Listened to the audio for the ARRT nonfiction reader's advisory genre study, and found it to be a frothy cocktail of simplemindedness and condescension. Drink it up! ( )

Listened to the audio for the ARRT nonfiction reader's advisory genre study, and found it to be a frothy cocktail of simplemindedness and condescension. Drink it up! ( )

Listened to the audio for the ARRT nonfiction reader's advisory genre study, and found it to be a frothy cocktail of simplemindedness and condescension. Drink it up! ( )

It's not often that I don't persevere with a book but I couldn't waste my precious time finishing this trite tome when there are so many other worthwhile books on my bookshelf crying out to be read.

Rarely do I find a movie better than the book, however, in this case the acceptable movie (maybe because I was a captive audience on a trans-Pacific flight) was based on a boring, repetitive book.

Don't bother with the book. ( )

This book was recommended to me by a friend. She told me that it is just the kick up the ar@e that single girls like us need. I don't read a great deal of non-fiction, but I am an SATC fan, and knowing that the authors were writers on the programme helped me decide to give He's Just Not That Into You a shot.

First of all, it's funny. Relationships can be that way when you're not involved in them. Secondly, Greg Behrendt is so straight-talking it will make you wince, but the hook with this book is that he's a guy claiming to understand guyspeak and guy behaviour. Whether you want to hear the truth or not, Greg is going to tell you anyway. And it isn't sugar-coated, as your female friends might make it.

The upshot, for those looking for a shortcut to the heart of the matter in matters of the heart, is that if a male is really interested in a female, he will let her know. He will pursue her for a date, phone when he promises to, and treat her well. Greg's premise is that if any of this is NOT happening, then he's just not that into you. For a guy, it's really that simple (says Greg). If you are a lady and you are dealing with a male who cannot treat you as you deserve to be treated (i.e. with respect), then it is your responsibility not to settle: "don't waste the pretty".

A female perspective is provided by Liz Tucillo, who contributes a sort of call and response to Greg's advice in the book. And it's just as well, because Greg's harsh advice was starting to have me wondering whether he intends for us all to stay single for the rest of our lives. Liz is also direct, in that she points out to Greg that it is extremely hard to find any of these wonderful men that he claims exist out there. She knows, because she's 41, single and living in NYC - very SATC. I know a fair few single ladies myself - well-educated, attractive, well-travelled, and inexplicably single. They expect a lot from their partners and are usually disappointed, and they already have these standards. It's a bit like SATC but without the wardrobe budget. Not pretty. Few of us know many eligible single males - perhaps they're all in LA hanging out with Greg.

Some of the "you're worth it" cheering in the book (yes, from Greg) can get a little irritating. Some of the anecdotes are too ridiculous for words, but also strangely feasible. Liz evens him out, but they both have valid points to make, and provide handy checklists and tongue-in-cheek exercises to help us along. The humour saves it all from sounding worthy or preachy, and even if you're not single, you should find it quite entertaining.

So, if your dates aren't going well, their advice is to stand strong. Have some standards about what you will and will not tolerate in a relationship. Stick to those standards. And get rid if you see the signs that he's just not that into you. Greg swears that there are men out there who are just waiting to treat us as though they are definitely into us.

Simple? Oh yes. These standards are what's keeping us single in the first place. And so it goes. ( )