Ladies, the truth is out. There is now an unofficial translation guide from husband-speak to wife-speak. It’s called Husbandry.

“Uh-huh,” for instance, can have many meanings: “1. Yes; 2. No; 3. Maybe; 4. Maybe not; 5. I acknowledge what you’re saying but don’t agree with it; 6. I agree with what you’re saying but don’t feel like acknowledging it; 7. I see your point; 8. I don’t see your point; 9. I kind of see your point but don’t see the point of making it just at this moment; 10. I wasn’t listening to anything you just said and would feel stupid asking you to say it again; 11. I really want to listen, but I’m groggy from exertion; 12. I really want to listen — but to ‘The Sopranos,’ so could we continue this conversation when the show’s over, if I’m still awake? 13. I wonder if there’s any of that pie left?”

Easy, isn’t it? Armed with such knowledge, communication in your marriage can now soar to new heights. Read and devour the insights in Stephen Fried’s Husbandry: Sex, Love & Dirty Laundry – Inside the Minds of Married Men, and all will be well.

In The Philadelphia Inquirer Susan Balee calls the book “a charming collection of personal essays about marriage” by a devoted husband who (perhaps regrettably) is still a “guy”… “and that’s what makes this book fun for women”.

“We wives recognize that even the best husbands still suffer from that pesky Y chromosome: They have sex on the brain, they don’t listen to what we’re telling them, and they suck at housework,” she writes. “At least two of these three traits are bound to cause problems in even the happiest couples. Fried gives us the husbands’ perspective.”

Although reviewer Butterscotch told Amazon “The book isn’t going to change your life or offer any new sociological or psychological insight into the sexes – it is just an easy read.”

The book appears to be a collection of essays about the relationship between Fried and his wife compiled from columns he has written for a magazine.

As such, it’s a peek inside someone else’s marriage, which satisfies the voyeur’s penchant for light entertainment. But if you’re looking for answers, you’d do better to seek out topic-specific books such as Communication Magic or Save My Marriage Today.

Fried does seem to understand the dynamics between men and women, and as Butterscotch points out, the author never put his wife down while making his own points about manhood and marriage. That’s a real plus in this world of cheap put-downs in the name of so-called humor.

So, there are some funny patches in this book – and I do like some of his translation examples – but take it as light entertainment rather than serious marriage advice. Or simply enjoy the well-written experiences of a pair of married humans treading paths that probably resemble your own.

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A Formula For Marriage

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