The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work

John Gottman spent decades in his "Love Lab" at the University of Washington observing couples and can predict divorce with 91% accuracy based on how partners argue in the first three minutes of a conflict. This book distills that research into seven actionable principles. It's the most-assigned book in couples therapy for a reason: it replaces vague advice like "communicate better" with specific, measurable behaviors. The "Four Horsemen" framework alone — criticism, contempt, defensiveness, stonewalling — has become the standard vocabulary of modern relationship therapy.