Book Review: Why Do I Have To Think Like A Man?: How To Think Like A Lady And Still Get The Man
by Hall, Shanae, Frost and Rhonda
Publication Date: Jan 01, 2010
List Price: $14.95
Format: Paperback
Classification: Nonfiction
ISBN13: 9780982702703
Imprint: Farrah Gray Publishing, Inc.
Publisher: Farrah Gray Publishing, Inc.
Parent Company: Farrah Gray Publishing, Inc.
Read a Description of Why Do I Have To Think Like A Man?: How To Think Like A Lady And Still Get The Man
Book Reviewed by Kam Williams
"This book is dedicated to all women who are ready to ask themselves, ‘What could I have done differently to get what I wanted out of the relationship?’ or ‘How do I heal now that I’m out of it?’
If you are a reader of self-help or relationship books, you have undoubtedly
heard of… Steve Harvey who gave us Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man… He has
promised us that if we play our cards right, we can learn how to find a man,
get a man, and keep a man by following just a few crucial steps, straight
from the handbook of the original player himself.
Ladies, to keep it all the way real… it is time for some real girlfriend
talk about the BS and about the state of our situation… The reason this book
is relevant is because it is straight talk, no chaser, complete with dating
revelations from women who look, think and act like you; who have been
through what you have been through and have decided enough is enough and
that we can do better.
No, we are not a man, so we don’t think like one. We are emotional, strong,
loving creatures… without whom nothing comes to life."
—Excerpted from the Preface (pgs. x-xii)
Book Review by Kam Williams
Faithful readers are well aware of how exasperated this critic has become
about the recent flood of relationship advice books aimed at the
African-American demographic. The latest contribution to the burgeoning
genre is this how-to tome written from the female perspective by a couple of
cutie pies who have a bone or two to pick with comedian Steve Harvey’s best
seller on the subject.
The authors claim to be your average females, but that’s just not the case,
judging from their photos (Va-va-va-voom!) and the fact that one of them,
Shanae Hall, was once married to an NFL star. Furthermore, these divorcees
don’t claim to have any professional credentials, rather merely a lifetime
of experience in the battle-of-the-sexes.
Consequently, their primer is peppered with personal anecdotes, such as
Shanae’s account how she made a millionaire she was dating wait three years
before sleeping with him, only to have the player dump her anyway. The moral
of the story is implied by the Chapter’s title: "You Can’t Change Him."
Another chapter, "Setting Standards with a Capital ‘S’," contains Shanae’s
common sense list of questions you should ask early in a relationship, like:
"Are you married?" "Do you have children?" and "Are you still friends with
your baby-mama?" Duh!
Excuse me for sensing a slight condescension, if not a disconnect, when a
jet-setter who managed to marry a pro-athlete and who ostensibly hobnobs
with the rich and famous suggests she’s dealt with the same sort of drama as
the unfortunate sisters we see settling their differences daily on Jerry
Springer.
That being said, Rhonda and Shanae do have some sensible ideas to share with
those members of the love guru book-of-the-month club who are yet to land
the man of their dreams.
Related Links
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think about
Love Relationships, Intimacy and Commitment by Steve Harvey
http://aalbc.com/reviews/act_like_a_lady.htm