The institution of marriage is so threatened today by outside factors that we can only be astounded it is still around. In this context, every marriage is a challenge—for the participants, for the family, even for the society within which it operates. Nevertheless, every year more and more people get married. According to Bernard Harnik, marriage is not only a wedding of two distinct individuals; it also constitutes a specific entity in itself that is subject to all the growing pains necessary for the maturation of any human body. There will be periods of sickness and periods of health as well as an overall tendency toward one or the other. Ultimately, each couple determines what they will make of their marriage; they are in charge of guiding it toward sickness or toward health. In Toward a Healthy Marriage, Bernard Harnik points out the typical illnesses that can occur in a marriage. He illustrates their development and the ways in which they can be diagnosed and treated by drawing numerous examples from his practice. He feels it is important for a couple to know whether their marriage is sick or healthy. A sick marriage needs treatment; a healthy marriage is enhanced by the couple's awareness that "we have a good marriage." Toward a Healthy Marriage can aid a husband and wife in making this determination. If they conclude that the marriage is indeed in need of treatment, Dr. Harnik's explanation about the various kinds of counseling and counselors will help them choose a therapist. In addition to suggestions about how to take care of a sick marriage, Dr. Harmik outlines the preconditions for attaining marital health and optimal marital matu ration. A marriage under the cross, he says, provides the structure that will promote individual growth and a finer, more fruitful marriage. The principle of service corresponds both to the biblical perspective and to the teaching of modern marriage counseling. Serving rather than ruling does not come naturally, but through the power of the Spirit the practice of serving will guide the house of marriage toward health and toward the eternal house of God. Risk and Chance in Marriage, also by Dr. Bernard Harnik, is an excellent companion volume to Toward a Healthy Marriage. It provides the basis for Dr. Harnik's approach to marital illness and health and has been used with great success in churches throughout the United States as a resource for group study.