Warning! This Book Title is Misleading!

Dating Game Secrets for Marrying a Good Man

Author: Alisa Goodwin Snell

Review by: Mackenzie Parkin

I’m going to start by saying that I HATE this title. Why is this? I hate this title is because I feel like it severely limits its audience appeal to women with the goal of getting married when, in actuality, this book is applicable to both genders and not just for getting married – it’s great for those casually dating as well! I picked this book up the other day at my small local library with some hesitation because books on relationships and dating were scarce. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the author is a licensed marriage and family therapist, not to mention a talented writer. Books by qualified and interesting authors are always a bonus in my book because you get informed and entertained all at once. This book definitely fits those criteria.

In the first few pages, the author discusses safety in dating and how to identify traits that would make you vulnerable for your dating partner to manipulate or take advantage of you. She also discussed how to identify and handle traits of dating partners that you consider “warning signs.” I found this information to be extremely valuable because I think all of us in the dating world value our safety and want to be respected by our partners, but there is not often researched information on how to do so but I think this book would be an excellent place to start. On a somewhat lighter note, the author also talks about a large variety of fascinating parts of the dating process such as flirting, asking someone out, tackling the first date, and avoiding boredom in dating. Confidence, self-respect, and personality traits of dating partners are just some of the other topics the author covers. I think it’s also important to mention that this book is very clearly laid out and broken down into small sections so as to avoid overwhelming readers. The author is fantastic at bringing warmth and personality into her writing so that it feels like you are listening to a very wise friend, rather than reading a researched author. The only other aspect of this book that I would consider negative is that it is on the long side at over 200 pages. Don’t let this scare you away though. I definitely think readers could easily pick and choose what sections they would be interested in reading. This is truly a diverse book that covers a huge span of dating issues that I feel could apply to a great variety of people in a multitude of different settings. This is one book I don’t think you’d regret picking up!

Pros

· Written by a licensed married and family therapist

· Clear and engaging writing style

· Large variety of issues relating to dating

· Applicable to a large variety of situations and people

Cons

· The title is misleading and could deter a lot of people

· On the long side (200 pages)

Snell, A. (2008). Dating Game Secrets for Marrying a Good Man. Springville, UT: Bonneville Books.