As a follow-up to his bestselling book Life Strategies, Oprah acolyte Phillip C. McGraw, Ph.D., moves from aiding the aimless individual to coaching the disconnected couple. McGraw has... read more

As a follow-up to his bestselling book Life Strategies, Oprah acolyte Phillip C. McGraw, Ph.D., moves from aiding the aimless individual to coaching the disconnected couple. McGraw has distilled his more than two decades of counseling experience into a seven-step strategy he calls "Relationship Rescue."

"I'm prepared to kick a hole in the wall of the pain-ridden, unhappy maze you've gotten yourself into, and provide you clear access to action-oriented answers and instructions on what you must do to have what you want," says Dr. Phil. His aim is to expose and eliminate the saboteurs that cause senseless damage to already-fragile marriages, and, like an emotional root canal, to replace them with values he says provide positive results. If you follow Dr. Phil's strategy, he will lead you on a precise journey to uncover your heart and then share it with your partner as part of taking the "risk of intimacy."

Dr. Phil leads you to "reconnect with your core" in the first five steps of his seven-step strategy. By no means a quick fix, there are in-depth and rigorous questionnaires, surveys, tests, and profiles that require a "brutally candid" mindset, with such fill-in-the-blanks as "List five things that today would make you fall out of love with your partner." With this internal work accomplished, you'll then move on to reconnecting with your partner during a two-week, half-hour-a-day short course. As a "dyad," you and your loved one take turns giving monologues on topics such as "The most positive thing I took away from my mother and father's relationship was..."

Once the "reconnection" has been established, Dr. Phil says the work shifts to a management role, as relationships are always a work in progress. Dr. Phil humorously refers to his own marriage throughout the book, sharing his mishaps and victories in learning to accept and enjoy what he sees as fundamental but complementary differences between men and women. --John Youngs (hide)

Unhappiness in marriage often has a simple root cause: we speak different love languages, believes Dr. Gary Chapman. While working as a marriage counselor for more than 30... read more

Unhappiness in marriage often has a simple root cause: we speak different love languages, believes Dr. Gary Chapman. While working as a marriage counselor for more than 30 years, he identified five love languages: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. In a friendly, often humorous style, he unpacks each one. Some husbands or wives may crave focused attention; another needs regular praise. Gifts are highly important to one spouse, while another sees fixing a leaky faucet, ironing a shirt, or cooking a meal as filling their "love tank." Some partners might find physical touch makes them feel valued: holding hands, giving back rubs, and sexual contact. Chapman illustrates each love language with real-life examples from his counseling practice.

How do you discover your spouse's - and your own - love language? Chapman's short questionnaires are one of several ways to find out. Throughout the book, he also includes application questions that can be answered more extensively in the beautifully detailed companion leather journal (an exclusive Amazon.com set). Each section of the journal corresponds with a chapter from the book, offering opportunities for deeper reflection on your marriage.

Although some readers may find choosing to love a spouse that they no longer even like -hoping the feelings of affection will follow later- a difficult concept to swallow, Chapman promises that the results will be worth the effort. "Love is a choice," says Chapman. "And either partner can start the process today." --Cindy Crosby. This text refers to the Amazon.com Exclusive Journal & Paperback Book Set. (hide)

It's a classic single-woman scenario: you really like this guy, but he's giving mixed messages. You make excuses, decide he's confused, afraid of commitment. Behrendt, a former executive... read more

It's a classic single-woman scenario: you really like this guy, but he's giving mixed messages. You make excuses, decide he's confused, afraid of commitment. Behrendt, a former executive story editor for Sex and the City—and a formerly single (now happily married) guy who knows all the excuses—provides a simple answer: he's just not that into you. Stop kidding yourself, let go and look for someone else who will be. After all, as Behrendt sensibly puts it, "if a (sane) guy really likes you, there ain't nothing that's going to get in his way." If you're not convinced yet, by all means read this smart, funny and surprisingly upbeat little book, full of q's and a's covering every excuse woman has ever made to avoid admitting to herself that a man just wasn't that smitten with her.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (hide)

13-digit ISBN is 9780743272094 Targeted primarily at single women looking for a clear formula that leads in the direction of marriage, Love Smart also aims to refresh current... read more

13-digit ISBN is 9780743272094 Targeted primarily at single women looking for a clear formula that leads in the direction of marriage, Love Smart also aims to refresh current marriages that feel a bit lacking. Whether readers find it helpful will depend partially on their sense of humor—Dr. Phil titles one chapter "Bag 'em, Tag 'em and Take 'em Home", a pretty fair example of the rest of the jokes and the general attitude of the book's advice. Marriage is what it's about, and the dating game has specific rules that, once learned, any "player" can use to succeed. While not quite as strict as the infamous The Rules, this is a manual that treats marriage as a prize, winnable only by those who regard old-fashioned rules as the only possible set.

An early exercise suggests that women make detailed lists of the qualities they're looking for in a mate; five broad categories cover everything from social skills to physical appearance. Once a clear picture is formed of the ideal partner, it all boils down to marketing. Dr. Phil discusses conversation skills such as developing "icebreaker" questions and even digs up some of the old-school techniques that suggest checking headlines just to offer up-to-date topics, and making sure to ask questions about your date, rather than revealing much about yourself. Suggestions for internet dating are included in a separate chapter, and later chapters go into specific questions that cover personal background and relationship history in great detail.

The combination of new school humor with old-fashioned advice will appeal to women who are looking for both a plan for partnership and goofy jokes to lighten the pressure. Dr. Phil offers both in spades. Jill Lightner (hide)

An unexpected bestseller, this self-help book for women who want to hook a man seems to have struck a chord with desperate American women. Fein and Schneider, whose... read more

An unexpected bestseller, this self-help book for women who want to hook a man seems to have struck a chord with desperate American women. Fein and Schneider, whose main credentials seem to be that they are married, lay out the rules to be followed for successfully snagging a dream hunk. And these rules are hard as cast-iron--Rule Five: Don't Call Him and Rarely Return His Calls. The idea is to return to pre-feminist mind games, exploiting the male hunting urge by playing hard to get. The result seems unliberating--Rule Seventeen: Let Him Take the Lead--but it seems to be capturing female minds. Rules Girls are eyeing the phone with steely resolve, and Rules seminars are springing up nationwide. Curious bachelors have been observed studying The Rules, some frowning, others with the supercilious smile of the hunter. (hide)

Whether single or married, Men Made Easy is filled with information that is so essential, you'll wonder how you survived without it. If you and your girlfriends have... read more

Whether single or married, Men Made Easy is filled with information that is so essential, you'll wonder how you survived without it.

If you and your girlfriends have ever laughed that you need an "owner's manual" for the men in your life, Men Made Easy is as close as you'll get. Men become a little nervous when they find out how accurately this book explains why they do what they do, what they are thinking, and how to get them to respond to you in ways you've always hoped for. But if you are looking for quick, cute,and snappy ways to manipulate men, this is not the book for you. You're going to be getting much more than a quick fix or clever tricks.

You will be looking inside the private world of men, a world they have chosen not to reveal to women and you will find that men become more predictable and sometimes even transparent. You will be much smarter in how you communicate and interact with them. All your relationships with men will begin to improve, especially in the arena of love and romance.

To get more love and romance, you need to learn what is really going on with men. After interviewing hundreds of men and studying them for two years, Kara Oh is able to take you into their previously hidden world. Here is just some of what you can expect:

* You will discover how to communicate your needs in new ways, ways that will make him want to do things for you (yes, even help around the house) and want to make you happy.

* You will learn what it takes to get him to want to commit to you and make you his wife.

* You will learn how to get that new man's attention and put him in such a spin that he won't be able to take his mind off of you.

* You will have fun "playing with" your feminine grace and watching how easily men respond to the secrets that you will be using.

You know that he hides his feelings behind a defensive wall. And you beat against his chest because he won't let you in. But now you are going to be able to actually go behind that wall, find out what he is feeling, what drives him, what he's afraid of, what he won't tell you, why he needs to be successful, what love means to him, and why he wants and needs to marry. Because you are going to make him feel understood and safe for maybe the first time, you will become invaluable to him because you will now have the key to his heart and soul. You will also enjoy a new sense of empowerment that will make you feel like dancing. And even though he won't know what's happening to him, he's going to love what you're doing and realize how very special you are to him.

With a higher than 50% divorce rate and at least 80% of dating relationships failing and breaking hearts, it's obvious that there is something terribly wrong with how men and women interact and it's getting worse, not better. Communication is the key but if you are like most women, you've seen his eyes glaze over and most likely heard the phrase, "Can you just get to the point?" Obviously, you need to speak to him in new ways if you are going to see improvements in your relationship because how you have been doing it isn't working very well, is it? Finally, you will know how to speak to him so he really and truly listens to what you have to say.

You can finally take charge of your love life. You deserve to be loved, to feel empowered in your relationship and to enjoy happiness. Kara offers the tools you need to finally get what you want: ever-deepening love and respect, romance, and an enduring relationship with a man who makes you feel cherished and adored. Men Made Easy is filled to overflowing with in-depth understanding about what it takes to create the kind of relationship you want. The book is easy to understand and fun to read. And almost immediately, effortlessly, you will be using her secrets like a pro.

Some emails that have been sent to the author or to her online advice column, Ask Ms. Magic:

Dear Kara, I am soooooo happy!  It just dawned on me how much my SO has improved since I read and applied Kara's techniques (3 months or so).  He is less moody, doesn't go into those "I need my space" funks for days like he used to (now it's one evening of "I need to watch TV in the other room, ok?" and then back to cuddle time!).  He professes his love for me more often and has even said the things I've longed to hear, "you are my destiny, my goddess, you helped me to live again!"  When he said those things, I almost cried. This was two days ago and I'm still in shock and on cloud nine!  Ladies, I say, read Kara's book a few times over if you need to and live it!  My relationship has become something of my dreams that I thought would never come true.  If it can happen for me it can happen for you.  Kara, feel free to use my comments to promote your book if you'd like, I want as many women as possible to feel as good as I feel right now! I've also posted this on the Yahoo! Men Made Easy online women's support group. Mizzhoney :-)

Hello Kara, About your book...I am up to page 40 Kara, I think it is fabulous and I honor your insight, your intelligence and your inner beauty.  I am thrilled at how just reading only this far makes me feel an exceptionally beautiful woman and I thank you for reminding me how wonderful it is to be one.  I am 59 years old and have been ill for some time so I had just forgotten, but never again, for I will always have your book. Dell

Hi, Kara: You are a genius. Thanks for such a wonderful book.  This is GREAT STUFF -- and I can't wait to use it. N.C.

Dear Kara, So often in life, we look for things to be complicated so that we can take pride in subject mastery... which often leads to such incomplete understanding. Thank you for breaking past that boundary with your great book & booklets. Please send info if/when available so that I can sign up for on line support groups. Also, I want to buy 2 hard copies of your books for my sisters... I've been respectful of your good work and have not forwarded the emailed version, but really want to share your insights. Are you planning on doing any East Coast seminars in the next year? Many thanks, Maureen PS: undoubtedly, the best $12 ever spent. No lipstick, cute shirt or strapped sandal has made me feel as confident; so glad I ran into your book just before dating again.

THANK YOU KARA!!!!! This book has me mesmerized!  As Beth in the book says, most of it I already know, just not consciously, or especially how to apply it to help the relationship.  I am only half way through the book and I have come across MANY things that make me think of this friend, or that friend. Every woman should read this, and I will be telling the women I know! I have already started to think differently about myself, men, and love.... Dana G. (hide)

Contending that some women are "too nice," comedian and radio show host Sherry Argov has written Why Men Love Bitches: From Doormat to Dreamgirl-A Woman's Guide to Holding... read more

Contending that some women are "too nice," comedian and radio show host Sherry Argov has written Why Men Love Bitches: From Doormat to Dreamgirl-A Woman's Guide to Holding Her Own in a Relationship. "I'm not recommending that a woman have an abrasive disposition," Argov writes, "The woman I'm describing is kind yet strong. She doesn't give up her life, and she won't chase a man." Her sassy book is filled with scenarios and advice aimed at making women subtly stronger and self-empowered. Argov's principles, which range from the farfetched to the downright absurd, include "If you give him a feeling of power, he'll want to protect you and he'll want to give you the world" and "A little distance combined with the appearance of self-control makes him nervous that he may be losing you." The book, which has already been featured on The View and The O'Reilly Factor, should make waves with its controversial view of relationships.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. (hide)

Relationship counselor John Gray focuses on the differences between men and women--men are from Mars, and women are from Venus, after all--and offers a simple solution: couples must... read more

Relationship counselor John Gray focuses on the differences between men and women--men are from Mars, and women are from Venus, after all--and offers a simple solution: couples must acknowledge and accept these differences before they can develop happier relationships. In this unabridged version, Gray gives a spirited delivery of his message, especially when role-playing typical male/female interactions. Although it takes some time to adjust to his slightly nasal tone, the information is sound and gives both men and women helpful hints on improving themselves and their union. (Running time: 9.5 hours, 6 cassettes) --Sharon Griggins (hide)

Comprehensive in its more than 250 entries, this study balances technical, psychological, and emotional issues; stays objective on the culture wars about values; and draws on expertise from... read more

Comprehensive in its more than 250 entries, this study balances technical, psychological, and emotional issues; stays objective on the culture wars about values; and draws on expertise from over 70 contributors. Tailored for a public library readership, especially high school and college students, the book's illustrations, glossary, and bibliography enhance its value. However, this new "revised edition" does not appear much revised from the 1994 original (LJ 7/94). True, an entirely new (and very good) entry on impotence describes Viagra and UPRIMA a new drug being tested. But entries on abortion, birth control, and RU-486, plus scores of others examined, seem completely unchanged from the first edition. The glossary and bibliography are also not updated: for example, "Sex Studies and Surveys" lacks Robert T. Michael and others' major Sex in America (Little, Brown, 1994). Libraries with the first edition may decide not to buy this one, since information on Viagra is everywhere. However, any library without the first edition, or needing an additional copy, should buy the cheaper paper edition. Human Sexuality: An Encyclopedia is also very good but more suited to academic libraries. Martha Cornog, Philadelphia
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. (hide)

In this delightfully informative and entertaining book, Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer gives new meaning to the words "We need to talk." In her unmistakable voice, she urges couples... read more

In this delightfully informative and entertaining book, Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer gives new meaning to the words "We need to talk." In her unmistakable voice, she urges couples to speak, listen, share, sing, get dressed up, write things down, or do whatever else it takes to express the feelings in your hearts. Best known for her plain talk about human sexuality, she encourages setting time aside each week to read and discuss one of the lessons she's written. Do this together weekly for a full year, and it could make a world of difference in your relationship.

Here is a sampling of the valuable tips and advice you'll read about:

DO tell your partner how you feel and what your needs are, but choose your words carefully and express them at the right time. Be sure what you are saying is what you want him or her to hear.

DON'T wait until you are blind-sided by sudden crises, tragedy, or anger to express your feelings.

DO unplug the TV, put away the to-do lists, turn off the computer screen playing in your mind, and find some quiet time along to be with each other.

DON'T focus on old grudges or make promises you can't keep. Apologize if you need to or accept your partner's apology; then move on.

DO close the blinds, light some candles, listen to your favorite song, and take time to reconnect if you've been apart.

DON'T expect to find an instant soul mate. New love needs time to grow, but when both people work at it, the rewards can be incredible.

DO deviate from routine. Be spontaneous. Plan something unexpected. Boredom is one of the leading killers of intimacy.

DON'T miss any opportunity to touch. No matter how fleeting the moment may be, make every hug count.

ABOVE ALL... DO keep the conversation flowing... It will strengthen the bonds between you and keep you connected with the one you love. (hide)