A garden needs constant nurturing to stay healthy, and so does a marriage. As people change and adapt to new circumstances and phases of life, marriages and other close relationships are stressed and can suffer. Relationship expert Eve Hogan explains that love, like self-esteem, doesn't go away, but is blocked by negative experiences, comments, and beliefs that make the love difficult to feel. How to Love Your Marriage helps couples identify and overcome those obstacles, and provides an eye-opening understanding of self-esteem's impact on a relationship - and of a relationship's impact on self-esteem. Full of practical information, including advice for managing emotions, simple tips that can be used immediately, and empowering steps to take even with an unwilling partner, the book gives readers the skills and tools needed to keep a marriage alive and growing.

This solutions-oriented guide offers problem solving and behavior changing strategies for people working on their most intimate relationships. The book provides readers with:
-- Enhanced knowledge of their own and their partners' beliefs, values, habits, desires, goals, likes, and dislikes
-- Ideas for opening communication and deepening a relationship
-- Skills for making healthy decisions about lifestyles and boundaries
-- An in-depth understanding of the role of self-esteem in relationships
-- Increased ability to let go of the past and embrace the present
-- The knowledge that it is important not only to choose the right partner, but also to be the right partner

What distinguishes Intellectual Foreplay from similar titles is that it includes guidelines on what to do with the answers it gives. This makes it useful in both creating and sustaining a relationship.