process regarding the plan of "apprenticeship engagement" they outline--it's so radical, it takes a while to get used to :) --I think it *is* a good thing worth considering. I've been committed to waiting instead of dating for three years now, and am an active proponent of it. I've read many, many books on courtship, and the Phillips' is now one of my favorites, especially on character and marriage preparation. This book is highly recommended for all who believe in some form of waiting instead of dating, and want God's will in their love life! (I'd recommend Josh Harris' book _I Kissed Dating Goodbye_ first, though, if you're new to the concept of not dating.)

Rating:
Summary: Foundation of friendship
Review: I loved this book because it gave valuable insights to what a successful marriage looks like. Truly the key is having a marriage based on friendship and honesty; add to that Christ-centered and committment and you have the "secret" to a productive marriage. I enjoyed following the stories of various couples and how their relationships developed. I had my teenage daughter read the book as well; she gained insight on choices people make, the consequence of compromise and the value of developing friendship. I also recomend Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot.

Rating:
Summary: Foundation of friendship
Review: I loved this book because it gave valuable insights to what a successful marriage looks like. Truly the key is having a marriage based on friendship and honesty; add to that Christ-centered and committment and you have the "secret" to a productive marriage. I enjoyed following the stories of various couples and how their relationships developed. I had my teenage daughter read the book as well; she gained insight on choices people make, the consequence of compromise and the value of developing friendship. I also recomend Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot.

Rating:
Summary: Brings out unique ideas for selecting a mate
Review: This is one of the more detailed books I have seen on the topic. I felt like the author did an excellent job in clearly articulating the span of differences between dating and courtship. Having examples throughout the book made it very easy to read and helps the reader walk away with a better understanding of what courtship is and is not.

Rating:
Summary: very helpful book.
Review: Well I read this book about a year ago and I am still using the lessons I learned from it. If you are looking for a book about courting and insight into character, read this one. I did not find this book to be dull in the least. It's an informative book and its purpose is not to "entertain". I found the ideas very interesting and went through the book rather quickly. I love this book and would recommend it to just about anyone(and I have).