Myth #1: The More Attention We Give Our Kids, The Better They Turn Out

Many parents believe the more attention we give our kids, the better they’ll turn out, but our kids are not healthier or happier than they were a generation ago. In fact, today’s children are more troubled because we’ve started marrying our kids instead of our spouses.
We claim we’re too busy to spend time with [...]

Myth #2: Arguing Leads to Divorce

Many couples believe their marriage is strong because they seldom argue. But the real silent killer of marriage is when we distance from our spouse in order to keep the peace. We have become experts at justifying how busy we are; most couples have come to believe they simply do not have time [...]

Myth #3: If We Feel Unfulfilled in Our Marriage, It’s Because We Married the Wrong Person

Our own inner anxiety is at the root of the drama in our relationships. This information is crucial because anxiety is what makes us irritable and quick to overreact, and that’s what causes drama in families. Once we understand how anxiety works within ourselves, we can notice and manage it to transform our [...]

Harville Hendrix, Ph.D., author of “Getting the Love You Want”

“I love a book with the thesis in the title and proof of the thesis in the text. Every parent, and every couple, should read this book to prevent them from having an affair with their child(ren). What misery and suffering for all concerned, for generations to come, when couples put their marriage anywhere [...]

David D. Sherry, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, U. Penn Med School and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

“As a pediatrician and pain physician, I see many children suffer due to the stress of covert marital discord. When spouses distance from each other they sometimes make their child the center of their lives, which interferes with the natural weaning process essential to healthy development. The best gift you can give your [...]

Jaak Panksepp, Ph.D., Head of Affective Neuroscience Research, Northwestern University; Author of “Affective Neuroscience”

“David Code is a big-picture thinker who offers peventive medicine for the American family. He provides an intriguing synthesis of brain research and studies on animal instincts to help us understand the dynamics of both healthy and unhappy families. David has a gift for translating scientific facts into practical solutions, and his [...]

Glenn Firebaugh, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Penn State University. Former editor, American Sociological Review.

“David Code’s book provides a win-win solution for the challenges facing today’s families. Code makes a compelling argument that putting your marriage first benefits both parents and their children. He explains why good marriages produce good kids, and provides helpful advice for building a strong marriage. I hope his book enjoys a [...]

James W. Serene, MD, Orthopaedic Surgeon

“Most surgeons across the country today find that over 50% of our patients are taking some type of anti-anxiety drug. David Code offers a brilliant analysis of why we develop anxiety, and how anxiety affects both our marriage and our ability to raise psychologically healthy children. I highly recommend this book.”

Peter Titelman, Ph.D, clinical psychologist, editor of “Emotional Cutoff”

“You will never look at your family’s problems the same way again. David Code offers a game-changing combination of Bowen family systems theory, brain research, and studies on animal instincts, to help us understand why humans do what we do in families. I appreciate David’s gift for translating the Ivory Tower into practical solutions [...]

Mary Bruce McKenzie Serene, MD, Board Certified Anesthesiologist

“In my career as a physician it became clear to me that too often couples lost the notion that their marriages needed nurturing in order to stay healthy. Among my peers and patients I saw families fall apart because no one paid attention to the marriage, the union that started the family. David Code’s book [...]