Are All Guys Assholes?

September 15, 2011

Unexpected answers to questions that may renew young womens' faith in relationships.

After surveying more than 1,000 guys in 10 cities, noted sexpert Madison (Talking Sex with Your Kids: Keeping Them Safe and You Sane—By Knowing What They're Really Thinking, 2010, etc.) concludes that "pretty much everything you've been told your entire life is a lie." Citing the information she gathered, as well as outside studies, she endeavors to discredit the myth that all guys are assholes—and often does so in a humorous, light and inviting way. At the end of a section entitled "I Want to Meet a Good Guy. Can It Happen at a Bar?", the author urges women to think outside the box. "If you want to improve your chances of meeting someone," she writes, "you have to be okay with talking to guys anywhere. In a grocery store ('Whatcha plan to do with all that mac and cheese?'), in a Best Buy ('That's a whole lot of inches of screen you're looking at'), on your lunch break ('You think turkey and Swiss is the way to go here?')." Such comic interludes propel readers through the author's findings, largely based on anecdotal evidence. Madison relies mostly on case studies featuring younger men, and she later limits the age range of her audience, writing, "Guys mature with age and that is part of it. But these guys we date and get so discouraged by, they're going to grow up to be the next generation of doting fathers, uncles and grandfathers."

Narrow in scope but ideal for young women navigating the dating scene.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2011
Curling up with the latest offering from sexpert Madison (Hooking Up, 2006; Talking Sex with Your Kids, 2010) feels like dishing with your best friendexcept this friend has all the answers. After scouring 10 major U.S. cities for single men (young and straight only), collecting in-depth surveys, and grilling the men about their dating habits and what they're really thinking, Madison uncovers some revolutionary new findings. She breaks down her research into a series of answerable questions spanning every stage of a relationship, from the best place to meet a guy to what it means when he doesn't call, along with case studies of real-life guys in action. While some of her findings answer age-old questions (Should he make the first move?), others navigate previously uncharted waters (Is he texting me because he wants to put forth as little effort as possible?). Fun and witty, yet brimming with statistics, this no-nonsense guide to sex, dating, and relationships reveals what Madison admittedly set out to confirmthat guys may not be so bad after all.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)