Yes actually.., and I have just the book for you.., it's about 90 pages long (so it's not that big of a read).., and under $5 I believe..,

Amazon.com: Marriage & How to Avoid It: The Truly...
Some other interesting reads you may find online:

Brinig, Margaret; Douglas W. Allen (2000). "These Boots Are Made for Walking: Why Most Divorce Filers are Women". American Law and Economics Review 2

Kuhn, Richard; John Guidubaldi (1997-10-23). "Child Custody Policies and Divorce Rates in the US". 11th Annual Conference of the Children's Rights Council. Retrieved on 2006-09-18

A good question to ask yourself.., as you explore society from let's just say 2,000 BC.., to today.., is "Why is there a NEED for marriage?"

There was a great special on the discovery channel about the evolution of humans.., and how we are actually the ONLY primates where the child shows significantly improved chances of survival when it has BOTH parents to take care of it..

However.., this is actually a recent development.., human children did not always require the care of both parents to survive in significantly better rates.. Until humans were actually more developed and less primative..

Marriage was a curse humans brought onto themselves.., it started by seeing women as property.., and be it with one wife.., or multiple wives.., marriage was a means of property ownership.., fast track ahead now.., as humans became a little more developed.., and women were actually seen as human.., and were respected.., marriage was less and less a means of acquiring property or ownership rights over a woman.., but more a transaction that took place between two families..

The marriage you are most familiar with.., is based on this scope of history.., where two families would get together and agree to put up their children.., and some property.., to ensure the survival of their name.., heirs.., etc.. Marriage was still.., a business transaction.. It was a "contract" or "wedlock".., where the contract was finalized and valid.., enforcable and had bestowed upon it the power of law from the moment the wedding ceremony would be complete..

There was nothing really romantic about marriage.., there was no "love" involved.., that was not a consideration.., only.. "family, status, finances".., and those considerations still persist even till this day.. So let's take a look at marriage in late European history..

Around the period of Women's Rights (not American history., European history).., marriage serves many purposes..

- Children outside wedlock were not legitimate children, under the law, they had the last claim to any estate
- Marriage was often a religious event, establishing future membership in the the church and maintaining religious control and power
- The wife has limited rights under the marriage (which means that the husband had limited obligations)
- The law how more control over the treatment of children and parental obligations
- Economic incentives where put into motion to motivate people not only to get married.., but to stay married (and that worked very well)

Best,

GrkScorp

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