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From: nancy@enmasse.UUCP (Nancy Werlin)
Newsgroups: net.books,net.singles
Subject: Re: New book for single women
Message-ID: <449@enmasse.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 16-Aug-85 10:31:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: enmasse.449
Posted: Fri Aug 16 10:31:25 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 20-Aug-85 03:56:54 EDT
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Organization: Enmasse Computer Corp., Acton, Mass.
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Xref: linus net.books:2086 net.singles:7747

> 	HOW TO FIND A HUSBAND IN THIRTY DAYS
> 
> Have any of the women out there bought this book yet and, if so, what did
> you think of it? 
> 
>                    John Ruschmeyer

Mr. Rushmeyer asks: "As an eligible male, should I buy this for 
some of my women friends?"  Well, I didn't *buy* the book (let's be real), 
but I certainly picked it up off the store shelf and *read* it
(nobody bothers you in Barnes & Noble and I don't have any compunction
about cheating this particular author out of her royalties).
My opinion: Yes, absolutely.  Buy this book for your women friends 
if you think they are so sick of being single that they are willing to 
marry anyone; and if you (as an eligible man) are willing to marry
a woman who wants you only for that reason.  

HOW TO FIND A HUSBAND IN THIRTY DAYS is about the hunt, sighting,
and capture of the animal "eligible man."  You begin by making
yourself as attractive as possible, first by taking a little
quiz to find the areas that need improvement:  "When was the 
last time you shaved your legs? Men love shaved, lotioned legs."  
"How frequently do you have facials?"  "Lose that ten pounds!"
Then you take the author's advice and beef up 
(and I use the verb advisedly) those areas in which you are lacking.  
What you might call baiting the hook, or setting the trap.

Next, you figure out where all the single men are.  More quizzes:
"What did you do last Saturday night?  10 points if you had a
date!  Nothing if you stayed home!  5 points if you went to a movie
by yourself!  3 points if you went out with a girlfriend!"
You put together a plan for finding an eligible man, and then
you execute it coldbloodedly.  I'll skip the details (they're
nothing new; indeed, they're ancient); what I want to stress is
the fact that this book places the titular above the reality:
a "husband" is the goal and the man behind the title is perceived
as an unimportant detail.  There is no discussion (even as a
by-the-way) of things like trust, respect, liking, love, humor,
(and this may surprise you) and a warm sexual relationship
as important aspects of a marriage-bound relationship.
(Sex, in fact, is seen merely as more bait: "No man marries a
woman he hasn't slept with.")  Indeed, there is no concept of
a *developing* relationship at all; no realization that a good
marriage (in my opinion anyway) is founded on qualities 
like those I mentioned above, all of which take *time* to solidify.  
In the world of this book, the woman who grabs a man 
in the shortest period of time wins.  The author makes no
mention of the fact that in the long run, this woman is very 
likely to lose.  And so, equally, will the man she marries.
(Although frankly, I can't help thinking that such a man would be
a blind fool to have fallen for it at all.  Then again, this trap
is nothing new...it *does* work...)

Nancy Werlin
EnMasse Computer Corp.
Acton, MA