Marriage, a History by Stephanie Coontz Summary
Overview of Marriage, a History
Stephanie Coontz's "Marriage, a History" shatters the myth of "traditional marriage," revealing how this ever-evolving institution transformed from economic arrangement to love-based partnership. With a stellar 3.98 Goodreads rating, it's reshaped academic discourse on relationships. What if everything you believed about marriage was wrong?
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Key takeaways
When Love Was Dangerous: Marriage's Surprising Past
What if marrying for love was once considered as reckless as betting your life savings on a lottery ticket? For thousands of years, societies across the globe viewed romantic love as the worst possible foundation for marriage-a dangerous delusion that threatened family alliances, property rights, and social stability. The ancient Greeks celebrated passionate love between men while finding spousal affection mundane. Medieval Chinese had no word for love between husband and wife until the 1920s. In 12th-century Europe, the Countess of Champagne declared it "impossible for true love to exert its powers between two people who are married to each other." A Roman senator was expelled for the scandalous act of kissing his wife in public. Christian theologians warned that loving your spouse too much constituted idolatry. The idea that two people should choose each other based on feelings, then build a life together-what we now consider natural-would have seemed absurd to most of human history. Marriage served practical purposes: forging political alliances, organizing labor, establishing inheritance, expanding survival networks. Love might develop after the wedding, but it wasn't the point. As traditional societies said: "First we marry, then we'll fall in love." This radical shift-putting personal choice and emotional fulfillment at marriage's center-began only in the late 18th century, marking one of civilization's most profound transformations.
The Original Purpose: Survival Through Strategic Alliance
Royal Chess Games: Marriage as Political Weapon
Common Folk: Marriage as Economic Partnership
The Love Revolution: When Everything Changed
The Modern Transformation: From Golden Age to Revolution
Navigating the New Landscape: Marriage Reimagined
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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