I ALMOST DIVORCED MY HUSBAND BUT I WENT ON STRIKE INSTEAD

An innovative method of cutting off the dead ends in your marriage and creating new life.

As a hairdresser, Mills had the advantage of being immersed in her clients’ lives for generations—when they sat in her salon chair, they shared their secrets. “Often, when paying for a haircut,” she writes, “a client would joke, ‘Now what do I owe you for the therapy session?’ ” The author witnessed firsthand the fallout of splitting up, the waves of negativity that continued even after divorce was finalized and how people were destined to repeat their problems in the next relationship because of all the baggage they brought along. So when Mills’ own marriage became strained, she turned to the information she'd gathered from her clients' experiences and conceived a clever way to solve her domestic distress. To remedy the underlying communication issues that made it impossible for Mills to get her point across to her husband and children, the author went on strike. Since her husband understood union contracts, she presented him with one that addressed their needs. The author couples personal anecdotes with clear instructions on how to conduct a successful strike. The book is designed for the busy reader; each chapter can be read individually and concludes with bullet-point reminders highlighting the best advice. She includes not only her contract, but also sample chore lists and a chart that predicts which results will occur when communication is ineffective. A solid blueprint for a successful relationship.