What Women Wish Men Knew About Dating: A Single Guy's Guide to Romantic Relationships

Baker Books
ISBN: 9780801068409
June 2008

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Looking for sage advice on dating? Your journey ends with Stephen W. Simpson PhD's offering titled WHAT WOMEN WISH MEN KNEW ABOUT DATING. Whether you follow Christian principles or not, the advice found in this book is right on the money.

Not only does the author use witty stories and humor to share his tips, he also includes his own true story about his failure to win the woman of his dreams, or at least the woman he thought was that woman. From the very first tip, I knew he'd spent plenty of time discussing what women are looking for with those who know it best-single women.

The first tip struck me as especially true. If your feelings for a woman go beyond friendship, be honest with her! You never know what she's thinking. As added proof, I can add my own story. In high school, none of my male classmates ever asked me out. Some would turn up in the oddest of places to walk me to class, and I gave many of them the opportunity to say something, yet none of them ever seemed interested in more than being friends.

After graduation, my parents bumped into a guy I knew. He was rather good looking, but kept to himself and never spoke a word to me. He came right out and told them how he'd always had a crush on me and asked how I was doing. Had he said something back in high school, the answer most certainly would have been yes!

Not only do I think every single man alive should read this, it also includes some tips that could help women. If I'd known back then that men are generally scared of the women they like, maybe I could have been a little more intuitive.

Over all, this is a must-read!

REVIEW: The Man Whisperer

Revell
Non-Fiction
ISBN: 9780800731977
July 2008

www.revellbooks.com

Rick Johnson's THE MAN WHISPERER follows the premise that men, like horses, respond better to a person that fully understands exactly what they need rather than what the other person wants from them. As a woman, I found that Rick Johnson seems to have a good grasp on both sides of the picture. I've been married for almost 18 years and there's a good reason why my husband and I are still great friends, as well as husband and wife.

Women who think they can change a man need to read this book. While I'd love to change some things about my husband, and vice versa I'm sure, I realize that he wouldn't be the man I fell in love with if he changed himself to fit my list of ideals. Things covered in this book include the number one issue in my house--the toilet seat.

My son summed it up best: "Mom, it's just as much work for us to have to put the seat up every time as it is for you to have to put it down some of the time." He does have a valid point, though he's never gone down in the wee hours of the night to use the toilet and fallen in because the seat is once again up. Nitpicking aside, the toilet seat issue is no longer a battle in our house. This is one of many issues that Johnson details in his book. He covers issues like getting your man to help with the household chores, parenting issues and much more. He does so with humor.

I won't say I agree with everything he says. Not every family will fit ideally into some of the lessons. One for me was the getting your husband to take a day off from time to time. My husband's work is booming requiring them to work weekends when ordered. If he doesn't show up or calls in sick, it's a black mark on his record. Too many of those and he'll lose his job, thirty years seniority and the best benefits around. If he's forced to work for a month running without time off, we have to suck it up and deal with it.

For the most part, however, I do think THE MAN WHISPERER will help a lot of women. It's got some great lessons and ideas that you can easily incorporate into your daily lives.