Drawn from Peggy Vaughan’s 30 years of counseling work with married couples and the issue of affairs, this new handbook challenges the assumption that monogamy can be taken for granted, and provides the tools for building a strong marriage and preventing affairs.

Explaining the need to focus before there is any threat to a marriage, the book is divided into two sections filled with time-tested advice on “What Won’t Work” and “What Will Work” to prevent affairs. Vaughans views are supported by results from a unique survey she created just for this book. Throughout To Have and to Hold, Vaughan details specific strategies and techniques, and emphasizes that:

* Relying on attitudes and beliefs is not sufficient to maintain a monogamous relationship over a lifetime.
* Focusing on actions and behaviors is far more significant to strengthen a relationship.
* Responsible honesty is the single most important factor in preventing affairs.
* Everybody (society as a whole) plays a role in supporting couples efforts to maintain monogamy.

Four appendices present Vaughan’s survey questionnaire along with detailed breakdowns of responses. (Author abstract modified)