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This is an inspirational and practical book that will both help you be a better, more productive writer and make you want to write. Weinberg explains timeless techniques you can use to collect and organize your ideas effectively when you are writing about a topic you care about.

Jerry Weinberg's books have had a positive influence on my life as a technologist and manager, and with this book, he is now inspiring me to be a better writer. If you are a writer, or want to be one, you will want to read this book once for inspiration, and refer to it again later for it's exercises and advice.

I've been a big fan of Jerry Weinbergs writing (and he wrote a lot). A book about writing is exactly what I needed, so my expectations were high. However, I ended up slightly disappointed. I almost feel guilty about giving this just four stars out of five with all the other people writing reviews about how excellent this book is.

Weinberg on writing: the fieldstone method is a book about writing books. The whole book is build around the analogy between writing a book and building a fieldstone wall. Building a fieldstone wall takes practice and you have to find the right stones (ideas) and put them in the right place to make a great wall. Not all the stones fit, some need to be shaped and not all walls will be great.

For me, personally, the analogy didn't work well. I felt it was more confusion than beneficial. It's created very clever, nothing wrong there. It's just hard to see, plus normally an analogy is made from an easier domain to understand. I found the domain of building fieldstone walls not much easier than book writing. I'd preferred more direct writing and talking about e.g. ideas instead of stones.

The book consists of 20 chapter about writing. Most chapters contain really really useful tips. Weinberg (with 40 books) has lots of experience and, as always, has done his research. The book is written in a similar style as most of his books. Easy to read and full of stories. (a coal mine...)

To mention some of the ideas in the book. Don't write when you have to. Use your energy. Play solitaire with idea. How to gather ideas. How to store ideas. How to use outliners. And the list goes on and on. Many ideas, some conceptual, some very concrete.

Near the end of the book, Gerry very smartly explains the techniques he introduces on this book. He talks about writing, while writing. Though done very well, I found it somewhat confusing.

Overall, Gerald Weinberg did a great job writing yet another book. It's worth reading and contains a huge amount of advise. I'm sure this book is useful for every writer. Recommended.

Other reviewers have done a fine job explaining what this book is about, and extolling its many virtues, so I'll keep my comments brief.

Jerry Weinberg's "fieldstone" method is a powerful concept and technique, but what stands out most about this book to me is the way in which, between the lines, Weinberg addresses the *emotional* difficulty of writing, and the way in which things like buried memories of scolding grammar teachers and other childhood traumas can weigh down our writing efforts, or even prevent us from putting words on the page at all. I don't mean to suggest that this is some kind of self-help or pop psychology book--it is fundamentally a book about writing. But Weinberg's Fieldstone Method is not only an approach for getting things written; it is also a way of thinking about writing that makes it easier to overcome the many "invisible" obstacles, to forgive ourselves, to give ourselves permission to write.

Weinberg on Writing is well worth your time, no matter your particular writing interest.

This is THE book on writing. Short and sweet: in a thin paperback, Weinberg covers the entire spectrum from mechanics of organizing paragraphs to how to gather and integrate your ideas. Weinberg comes from the software field, but knows how to write a book I couldn't put down. It has automatically become one of my "toolkit" books -- one of a few I'll keep on my shelf to refer to regularly.

I attended Jerry's Writer's Workshop in 2004 and it increased my skills and confidence enough to go back to prose-writing after several years of "death by powerpoint" writing. I've now published my first book (CMMI Survival Guide: Just Enough Process Improvement) and finally took the time to read Weinberg on Writing. I truly wish I had taken the time to read it while in the process of writing my book. Not only did it remind me of things we did in the workshop that are useful; it also presented some new tools and gave background on some of the things we did in the workshop that enriched my understanding. I wonder how different my writing life would have been if my freshman English teacher in college had had access to Jerry's book as a text. I can't answer that question, but I can say that my writing life has been changed by Jerry in person and by Weinberg on Writing, for the better in each case!

This book is great! I have read many books on the Law of Attraction from The Secret to The Science of Getting Rich and although all books have given many perspectives and understanding, Working With The Law has been life changing. It wasn't until I read Raymond Holliwells perspective on the Law of Non-Resistance and The Law of Attraction did I start actually seeing amazing changes in my life. I would highly recommend this book.

I have read many books on the Law of Attraction and I found this one to be the best. It covers it from so many aspects and perspectives, and it gives many direct quotes from the bible. If you are interested in the Law of Attraction, this one is a must read!!!

I think this book is excellent. I would say that everyone would do well to have a copy. This guide is not unlike a roadmap to living. I have other books which go into these subjects but not to this level. The mind must be disciplined and he explains why things go wrong. Man/woman can be their own worst enemy. His analysis and approach to the subjects are to be applauded.

Holliwell's book is phenomenal. It's concise, yet extremely dense. As a student of the Law of Attraction, I have a deep appreciation for authors like Wallace Wattles, Charles Haanel, and Napoleon Hill (who's works are the foundation of the film "The Secret" and the current Law of Attraction craze.)

That said, I hold, "Working With the Law," above them all, simply for the reason that this book was published in the 60's (rather than the turn of the century) making the text more contemporary, therefore easier to understand.

The best part of the book though, I feel, is how it explains the correlation between the law of attraction and religion. As a practicing Catholic, I sometimes run into those in my faith who condemn me for following the Universal Laws.

Christian, Muslim, Jew, et al. who are reluctant to embrace the Law of Attraction should read this book before they write off the Universal Laws that govern this world. Holliwell's book explains that God and (LAW) are really one in the same.

I found the book overly simplistic long on theroy and short on logical thinking. But I must admit that his chapter on the Law of Attraction very unique. I have read everything that has been written on the Law of Attraction Holliwel's use of the theroy of we get the results of our "expectations" is brilliant and made much sense. Thoughts are a function of the ego and are not very useful, but expectations are are a function of the inner being . . . much more authentic.
That chapter and the chapter on non-resistance made the book worthwhile, but otherwise the book was pretty outdated theroy.

This book is a concise and friendly guide that is great for admins. It proved itself the first time that I had a problem allowing me to quickly find the answer I needed.

This is one of those most have books for any SQL Server DBAs reference library.

Brian Knight covers a LOT of different items and goes into sufficient detail on all topics. Probably the best real world book on SQL Server administration out there. I've worked with SQL Server for over 5 years and have been a senior DBA over a large enterprise SQL Server farm but I still learned a great deal from this book.

This is an excellent book. The coverage of SQL Server is very solid. However, if you plan to purchase the author's newest book, SQL Server 2000 for Experienced DBAs, DO NOT purchase this book. The newer book covers everything this book covers, in addition to the topic of high availability. Owning both books would be completly redundant, a mistake I personally made.

If you're thinking of buying this book, because you've tried everything in Microsoft's online manual "Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 Performance Tuning Guide" and are still having some performance problems, then this book could be your solution.

It helped me solve some of the problems I was having with our productive server and helped me understand some basics a bit better than before. It does not contain everything you need to know, but gives you some ideas how you have to look for further information and what you have to look for.

It contains some good reference material, but not all of the hidden features. As with every book under 1000 pages this is not THE bible for the DBA but is a complementary book that will provide some invaluable information not found elsewhere. This book was well worth the price..

SQL Server 2000 Administration headaches? ... Well if you need a rapid reference on system administrative functions that could not only save your company $$$ on downtime and system availability but improve your response to difficult situations this is a DBA must have. I have purchased more books attempting to get reliable information and tips to make my Administration of SQL Server Database systems robust, reliable, and rapid on response I have finally found the information I needed in "One" book. I would recommend this book for Mid to Senior level Database Administrators and as a guide for training Junior level DBA's to prevent bad habits and teach the proper habits of monitoring, managing and maintaining SQL Server databases overall. Oh and the nice touch is that TIPS: and CAUTION: notices throughout the book educate the creative "out of the box" approach to proper system risk management. I hope Mr. Knight considers sharing his talent with future Administrative Guides !!!

It took me longer than usual to read this book. Not that it wasn't good, because it was; I just didn't want to continuously read and cry at the same time! I'm usually sensitive to matters like this but the fact that this story is realistic made finishing the book at my two day record time...difficult. I was so pleased to read Alvaro and Shawn were able to heal and live their lives. I commend the writer for going through the depths of the healing process with these young men and bringing that experience to the readers. Excellent book! I recommend this to others but make sure you have tissue handy!

Purchased this book for my husband who was burned 42 years ago. He really enjoyed the book and re-living thru this book everything that he had gone thru--only technology was not as good then. He read the book in 2 days he was that interested in it. Recommend it to everyone to see just how terrifying being burned really is.

What a wonderfull story and an awesome read. I could hardly do anything for 2 days, because I was reading this book. It just made you want to get up and go hug someone close to you. I would have loved to have known more about the individuals now and after the accident. What are they doing now and are they still close and in touch. It was just a great book and it put a warm feeling in your heart.

The book "After the fire" is one of the most heartfelt, moving stories that I have ever read. It is the story of the fire at Seton Hall University's (in New Jersey) freshman dormitory that left 58 people injured and 3 people dead. Among the 58 people injured were roomates Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos. The book concentrates on them and their comeback from being severly injured. Both were severely burned, and required extensive stays in the hospital (Alvaro also went to a rehabilitation center)before they were able to return to society. Their casual friendship turns into a deep bond as they encounter their setbacks in re-entering the world together.
This book moved me to tears several times as it described what Alvaro and Shawn had to go through to get to where they are today. There is a special place in heaven for the victims of burns, as well as for the Doctors and nurses who choose to treat burn victims. "After the fire" introduces you to many memorable characters in the hospitals who are truly unsung heros. It also discusses the story of the detectives who finally bring the arsonists to justice in their trial in 2007.
This book has been my favorite read of 2008 so far. You will not be able to put it down. I hope the author, Robin Gaby Fisher, writes more books. Her first one has been unforgettable.

This is an absorbing non-fiction book, a book I couldn't put down. The author does an awesome job describing the characters, their struggles, and their feelings. When I finished the book I felt like I knew the two young men so caringly described in 'After the Fire'. I don't regret a minute spent reading this well-told story.

What a wonderful book. APACHE is beautiful.

What a beautiful book. It's really stunning. I'm envious. I hope the publisher does as well with it as I think they should.

APACHE is a beautiful, really beautiful book.

APACHE: The Sacred Path to Womanhood is magnificent. It, the photography and writing, deserves an award.

Apache is graphic & well-told as a photo story, which is rare indeed.

This book is just fantastic. In the first half an hour of reading, Farkas explains an incredible amount of information that is all completely relevant to the playing of the French Horn. He offers his own suggestions on technique and plenty of pointers, especially offering new fingerings and explaining why they exist. He explains the history of the horn and explains why players have to do what they do (ex. Hand placement, fingerings, etc). Really interesting and helpful. The included warm ups have become my daily routine and are extremely helpful. Excellent book, the only thing I disliked is that this text is quite outdated in its horn maintenance instructions.

A wealth of information. Techniques, warm-up scales, alternate fingerings, transposition, practice music to improve different areas such as range, intervals, pitch. Learned about this from a horn player in the Dallas Symphony when I was in high school, found it very useful when I played with the Guam Symphony, and used it regularly when I returned to playing after several years of absence. Given it to young players across the US and overseas.

95 pages full of advice for any hornplayer, beginner, advanced or pro. Maybe the fotos and the layout are not best quality, but finally its the content that counts.

This book is my favorite of all time-- and for a teenager, that may seem strange. I have played horn for about four months, and this is my reference for any issues from technical problems, to practice advice, to encouragement and warnings. Philip Farkas speaks in a way that I love-- he offers frank advice and talks to the reader in a voice that clearly states that he is a fellow hornist, a friend helping a friend. His tone is clear, honest, and very distinguished-- I found it very encouraging that he does not speak to the reader in a condescending way. I am extremely encouraged that he offers such a wide variety of advice, though I do question some of his techniques, such as sitting while practicing and advising not to hold the horn "free". I do agree with his preference of a dark, mellow tone, but I believe that can be achieved while holding the horn free if the right hand is in the correct position. Furthermore, Mr.Farkas's book is the bible of french horn and should be commited to memory by each and every hornist that is serious about this art.

As a Horn teacher for many many years, this is required text for all my students. The "manual" for Horn playing.

I had a good time reading through this reprint of Morris Morgan's 1893 translation of Xenophon's "The Art of Horsemanship" (350 BC). Unlike many of the other ancient Greek translations and authors, this one is very easy to read.

The text itself is fairly short and reads quickly, sprinkled with wisdom. After the text is another short portion from 1893, which talks about "The Greek Riding-Horse", based on Xenophon and all the other available sources. Additionally, the footnotes to the text are quite interesting--I read them, for the most part, en block after reading the text.

As the title implies, the text is a very hands-on, practical guide to "everything you need to know" about how to take care of and look good riding a horse, reading like a "Horsemanship for Dummies" book. If you're interested in Ancient Greece and horses, you've got to read this short "instruction manual", though if you're only interested in the ancients, it's still fun to breeze through this text, nevertheless.

If more people took the time to educate themselves about horses and horsemanship in general and Xenophone's book in particular, perhaps we not see so many "show horses" of various popular breeds so physically manipulated by in breeding for only one or two specific traits rather than breeding for the whole horse. What was true in Ancient Greece is truer still today - without good feet, balance in the body and common sense a horse is worthless. Bravo to Amazon for bringing us this excellent book dirt cheap!

The material in this book is thousands of years old but amazing in how modern the approach is to horsemanship. Most of Xenophon's advice is timely even today. It shows how little has changed over the centuries.

This is a must if you are passionate about horses. It is so clear and to the essential point that it is a pleasure to read.

Xenophon covers several aspects of horsemanship, from grooming, leading, and choosing a horse, to mounting, riding, and training a war mount. Very, very interesting to see what is still applicable today. While this isn't a "training" or even a "horse care book," its a great historical reference from those interested in how horses we cared for and trained 2000 years ago. However, for those looking for a story or a book to teach riding skills, I suggest you look elsewhere. Those interested in dressage will find this worth-while, as it is considered the oldest text on the subject.

It's rare to find such a clear-thinking, practical guide. This one is great for finding out a little about everything and leaving with your head still screwed on straight. Loved the frightening writeup on DPT.

Because I consider it my duty to buy any book with the words "Magick" or "Occult" in the title, I picked this one up against my better judgement. On the whole, my initial fears were that this would be cartoonish, poorly written and obtuse. Even the name, cribbed from one of Aleister Crowley's works, worried me. That being said, I am very lucky that I purchased this book anyway.

Richard Metzger, the compiler and editor of this collection, has done the occult world a great service by bringing together this series of articles and publishing them in one soft cover. Containing the works of authors such as William S. Burroughs, Aleister Crowley, Anton LaVey, Timothy Leary, Donald Tyson and Robert Anton Wilson, this collection isn't any sort of theoretical discussion of magic. What you'll find here instead is a series of examples from fairly famous people who have actually practiced magic.

Many people who've been practicing or living magically for some time will still have a lot to learn from this book, just as I did. The examples are eye-opening in some cases, and at the very least thought-provoking in others. I often found myself saying "Wow... I've never thought of doing it THAT way."

My only real objection is the heavy emphasis on the use of illegal and illicit drugs. I understand that the use of these substances has been linked very closely with the occult, especially in the United States, but the way this book seems to promote the use of these substances upsets me. Still, there are enough examples of magic without drugs to satisfy my tastes.

All in all the book is very well put together, with a lot of detail, good editing and nice illustrations and pictures. I whole-heartedly recommend it to students of magic from intermediate to advanced. Beginner's might want to get a little more grounding before experimenting with some of these ideas, though. Good luck!

If the occultophobes of the world had any sense, they would leave the Harry Potter series alone and forget all about it. THIS is the book they should be trying to burn.

Book of Lies: The Disinformation Guide to Magick and the Occult is a collection of essays and articles by leading voices in the occult world. A total of 40 written pieces take up roughly 350 pages here. A small sampling of these includes Phil Hine on magickal initiation, Donald Tyson on the Enochian Apocalypse, and Boyd Rice on the connections between the Biblical Leviathan and the mythic Dagon.

An entire section is devoted to the infamous Aleister Crowley, his life's work, and those who took his ideas and ran with them. Fiction writer Grant Morrison (The Invisibles) delivers his philosophy on modern magickal practice as a lifestyle. Erik Davis discusses the fiction of H.P. Lovecraft and its significance to the practicing occultist. Tau Allen Greenfield debunks the popular history of Wicca, and P.R. Koening exposes the fraudulent "Caliphate" Ordo Templi Orientis.

This book reprints an interview with late Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey by author/musician Michael Moynihan (Lords of Chaos, Blood Axis) and Dr. Stephen Flowers's essay "The Secret of the Gothick God of Darkness." Only Robert Mason's article on the "Ahriman Consciousness" seems strangely out of place; it reads more like a vaugely Christianized version of David Icke's conspiracy theories than the work of a practicing magician.

Be advised this is not a "spellbook" as such; a few articles give practical advice for starting points and point the way to futher study, but the book as a whole is an exhibit, not a seminar. But it's a very well-assembled and stimulating exhibit; read it to learn, evaluate, and be inspired.

Young readers or newcomers to this area of interest may be surprised to learn here there is much more to the world of magick than astrology, Wicca, and themed-deck Tarot cards. This book is a joy in that it not only acknowleges the existence of a darker, more volitile side to the occult, but gives it legitimate coverage beyond a cursory two-sentance summary in dismissive, generalized terms. This is not commericalized, superficial reading. No Three-Fold Law. No love spells, vampire poetry or tips for naming your "familiar" (cat). This is a challenging and colorful showcase that gives a small sampling of the forbidden knowledge shamans of the Lost Age knew firsthand and embroyonic quantum science is only beginning to point to. Get your copy now... before the book burners do.

"Richard Metzger opened the drug fetus's industrial BDSM play into the abolition world and transplanted the era respiration-byte sending program of the acidhuman body encoder to the digital chimpanzee's cerebral cortex." - Kenji Siratori, author of Blood Electric

This book, unlike Metzger's MISERABLE TV series is a joy to have. If you are a person open to the idea of alternate realities then you will find some of the best speakers from that fringe world here. You should not think of this as a typical "disinfo" offering such as "You Are Being Lied Too". This material would more easily be imagined as a series of essays along the lines of subject matter Robert Anton Wilson might discuss. Much of it deals in one way or another with magick and alternate mind states.

Martin Gilbert is probably one of the most prodigious historians alive. This book required interviews with the 732 survivors it profiles ("Boys" includes both men and women) and those who knew them after the war. Some were as young as eight or nine when the war started. Many themes Gilbert covers are like those one can read in other personal Holocaust histories. But the experiences in each case are unique.

Martin provides two statistics I find particularly haunting. While 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust--including victims of pre-war pogroms, ghettos, concentration and death camps and death marches--only 100,000 survived the camps. And while Britain agreed to take in 1,000 Jewish "children" under the age of 16 after the war, only 732 could be found alive.

But for me, the most fascinating part of the book is the repeated confirmation that those who returned to their homes after the war found the same kind of murderous hatred among their former neighbors as Jan Tomasz Gross describes in Neighbors.

In other words, Jedwabne was not unique. Gross has himself said as much and plans to write more on the subject. But Gilbert also confirms that murders of Jews by locals happened during the war all over Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, and to a lesser extent, in Hungary. It also happened after the war all over Europe--especially in the East. Returning Jews found neighbors who wished them dead, and in thousands of cases killed them. The "boys", obviously, survived. But many lost brothers, parents, friends, after the war, in Poland, Hungary, and elsewhere. Sir Martin Gilbert gives us the living proof. Alyssa A. Lappen

I can't add much to the excellent published reviews. This is one of the most outstanding books I have read. Read it to learn what Jewish life was like before 1939 and to learn of the horrors of the camps and forced marches. Yet the book shows that there is hope as the "boys" remember the words of their fathers "In a place where there are no men, be a man". If you could get an older teen-ager to get through the beginning of this book (which is a little slow), they would get a tremendous amount from this book.

There were times I almost could not continue to read the book. I pictured myself as the mother watching in horror, the child, the sister, the brother, and it all seemed real and unbelievable.

But as with all Holocaust stories, if these fortunate, brave and lucky souls, could have survived and lived to tell the horrors that still invade their minds, the least I owe them and especially those that perished, is that I should read the account.

Inspiring, very well written, and everlasting impact.

This remarkable book consists of the comprehensive results interviews with and letters by 732 concentration camp survivors from the holocaust.
These young people-both boys and girls-where settled in Britain after World War II , some stayed and made lives in Britain , while others immigrated to the USA , Australia , Canada and Israel.
Some of the boys made their mark in the Israel War of Independence defending the fledgling Jewish State after it was attacked by five Arab armies , aiming to anihilate all Jews in Israel (as the Arabs and anti-Zionists of the world aim for today i.e a second holocaust.)
Part of the book consists of harrowing eyewitness accounts of the survivors , hence an important testament to holocaust remembrance. The accounts are often graphic and bring the grim reality of what happened to the Jewish people during world War II to bear on us.
It is important to remember the holocaust again , at times when some , like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and others , deny it's existance.

It is important to remember the holocaust , at a time when the Islamic world and their far-left allies wish to destroy Israel , the phoenix that arose from the ashes of the Jewish people , and subject the Jews of Israel to a second holocaust.
It is interesting to see how for most of the survivors Israel and Zionism where an important part of their consciousness.
Anti-Zionist propaganda aims to prepare for genocide of Jews , in the same way as Nazi propaganda did , and therefore all Anti-Zionist and anti-Israel propaganda should be treated the same as Nazism-with no tolerance.
Most holocaust survivors and their descendants today live in Israel.
The future of the descendants of the survivors needs to be preserved , and therefore Israel must prevail.
That is what we must fight for when we say 'Never Again!'

Reading the boys' descriptions of the inhumanity that they had been through, it is a wonder that they could focus on their future without revenge in their hearts. After liberation and their welcome to Windermere, it is so remarkable that they are motivated to learn and get on with their lives. I now think that the Jews as a whole have gotten a bad press. Who else, could one say, would not be obsessed with violence and getting even? I am proud of the link I have with them.

Although the title of this book is catchy the implication of "trapping" a spouse comes across as a negative. The book really isn't about trapping a spouse and it is indeed a good book. The subtitle is more appropriate "A Street-Smart Dating Strategy for Men Who Have Lost a Love."

This book is written by a Board Certified Trial Lawyer from Newport Beach along "with" a Beverly Hills based psychologist who specializes in couples counseling.

Being myself recently divorced and having lost a love I found this book to be very realistic in terms of describing what losing a love is like and what the recovery process is like.

The chapters are:

1.) Coping with Loss
2.) How Life Goes On
3.) Getting Serious about a Relationship
4.) Into the Future

I found each of the chapters to be intelligent, realistic and honest. I felt that the author really has felt what I am feeling and has a pretty cutting edge approach to his understanding and to his perspective on solutions. He is frank about depression, about not being able to get out of bed etc.

The guts of the book are about forming a dating strategy to find your next spouse. The apporach is very structured, precise and well defined. Although that type of approach may have appeal to a limited number of personality types I found the chapters on Coping and How Life Goes On to be worth the price of the book.

In a nutshell this is the only book I've found that is sort of like having a 40 or 50 year old uncle or father give you very accurate, useful, practical advice on the most intelligent way to find a spouse and not screw up your life and end up in divorce.

Having read "Spouse Trap" out of interest in how men think, I can say this is one excellent book for anyone, male or female, interested in REAL LOVE. No psychobabble here, rather real hands-on tips based on personal experience. The author's sincere and helpful stand that one has to do the work on one's self first is unique from most other books on finding love. Wonderful insights on grieving and getting on, good step by step procedures for personal evaluation on what one really wants in love. Highly recommended by this reader.

I've been divorced for 3 years now and trying to find a way to "get moving". I read the sample pages, (and the reviewers' comments)from this book and I got the impression that it would perfect for me. Like the others I've read, it had a few things that explained feelings I've had that I could not put into better words. The "dealing with the grief" part was good but not the "dating again" chapters. In the book, he makes several referneces to "Chapter 11, (I think thats the right number), that is the most important chapter in the book. I was looking forward to getting to it to see what the big deal was. All it dealt with was giving tips on getting a good counselor and how important it is to get someone with a solid background to help. If you're like me getting over a lost, you probably have or had a counselor to help you cope and get moving on with your life.
At the end, it discusses ideas when relationships get serious and also when they go bad. It also gave warning signs of unstable women and good reasons to get away from them. The last chapter has an example pre-nupital agreement.
Anyway, it had some decent stuff but weak on the dating aspects.

As a man and as a Marriage and Family therapist I feel "Build a Better Spouse Trap" is an important book. To me there are two underlying themes that Mr. Wentworth is conveying to the men he talks to so clearly. First, Think! My office is full of men who didn't think. They reacted. They are now in trouble, and they are sorry.

The second important point the author makes is to encourage the reader to Feel! Or better yet, identify feelings that are already there. Too many men make serious relationship mistakes because they don't know how to feel the feelings they already have. The author makes this point well when he encourages men to "stop living on automatic."

The result of following the advice in the book is to make the relationship process conscious. He says we should actually become conscious in the process of finding our life partner.
Finally, encouraging men to find a good therapist is great advice. I find that with a straightforward approach that is cognitive and logical, men make great progress in therapy and they really enjoy the process.

Beyond that, they learn about themselves, what makes women tick, and in doing so gain enormous confidence.

The book is honest, fun to read, and practical. But the phrase from the subtitle "Street Smart" says it all. The book hands you exactly what you need to have on those dark nights as you are forcing yourself to get out of the car and nervously walk up to her door. One is tempted to take the book along and feverishly flip through the pages for the right advice when she is in the lady's room. It doesn't get any more real than "Build a Better Spouse Trap."

I think "Build a Better Spouse Trap" in a shot in the arm to those of us who otherwise would be lost and depressed hoping the random forces of the universe will finally make us happy.

Every patient and male friend, to whom I have recommended this book, has found great straightforward advice that tells it like it is. Wentworth doesn't waste a reader's time with fluff and explanations, he gets right to the point of how to get over the loss of love and work a practical plan to bring real connection and relationship back into one's life.

He points out the pitfalls that many men fall into in new relationships. He talks directly about psychological "landmines" of character-disordered women (i.e. beautiful borderlines) and how to fight fair, break up respectfully and when and when not to use the Internet for dating. He uses humor and refers to a great many resources for further research, if readers want to know more about any topic.

The women I have recommended this book to have also truly enjoyed the practical and easy-to-understand suggestions. It seems both men and women are tired of groping blindly in the dark and just hoping that love will find them. Taking a proactive approach is far more appealing.

This is a great gift for any man you care about who is really interested in finding a healthy relationship!