Husbanding Men

The Proper Care & Feeding of Husbands

by Laura Schlessinger

HarperCollins, 180 pp., $24.95

AMERICA HAS, at present, a 52 percent divorce rate, "no-fault" laws that have turned what is supposed to be a unique commitment for life into serial polygamy, and a nearly complete amnesia about the fact that children suffer in single-parent households. The sanctity of marriage is at such a low ebb, it's not surprising the idea of trying to redefine marriage to include homosexuals has gained so much ground in recent years. In a country in which marriage seems to mean so little, what argument can heterosexuals make to retain their monopoly on the empty institution?

The radio personality Dr. Laura Schlessinger may have come closest to understanding why American marriage has broken down so badly. In her new book, The Proper Care & Feeding of Husbands, her idea is simple: The major cause of the American divorce epidemic is the refusal or inability of women to care for their husbands. Schlessinger brazenly insists that a wife should treat her husband with respect, that learning about his needs is a good thing, and that making him feel dignified and needed improves women's lives and marriage.

Using the formula that has made Schlessinger's radio show successful, The Proper Care & Feeding of Husbands examines problems submitted by listeners and offers advice tailored to the real-life situations in which people find themselves. Schlessinger's personal and no-nonsense style explains her popularity, and this new book is her seventh New York Times bestseller. For years, attempts have been made to silence her--specifically because her values-based perspective challenges leftist cultural decay. But the success of The Proper Care & Feeding of Husbands is another indication that her message is one Americans want and need.