From Jackass to Joy: Discovering the Art and Science of Love, Marriage, and Blending Family

What do we really know as young marrieds? When Nick Ryan married Linda, his high school sweetheart, they were just beginning to make their way in the world. Add to the mix vastly different families of origin, fundamentally different personalities, and ill-formed visions of the life they each desired...what could go wrong?

This book shares Nick's journey through discovering what he calls the art and science of love, marriage, and blending family. His stories may make you laugh, they may make you cry, you may see yourself and the ones you love in them. In the end, Nick lays out the path he took to:

- Understand and own the mistakes he made

- Realize the importance of patience to start fresh again... and again

- Learn to communicate clearly in relationships

- Develop trust and respect for people who truly matter

- Understand and honor compatibility

- Create an individual, mutual, and family vision

These are the deep realizations and specific actions Nick took that brought his life from a place of loss and despair to one of great love, a warm and devoted blended family, and abundance that most of us only dream about.