I wish that this book - or one like it - had been available years ago before my previous marriage. Had I read it, it might have helped me prevent one of the worst mistakes of my life...a mistake that consumed 10 years and adversely impacted my career, my finances, and my emotional well-being. But...the book is not about my life story. Nor is it intended to be a diatribe against marriage. Rather, it is a distillation of professional research studies from a variety of sources on marriage (including U.S. Census data) and divorce, combined with the personal observation and experience of the author and other relevant sources. The purpose/objective of the book is to help the reader make as informed and unemotional a decision as possible about the person he/she intends to marry. It attempts to outline and examine the critical factors in the decision and why each is so important. In some cases, it will help support the reader's decision. In others, it will give him/her pause!