So, as you all may (or may not) know I’ve been reading this book called “Modern Dating: A Field Guide.” A company contacted me because they wanted to read the book and write a review on it. I was super stoked! What an honor!
I’ve never written a book review so this is a learning experience for me. I promise I will try my best! Here it goes, y’all:
Modern Dating: A Field Guide (Harlequin Nonfiction, May 2013) From Chiara Atick, blogger and staff writer on HowAboutWe.com. [The back of the book gives a great explanation of the book, so I’m just going to copy it on here] “Modern Dating offers advice on modern challenges, like how to send relatively unembarrassing sext, how to create a fail proof first date idea, and how to make sure you’re getting into a relationship for the right reasons. Instead of telling you How to Win a Husband n Just 3 Easy Steps!, it will gently guide you through all the triumphs and pitfalls of what dating is actually like, from one-night stands, to confusing texts and emails, to your first online date.” Here in the U.S. the book runs for $19.95 and comes with a free three month trial for HowAboutWe.com (a $54 value). Does this price seem like it’s a little high? If it does, don’t worry…It’s totally worth the price!
The book is incredibly relatable and talks about topics that I’ve seen all over the blogging world (yes, including my very own blog). What I love the most about this book is that it goes from a woman embracing her single life to the dating process and finally the actually relationship. So even though the book is geared toward the single woman; I think every woman can relate to it regardless of her relationship status.
I’d like to talk about my favorite points of the book:
- It teaches us that it is perfectly okay to be single! I really want to say that this is my favorite thing about this book. It teaches us that once we truly accept being single and actually enjoy being single, then finding a guy becomes much easier.
- When it comes to online dating, the online profile is THE most important aspect of being successful. This book really goes through the do’s and don’t of dating profiles.
- Being successful with online dating is also messaging many guys all at once! We can’t get hung up on one guy and put everything else on hold.
- Paying for dates is such an awkward moment and I really love how the book breaks it down
- After the date, we can all get a little awkward and don’t really know how to deal with certain situations (i.e. the guy texting you but you aren’t interested).
- 75 out-of-the-box date ideas!
- Statistics and facts make me happy so I absolutely loved all of that in the book.
- I really liked the way reading the book felt. Meaning, it felt like I was chatting with one of my girl friends.
What I didn’t like:
- It’s basically a non-stop advertisement for HowAboutWe.com
Yes, that’s all I didn’t like!
The rest of the back cover says “Frank, funny, and totally relatable, this is a book that really gets at how women are dating today – the ideal travel companion for your dating life. The only rule is that there are no rules, but this book will be there for guidance, or just for laughs, every step of the way.” I couldn’t agree more!
So what does all this mean? It means, I really enjoyed reading this book and I believe any single woman (especially women going through online dating) should read this book. I’m pretty sure I’ve said in previous posts that I wish there was a book people could read that could help them with the online dating process, this book is it!
thirty-somethings 
That’s a good start. I am a firm advocate of women taking equality in making the approach with regard to online dating. Why should it all be down to us men all the time? If you see somebody you like go for it. 250,000 years of evolution still haven’t granted males telepathy!
I get so frustrated that so many profiles complain that they aren’t getting messages from the sort of men they are interested in as though their perfect man will just drop into their lap without any effort on their part. I would even go so far as to say that a small minority have an entitlement attitude.
Ladies, you too should share the joy of rejection and the nerves that go with asking somebody out on a date!
Amen.
I couldn’t agree more! Women really need to take the reigns in messaging as well. For a woman to just sit back and think online dating will be successful if they do nothing is just ridiculous.
It sounds like a great book! I agree that women should have several messages with different men going at once, I don’t agree that they should be dating multiple people at once. I also agree that women should reach out although it was always hard for me to make initial contact. I firmly believe if women want to attract a different type of man, they need to be willing to initiate contact. Awesome book review!!!
Hey Deb! Great book review. I liked that you were honest but still fair and interesting. And I’m really interested to see how the rest of your blog goes now that you’re sliding away from the topic of online dating and to life instead. I was so interested, actually, that I nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Check it out if you’re interested. 🙂
Wow, thank you so much! The kind words are much appreciated.
As for my blog, it’s definitely a work in progress because I don’t know if I want it to be about life in general buttttt it seems to be working for now! Hahah. Thank you for following along. 😀