I like getting sent a book to review once in awhile. It makes me feel important and usually gets me back on a reading kick again.
Alexis (a favorite book publicist of mine) is working with author Mary Anne Comaroto and thought I might enjoy her latest book “Hindsight: What You Need To Know Before You Drop Your Drawers!”
Are you sure this has to do with money? I asked tentatively. Alexis assured me there was at least some connection so I told her to send it along.
Ok you ready to see the cover? (Warning: It’s a little shocking and this is coming from someone who has been described as ‘a little crazy’.)
Whoop here’s the cover:
Clearly, there was no way I could read this in public.
I mean first off, gold heels and sliver underwear? Not particularly match-y. And ‘begin within’ (the book’s mantra of self love) written on the underwear is a little, um, confusing.
Who could read this on a bus or by a lake? Not me, and I think I’m pretty liberal about things like this.
OK, so other than what I think is a bad cover, what’s inside the book is actually pretty entertaining and moderately helpful. Like any good self-help book there are exercises, sample scripts, and illustrative stories.
All in all, Mary Anne tells a good story using actual experiences of other women to illustrate that 1) you do have to love yourself to be in a functional relationship and 2) you do need to communicate clearly with any potential sexual partner.
What I got out of the book (besides hoping to never be an example in it) is that it’s important to be really specific about what you want in a partner. After making ‘the list’, you need to go through it and see what qualities you yourself don’t posess (Hadn’t done that part before!). For example, on my list of ideals is someone who is in shape but I myself am not in great shape at the moment. I have to be willing to work on a particular quality myself if I expect it in someone else. This is fair and reasonable but not something I had considered.
I also enjoyed the list of 14 questions to ask potential mates. It was suggested not to ask them point blank journalist style but I like to think I could probably get away with that. It’s sad that we live in a world where we have to ask our date specifically if they are married, have herpes, or have ever been to jail but you have to ask, if only for your safety and happiness. Is that worth a few uncomfortable moments? I sure think so!
Give this book to a girlfriend who always seems to fall into terrible relationships or a daughter with whom you could never have such candid conversation about doing the hookey-dookey. And if you find yourself making the same mistakes with the menfolk over and over, you may want to hole up at your house and spend a weekend with Mary Anne.