Product Description From the reflections of famous people and the stories of everyday folk to classic love letters and contemporary "ten best" lists, this delightfully eclectic treasury shines a spotlight on the many joys of marriage. I Like Being Married is the ultimate celebration of the ties that keep loving couples together in good times and bad. With a guest list that includes Paul Newman and Joannne Woodward, Nancy and Ronald Reagan, Queen Victoria, George Burns, and Secretary of State Colin Powell (to name just a few); poetic tributes from Homer, Shakespeare, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning; and wedding readings from the Bible and other religious traditions, it captures the magic and deep-seated sense of commitment at the heart of married life. I Like Being Married shows that the institution of marriage is integral to our common humanity. There are heartwarming stories of courtship–including Mikhail Gorbachev’s charming "Chasing Raisa" and Rosalyn Carter’s story of meeting Jimmy for the first time. Jerry Stiller, Celine Dion, and others who have broken the "rules" describe how they overcame family expectations, age differences, and other obstacles to wed the people they love. In moving and amusing portraits, husbands and wives reveal the qualities and the quirks that make their mates endearing, and vignettes by Ruby Dee, Roy Rogers, and Walter Payton capture the special joys that children bring to a marriage. Long-married couples look back on a lifetime of love–and look forward to the future with hope. Lists of the ten best books, songs, movies, and sitcoms about marriage, along with evocative illustrations, round off this unusual, multifaceted look at marital bliss. Filled with stories, memories, and musings, I Like Being Married is not only an ideal gift for showers, weddings, and anniversaries but is the perfect way to explore the true meaning of marriage. From Publishers Weekly This collection of writings about that celebrated institution features essays from Hollywood stars, writers, politicians and ordinary folks. The editors of I Like Being Catholic collect previously published pieces by C.S. Lewis, Colin Powell, Benjamin Franklin, Anne Bancroft and many others covering subjects from courtship and weddings to interracial couples and raising a family. The book is illustrated with photographs and includes lists of the best books, films and television shows about marriage, making this beneficial for married couples of all ages. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Almost everyone aspires to marriage something these books go to some lengths to explain, albeit in completely different ways. As the title suggests, I Like Being Married is an unabashed celebration of marriage; it's fluff but enjoyable fluff. Leach, executive director of Orbis Books, and Borchard, author of the children's book series "The Emerald Bible Collection," have collected bits and pieces quotes, stories, traditions, and even top-ten lists that show why people take pleasure in matrimony. The quotes and stories come from both celebrities (e.g., George Bush, Winston Churchill, Celine Dion, Natasha Richardson, C.S. Lewis, and Mel Gibson) and regular Joe and Jane Does. Charming and well edited, it contains just enough variety in length and subject to be interesting, yet it is also cohesive. Public libraries should purchase. The companion book to a PBS documentary that aired Feb. 14, Marriage Just a Piece of Paper? is far more serious in tone and scope. Although it is also a smartly chosen m lange of quotes from different people, it focuses on the societal changes that have led to increased divorce rates, cohabitation, and single motherhood despite the beneficial aspects of marriage. Sociologists, politicians, ministers, and the occasional person on the street are all given a chance to explain whether they think marriage especially as it relates to the raising of children is in decline and, if so, what might