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.

HIS BRAIN, HER BRAIN

Zondervan
ISBN: 978-0310240280
February 2008
Christian Living
Reviewed by Rebecca Wire

Dr. Walt and Barb Larimore have collaborated on a wonderful book in HIS
BRAIN, HER BRAIN. Looking at the differences in the anatomy and chemical
make-up of the male and female brain, the Larimores explain how we are
designed to function together.

The subtitle of the book is How Divinely Designed Differences Can
Strengthen Your Marriage. The Larimores begin with a very detailed
examination of the various parts of the brain and the corresponding
chemistry. The authors then take a closer look at how the science differs
in the male and female brain. This offers the reader a fascinating look at
why men and women relate differently to each other and to the world around
them.

While reading HIS BRAIN, HER BRAIN, I often stopped to share something from
its pages with my husband. We were both greatly entertained by the books
frankness, and we appreciated its accuracy. Barb's commentary (set apart in
Italics) was a wonderful complement to Dr. Walt's.

HIS BRAIN, HER BRAIN does not offer suggestions for "how to change your
spouse". This is not a book about how to get your husband to listen to you
or your wife to stop being so emotional. Instead, the Larimores celebrate
the differences and demonstrate how they were intentionally created to
benefit both spouses. This book would be great for a small group discussion
and I intend to suggest it to mine. It would be a wonderful gift for an
engaged or newlywed couple; however, I believe it would benefit those of us
who have been married for years, as well.