Long-Term Couples "Commitment" Book By Morton Hamburg And Kashmir Hill

After raising two accomplished children, and enjoying a 51-year marriage and two fulfilling careers, photographer Morton I. Hamburg has achieved the type of personal and professional success for which most people strive -- and he knows why:

“Commitment to anything or anyone is the secret to success in everything,” wrote 82-year-old Hamburg in his recently released book titled, “Commitment.”

“Commitment” includes Hamburg’s portraits of 37 longtime couples, as well as descriptions of the couples written by Kashmir Hill. The descriptions of the couples tell the story of their love and how their commitment to each other has contributed to their personal and professional successes.

“The couples we chose for this book are an accomplished group, excelling in finance, media, medicine, law, entertainment, and the arts,” wrote Hill in the book's introduction. “Many of them say that their commitment to their partner or spouse at home helped lay the groundwork for their professional success.”

The book comes as a follow-up to Hamburg’s first book, titled “Couples: The Meaning Of Commitment,” which he published in 2000, after retiring from his 50-year career as a lawyer. As opposed to only including heterosexual married couples, “Commitment” includes same-sex couples as well as long-term couples who have chosen not to marry.

Hamburg published his first book to tell his grown children “about the meaning of commitment in marriage and relationships,” although he cites his relationship with his wife, radio host Joan Hamburg, as “inspiration” for both books.

“My wife and I have done a lot of things over the years, especially with our travels and the radio,” said Hamburg. “It’s exciting to be married to her and our children are fantastic.”

While Hamburg obviously sees commitment as the basis for a prosperous relationship, he has one other secret that he believes contributes to the continued success of his marriage.

“If you have an argument, say to your partner, ‘you may be right.' And it works every time for everybody.”

Below we have compiled a slideshow of some of the couples featured in “Commitment,” including celebrities like Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. What do you think is the secret to success in life and marriage? Tell us in the comments section.