Famous Marriages: What They Can Teach Us

Book Review

Jerry M. Lewis, MD
146 pages; $15.95 paperback,
Lincoln, Neb, iUniverse, 2005

Dr Jerry M. Lewis is a gifted writerand speaker, and he is also wellknown to readers of PsychiatricTimes through his “Practicing”columns.

This book is a wonderful contributionto the literature. Lewis hascarefully studied 10 famousmarriages of people who will berecognized by readers, and hehas detailed a clear sense of theirlife narrative. He describes thestrengths and weaknesses of thesemarriages and the adjustments thateach partner has to have attemptedto make. He discusses the destructiveness,as well as the healingpowers, of these marriages. Importantly,he emphasizes that healthymarriages are crucial to the ongoingmaturation of each partner'spersonality.

Throughout this volume, Lewisdiscusses not only what can belearned from these famous marriagesbut also the importance of gettingprofessional help when either orboth of the partners seek it. Lewisis fortunate in having had extensiveexperience to draw upon, based onresearch and clinical data collectedby his colleagues and himself in studiesof research volunteer couples andhis own clinical experience withmarital therapy.

This book is recommended notonly for therapists but also forpatients in therapy and others seekingenjoyable, fascinating readingand insight into their own maritalrelationships.