Review of The MAN-ual
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Marion Latchoumania-Quédou
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Review of The MAN-ual
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The MAN-ual" by T.I.M.]
The MAN-ual is a book written by T.I.M. In this book, the author speaks to men about how to maintain and nourish their relationships with their mates, focusing on the basics of a relationship, the must-haves, and the small but romantic details.
With The MAN-ual, the author intends to speak to “men” who, “just like him”, need to be told things directly and not subtly. And the whole book is very direct (it's a good thing).
The author addresses many very important points in a relationship. He emphasizes the need for good communication and making efforts to maintain the relationship. He offers many tips for maintaining romance (giving compliments, paying attention to your image to continue to please your mate) and discusses serious topics such as interracial couples (and the difficulties they can encounter, for example, family approval or the difficulty of integrating as a mixed-race child), the need to have the same values, and abuse in relationships.
These topics are fascinating. I didn't expect to find them in this book, but they are vital to a couple's survival. The author addresses them with simple but accurate words, perfectly conveying the message he wants to convey.
The chapters are short but very clear and straightforward, and the fact that the author offers ideas for poems, dates, or recipes makes the book even better, like an almost perfect guide on how to maintain your romantic relationship.
But, despite these wise and essential pieces of advice for a healthy relationship, I found a certain underlying sexism. Some examples showed a difference in treatment depending on whether the subject was a woman or a man (for example, in the case of infidelity, where one could almost believe that if the man cheats, it is his wife's fault). The author places a lot of emphasis on the “rivalry” aspect between men regarding women (one gets the impression that he's talking about a game between “dominant males” where women stand as “prizes”) without emphasizing the “trust between partners” aspect, which is essential in a relationship. I found this unfortunate.
I also found the subject to be, at times, very materialistic, and while some may identify with it, it won't speak to everyone.
Overall, I rate The MAN-ual 3 stars out of 5. This book is full of excellent advice that, even if it is often common sense, is not acquired by everyone. The author has put a lot of effort into his work, thus offering us a very comprehensive book addressing the major aspects of a romantic relationship.
However, I did, unfortunately, find some avoidable grammatical errors.
If a certain underlying sexism and a way of viewing relationships as rivalries seemed very unfortunate to me, sometimes even problematic, I nevertheless recommend this book to anyone wishing to view their romantic relationship more healthily.
******
The MAN-ual
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The MAN-ual is a book written by T.I.M. In this book, the author speaks to men about how to maintain and nourish their relationships with their mates, focusing on the basics of a relationship, the must-haves, and the small but romantic details.
With The MAN-ual, the author intends to speak to “men” who, “just like him”, need to be told things directly and not subtly. And the whole book is very direct (it's a good thing).
The author addresses many very important points in a relationship. He emphasizes the need for good communication and making efforts to maintain the relationship. He offers many tips for maintaining romance (giving compliments, paying attention to your image to continue to please your mate) and discusses serious topics such as interracial couples (and the difficulties they can encounter, for example, family approval or the difficulty of integrating as a mixed-race child), the need to have the same values, and abuse in relationships.
These topics are fascinating. I didn't expect to find them in this book, but they are vital to a couple's survival. The author addresses them with simple but accurate words, perfectly conveying the message he wants to convey.
The chapters are short but very clear and straightforward, and the fact that the author offers ideas for poems, dates, or recipes makes the book even better, like an almost perfect guide on how to maintain your romantic relationship.
But, despite these wise and essential pieces of advice for a healthy relationship, I found a certain underlying sexism. Some examples showed a difference in treatment depending on whether the subject was a woman or a man (for example, in the case of infidelity, where one could almost believe that if the man cheats, it is his wife's fault). The author places a lot of emphasis on the “rivalry” aspect between men regarding women (one gets the impression that he's talking about a game between “dominant males” where women stand as “prizes”) without emphasizing the “trust between partners” aspect, which is essential in a relationship. I found this unfortunate.
I also found the subject to be, at times, very materialistic, and while some may identify with it, it won't speak to everyone.
Overall, I rate The MAN-ual 3 stars out of 5. This book is full of excellent advice that, even if it is often common sense, is not acquired by everyone. The author has put a lot of effort into his work, thus offering us a very comprehensive book addressing the major aspects of a romantic relationship.
However, I did, unfortunately, find some avoidable grammatical errors.
If a certain underlying sexism and a way of viewing relationships as rivalries seemed very unfortunate to me, sometimes even problematic, I nevertheless recommend this book to anyone wishing to view their romantic relationship more healthily.
******
The MAN-ual
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
