>In addition to reviewing for WaterBrook Multnomah, I also review for Thomas Nelson’s BookSneeze program. I am ashamed to admit that I have had Rick & Bubba’s Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriagehttp://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=dough-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1401603998&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr by radio personalities Rick Burgess and Bill “Bubba” Bussey for, well, for a long time. Somehow it has continually been pushed to the bottom of my “must-do” stack. But, I was determined to read it and share a review, and I finally succeeded!
Keep in mind, Rick and Bubba are radio personalities of the comedic sort, and that is very clearly reflected in their hilarious guide to marriage. Although they in no way claim to be marriage experts or counselors, Rick and Bubba do have plenty of personal experience in marriage from which to draw many tips, hints, and suggestions for surviving a marriage of your own.
There were times as I read the book that I just cringed. One of my struggles with comedy is that laughs are typically bought at the expense of someone, frequently a spouse. Many, many laughs were bought in this book at the expense of Sherri Burgess and Betty Bussey. And there were many times when I, as the reader, wanted to ask, “Do you really and truly love each other? Is this really what biblical marriage is about? Will this book really have a positive impact on readers needing to grow in their marriages?” Several years ago I read a great bit of advice – never say anything negative about your spouse in public. Never. Both book and radio are both very public forums, and Rick and Bubba seem to have plenty of negativity to share about their wives and marriages in both forums.
Having said that, however, I recognize three things. First, humor is attention grabbing, and many powerful points can be made – and burned into memory – through the use of humor. Second, humor tends to break down guards and barriers that prevent people from hearing truths. Third, there are people who will listen to things wrapped in humor who will not listen to it in any other way.
And in this book, Rick Burgess and Bubba Bussey have used jokes about their wives and marriage to pack quite a punch.
Despite their barbs at their wives and their marriages, Rick and Bubba bring home some fantastic truths in their marriage guide. They deal with some powerful topics from finances to communication to forgiveness. But my absolute favorite chapters are “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” and Enemies of the Mate”. In those two chapters, Rick and Bubba deal with the very thing that made me struggle through the book – respect and honor for your mate. I have never read a marriage book with a more direct and powerful description of what it means for husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church. Their reminders to wives of Christ’s command to submit to their husbands in Christ was presented as powerfully as any preacher could have presented it.
And they did it all in a book full of laughter and fun (and just a few tears).
In the end, despite the barbs and the poking of fun, I have to give Rick & Bubba’s Guide to the Nearly Perfect Marriage a big thumbs up.
I received this book for review from Thomas Nelson’s BookSneeze review program.
Not Quite Ordinary 