The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate by Gary D. Chapman (1992, Paperback, Reissue)

I've read other books about relationships before, but this one is definitely the best! My husband and I were having marital problems, but I believe this book may have saved our marriage. Both my husband and I found this book very easy to read and practical with great examples from the author's (a couples' counselor) real-life experiences. My husband was not one to believe much in counseling, but he could really relate to this book. The author discusses five primary love languages: Acts of Service, Quality Time, Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch, and Gifts. He suggests that each of us has one primary language. He uses the analogy that each person has a "love tank" and certain behaviors by a partner serve to either fill up or diminish the tank. What each person perceives as love behaviors that fill up his or her love tank depend upon what that person's primary love language is. Therefore, behaviors that one person sees as demonstrating love may not be the same behaviors that another person sees as demonstrating love. We could both really relate to the analogy and many of the situations described in the book. We have found that it has strengthened our relationship. It has allowed us to understand the other's point of view better and to work harder to fill rather than deplete the other's "love tank." I hope you find the book as helpful as we did!

Also, if you have children, there is another book by the same author called "The Five Love Languages of Children." The book discusses the same love languages in relation to children. A person can learn how to fill up each individual child's love tank based upon the child's primary love language. Each child needs to be treated as an individual based upon his or her primary love language. I think it really makes a lot of sense!

I took this book out of the library along with the singles edition of the 5 love languages and in a nutshell WOW! I may not be married yet but one day I will be so I got this edition for me and my best friends. The concepts he presents are mind bogglingly simple and brilliant. Every person longs to feel loved but how we prefer to receive love makes all the difference between feeling loved or unloved. The love languages are: 1. Words of affirmation 2. Acts of service 3. Receiving gifts 4. Quality time 5. Physical touch
If the husband brings his wife flowers he thinks he's saying I love you to his wife but if Receiving Gifts is not her primary love language she's likely to feel frustrated because he never helps her around the house because her primary love language is Acts of service. Instead, if he comes home and vacuums or does the dishes she will feel very loved and likely to reciprocate in his primary love language (if she knows it.) An American doesn't go to Germany and speak English and expect to get along well with the German people when they don't know English. No, go to Germany and try to speak German and things will go smoothly and the Germans will appreciate your efforts and may eventually even try to speak English for you. The same is true for love. Gary Chapman illuminates so much more. I give it 6 out of 5 stars and I wish I could give it to all couples especially and the singles edition to everyone else. Imagine how the divorce rate would plummet if everyone read and put into practice these concepts!

This is one of my favorite books. It's practical and insightful. I first used it to learn more about my children, but now I use the theory to help with several relationships. The authors premise that people have preferences for how they receive love communications and those preferences can be catagorized into 5 identifiable catagories is easy to understand and easy to use. You can learn about yourself as well and help your mate understand what you need to feel loved.

The five catargories are; Quality Time, Gifts, Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service and Physical Touch. Learn which one your mate prefers and you can learn how to quickly communicate your love to those you love.

This book was being given out by our unit chaplain here in Germany. I found out because my husband called me (my HUSBAND) excited about the book. The soldiers were given copies during a two month training away fromt heir families and several were excited about the same thing. This book teaches you how to recognize your preferred means of communicating love, affection, or devotion to your significant other, also known as your love language. Some people have more than one predominant love language. It also teaches you to recognize your significant other's love language as well. My husband and I now see the different ways we prefer to express our love for each other, which is equivalent to being able to understand another language being spoken to you. You also learn how to speak that language back by showing your lovethen way they do, which makes sure you get the point across. Too many peopl say they don't feel like their spouse loves or appreciates them as much as they want them to; the real problem in a lot of cases is that their spouse is practically yeling from a mountain top that they love them--only, it is in another "language". This book is enlightening, helpful, insightful, inspiring, and encouraging. We can become better communicators--no matter how good or bad we already are. This book can help! I recommend it to every couple out there--you don't have to have marriage problems to get something out of it! We just made our good marriage even stronger! You can do the same, no matter your starting point! Happy reading, you will love this book!

This book is FABULOUS!!! It is a discovery that there are 5 main love languages that we all speak and we are dominant in one main one. Most couples do NOT share the same dominant love language... so learning your spouse's love language as well as your own is just a GREAT THING for any marriage! This book gives you a deep understanding of how we relate to each other, and how we fail to relate! I was THRILLED to find out that there are other books on this subject by the same author about The Five Love Languages of Children and also The Five Love Languages of Teenagers! I am reading those now. WOW!!! What eye openers! Kids have different ideas of what makes them feel the most loved that we as parents are CLUELESS about! Read these books to understand these different love languages and WHICH one you and your loved ones prefer and feel the most loved by. JUST READ THEM! =) Jlr