Average customer rating:
- Every black man should read this book
- "a must-read capable of transforming the lives of black men"
- Wow...what an eye opening book..The truth needed to be said!
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More Than Sex: Reinventing The Black Male Image: Reinventing the Black Male Image
George Edmond Smith
Manufacturer: Kensington
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1575664984 |
Customer Reviews:
Every black man should read this book.......2006-04-27
Dr. Smith;
When I read your book, "More Than Sex: Reinventing The Black Male Image", back in 2000, and I just had to commend you on producing a must-read capable of transforming the lives of black men-and I was speaking from personal experience. I was, at the time, a 40-year-old, soon-to-be divorced, devoted father of three. I'd been separated from my wife for more than two years (our second separation) and celibate for all of that time, as I began to cope with the frustrating realization that I had been a consistent failure in my attempts to establish the kind of lasting, fulfilling, healthy, loving relationship with a woman that I've longed for since I was a little boy. I am the oldest of four children of divorced parents. I hadn't seen my father since I was 12, and with the exception of my paternal grandparents, there are few, if any, examples of healthy marital relationships among the aunts and uncles on either side of my family. I knew what I was looking for in a marriage; I had only during those two years at the conclusion of my marriage come to realize that I hadn't a clue as to how to achieve it. That is, until I read "More Than Sex."
After reading your book, I'd simultaneously:
1) gained a clear understanding of the choices I made, and their consequences, that led to a failed 14-year marriage, 2) recognized patterns of behavior that pretty much doomed the long-term health and survival of my past romantic relationships with women, 3) learned how to recognize and avoid unhealthy relationship behaviors in myself and in potential partners (and thus allowed one potentially destructive, post-marital relationship to end, and subsequently resisted the temptation--based almost entirely on physical attraction-- to revive a fruitless past relationship) 4) learned what to expect and to offer to achieve the long-term, committed, healthy, loving relationship I've longed for all of my life.
As a result, for the first time in my life, I was able to have a relationship where I felt I had more than a clue as to what I was doing, the motivations driving my choices and my own expectations and sense of accountability. I constantly referred to passages in your book (highlighting the most instructional sections) to avoid backsliding into old, unhealthy behaviors and to remind myself of the new, healthy relationship behaviors you reveal and I've tried to adopt. The result was truly more than sex: a level of harmony, joyous friendship, mutual trust and respect, honest communication and deep emotional intimacy that I have never experienced in any relationship. Beyond that, the sexual attraction and energy we enjoyed was nothing short of mind-blowing--and we hadn't even had intercourse yet! (We were between the Infatuation and Barriers of Control stages of our relationship.)
Today, I am happily remarried (becoming the father of a fourth child as a result). It hasn't been easy, but I am far more sure of myself, and far more confident in my ability to recognize and maintain a healthy, committed, mutually supportive relationship with my wife. I continue to recommend your book to anyone who will listen. I tell them that we think that because we fall in love, it means we know how to love, which is like thinking that because we sometimes get caught in rainstorms, we know how to swim. Thanks to you, I've learned that love is a feeling, but loving is a choice. Thanks to you, I have a better understanding of who, how and why I choose to love.
Thank you, and thank God for inspiring you to write this book.
"a must-read capable of transforming the lives of black men".......2000-04-23
Dr. Smith;
I read your book, "More Than Sex: Reinventing The Black Male Image", a couple of months ago, and I just had to commend you on producing a must-read capable of transforming the lives of black men-and I'm speaking from personal experience. I am a 40-year-old, soon-to-be divorced, devoted father of three. I've been separated from my wife for more than two years (our second separation) and celibate for all of that time, as I began to cope with the frustrating realization that I had been a consistent failure in my attempts to establish the kind of lasting, fulfilling, healthy, loving relationship with a woman that I've longed for since I was a little boy. I am the oldest of four children of divorced parents. I haven't seen my father since I was 12, and with the exception of my paternal grandparents, there are few, if any, examples of healthy marital relationships among the aunts and uncles on either side of my family. I knew what I was looking for in a marriage; I have only during the past two years come to realize that I hadn't a clue as to how to achieve it. That is, until I read "More Than Sex."
After reading your book, I've simultaneously:
1) gained a clear understanding of the choices I made, and their consequences, that led to a failed 14-year marriage, 2) recognized patterns of behavior that pretty much doomed the long-term health and survival of my past romantic relationships with women, 3) learned how to recognize and avoid unhealthy relationship behaviors in myself and in potential partners (and thus allowed one potentially destructive, post-marital relationship to end, and subsequently resisted the temptation--based almost entirely on physical attraction-- to revive a fruitless past relationship) 4) learned what to expect and to offer to achieve the long-term, committed, healthy, loving relationship I've longed for all of my life.
As a result, for the first time in my life, I am in a relationship where I feel I have more than a clue as to what I'm doing, the motivations driving my choices and my own expectations and sense of accountability. I constantly refer to passages in your book (highlighting the most instructional sections) to avoid backsliding into old, unhealthy behaviors and to remind myself of the new, healthy relationship behaviors you reveal and I've tried to adopt. The result is truly more than sex: a level of harmony, joyous friendship, mutual trust and respect, honest communication and deep emotional intimacy that I have never experienced in any relationship. Beyond that, the sexual attraction and energy we enjoy is nothing short of mind-blowing--and we haven't even had intercourse yet! (We are between the Infatuation and Barriers of Control stages of our relationship.)
I've been recommending your book to anyone who will listen. I tell them that we think that because we fall in love, it means we know how to love, which is like thinking that because we sometimes get caught in rainstorms, we know how to swim. Thanks to you, I've learned that love is a feeling, but loving is a choice. Thanks to you, I have a better understanding of who, how and why I choose to love.
Thank you, and thank God for inspiring you to write this book..............
Wow...what an eye opening book..The truth needed to be said!.......2000-01-15
I just finished Dr. Smith's book, and I have to tell you, it's really quite interesting! The author talks frankly about Black men and how they are driven by their sexuality. Anger, impotence, self-esteem, and their relationships with Black women are discussed. Perhaps the most wonderful part of the book would be the story about Dr. Smith himself. He is a Black man who came from an impoverished home, his father dying in prison and having an uneducated mother to becoming a physician. He shares true stories from patients that he's met throughout the years, and many of them I can identify with. It's about time someone talked about Black men with candor!
Thanks for writing such a wonderful book!
Customer Reviews:
Hilarious.......2007-10-07
I can't put it down. The most hilarious part for me so far is Mona being so invisible that she gives out fake famous names in Starbucks. I have started doing this too! A book almost any woman can relate to.
Read it in one day.......2007-08-15
A quick chick-lit read that you already know the ending to. I liked it anyway.
The worst book!.......2007-05-16
This is without a doubt the most awful book that I have ever read. The story idea was cute and could have made a fantastic book...but this book was just horrible. I have no idea how it can be considered a romance novel. There is not one ounce of romance in the entire book. There is no way that a reader would think that Mike and Mona have fallen in love by the end of the book...and speaking of the ending it was a completely ridiculous and unrealistic ending and frankly it wasn't even funny. I don't usually write reviews and I usually give ever book I read atleast 3 or 4 stars even if it was just okay...if I could have given this book less than 1 star I would have. Please don't waste your time!
A waste of time.......2006-11-07
There is a good idea lost in the padding of this book. And make no mistake this book is padded real good. The author wants to sell you a bill of goods that Mona is just such a nobody. Yes, yes. She's rich and yes, she had this unique experience of living in a communte as a teenager. And her and grammy would travel the world every christmas-but all of that is just BORING. Sheesh. What does the author think is exciting? And oh gee, she's so out of shape she needs to lose at least...TEN pounds. So let's reinvent Mona! All right--but there really wasn't any reinventing. It was just a list of things that fell out the author's head with no rhyme or reason. The comedic moments were forced and nine out ten times fell flat. I never connected with Mona or cared whether she got her boring man or not. And certainly didn't believe that she and Mike were in love. What? Chapters about Captain John or Mona retelling the whole book to the police precinct like the reader needed recaps were all attempts by the author to reach a word count. Am I right to understand that eighty year old Capt. John married Vicki? Was this an attempt to have a play on the other Vicki (We all know as Anna Nicole)??
Trips back to the commune-just to hear questions on whether or not her father was stoned the day of the accident? Overall: buy a USED copy if you're absolutely curious-hopefully there's one selling for under a buck. Any more than that and you just overpaid.
Lukewarm story.......2006-09-13
This is the first book I read from Jennifer Coburn, and I was expecting a lot more based on the reviews... Sure, there were some funny moments, and some touching moments, but I have to say that I was disappointed with the ending.
It just all seemed very rushed from the musical scene to the end of the book. I also didn't think some of the "declarations" were even all that believable. I expected 2 of them to be a joke! So really, I wasn't really thrilled about the book leading up to that...
Mona is a fun character, and Vicki as well, but I feel that we didn't get to know enough about Adam or even Mike's "other side". Like I said before, I felt it was pretty rushed after a while...
Still, I give this book 3/5 stars because it was entertaining and it DID get the curiosity going. I just didn't get to satisfy my curiosity all that much as the book was ending.
Book Description
An original reinterpretation of Eve and the Garden of Eden that offers women a new sense of feminine power and opportunity.
Customer Reviews:
inspiring and relevant.......2004-03-18
While I largely agree with the Publisher's Weekly review, I did not find Chernin's writings loosley structured. This book moved logically through the author's journey to find the missing links that connect women to the diety in whose image they are created. She kept her explorations balanced with the solid theories of Freud and Jung while delving into areas many traditionalists might shudder to think of. (And as a long-time frowner upon p...-envy theories, I am happy to see a legitimate alternative appear.) If nothing else, this book inspires the reader to question the traditional creation stories and lays the foundation for women to reclaim their power in the world.
Average customer rating:
- THIS BOOK REALLY TUGS AT YOUR HEARTSTRINGS
- Where is the sequel?
- Gripping
- I DID NOT ENJOY THIS BOOK
- Leaves You Wanting More
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Reinventing the Woman
Patty Rice
Manufacturer: Jove
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
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ASIN: 0515134678
Release Date: 2003-01-28 |
Book Description
From the acclaimed author of Somethin' Extra comes not just a novel, but a celebration of a sister's spirit.
Old wounds run deep in this triumphant story of one woman's fight to overcome her past-and turn her own self into somethin' more.
Customer Reviews:
THIS BOOK REALLY TUGS AT YOUR HEARTSTRINGS.......2005-08-31
This book is well written. I mean who would have guessed that Nora was her mum?! (well not really her mum but u no... I won't spoil the ending) Uhhh its just a really good book with a storyline that keeps u gripped throughout the whole book! I just felt sad that she felt so ugly that she felt the need to return to Evan everytime he beat her because he was the only person who ever loved her or told her he was beautiful. She sounded like a girl who had the potential to be pretty but was just strapped back because Evan wouldn't let her reach her potential...
A really good book you MUST read it. I think it is one of those books with a life lesson in it.
Where is the sequel?.......2005-05-28
I began reading this book not really knowing what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised. I was a bit disappointed at the ending... I wish Camille had given her and Greg a chance. I understand she needed to get herself together, but I think she still needed someone real and honest in her life.
I would love to see a sequel to this so she would be able to find out her "real" mother is. Once she had all pieces of her life in front of her, she would be then able to truly heal.
I recommend this book to all women who are trying to "reinvent" themselves and really enjoy their lives.
Gripping .......2005-04-02
I loved this book. Camille Foster has gone through hell, an abusive boyfriend, a mother she never felt loved her, and the death of her father, the only person she ever felt love from. Camille summons the courage to get away from her boyfriend and this starts an emotional journey with unexpected twist and turns. Camille will learn secrets never told and find the courage to deal with life's disappointments, in the process finding a man(Greg) that really loves her. The only thing I didn't like was that once she found that real love, she walked away. It was like punishing Greg for what her ex did to her. This book will have you crying for Camille and looking at your own life.
I DID NOT ENJOY THIS BOOK.......2004-12-26
I liked the concept, but the characters were just plain dull. I was one hundred pages in, and I was thinking, "I just don't care about these people." I'm a big believer in self-help and empowerment, but this story was dry and boring. And the part with Camille in the club bawling was just too sappy. It was like a scene from a teen movie of the week. I believe women like Camille exist and need to be heard. The story idea was promising, but the execution left much to be desired. And what was so empowering about the ending? Her decision was contrived and stereotypical. Another "strong Black woman striking out on her own" wrap-up.
Leaves You Wanting More.......2003-04-09
This is the first book I have read by Ms. Rice and it was a really good read. I was also happy to see that Camille's character portrayed what it is really like to try to get over someone you really loved. It does take a lot of time to go on with your life and be able to not think about that person all the time. I am waiting for Ms. Rice to write a sequel to this book. I believe it would be a great idea because there are so many unanswered questions that I have, such as who left the note on Camille's desk, does she find out who her true birth mother is, and why did Nora pretend to be her mother? I was also a little disappointed that she does not give you the update on Camille's baby and that Camille did not stay with Greg. However, Ms. Rice still gets definite A Plus from me. I hope to read many more novels from Ms. Rice in the future.
Amazon.com
We have come a long way, baby. When a group of women were asked what the ideal relationship was, none of them mentioned traditional marriage. Hmmm. Far from a collection of woeful tales of singledom, The Improvised Woman thoroughly debunks the traditional perception of lonely single women. Author Marcelle Clements takes a journalistic view of her interviewees, who range in age from their 20s to their 90s, and her objectiveness is refreshingly telling. Says one woman about her lover, "I would never marry him. I think any woman who reaches a mature age would be foolish to. Why should I give up my independence? Why should I give up my privacy?"
The majority of women that Clements talked to certainly aren't afraid of single motherhood ("it's much easier to raise children by yourself than to handle children and be a wife at the same time"). Their lives are full of passion--but passion for anything but men. Most of the divorced and widowed women profiled in the book are much more self-actualized and content with their lives than they were when they were married. A frequent refrain heard from these women is that "the ones who aren't hopeless are married," and that it's better to be alone than to feel lonely while maintaining empty relationships, which one woman described as "unsatisfying limbos."
This hefty, illuminating book will not only make for empowering reading for single women, but it could also be a kick in the pants for those men who claim that women are inscrutable. The beliefs and self-perceptions of the women profiled in this book--on subjects such as sex, work, romance, and family--are powerful testimonies about what it means to be female at the turn of the century. Clements has compiled a lively chunk of sociological history here. --Erica Jorgensen
Book Description
What is it like being a single woman today? A groundbreaking work of scope, wit, and exceptional empathy, The Improvised Woman answers that complex question, while in the process capturing--and celebrating--the real lives of single American women. Over the past seven years, journalist and essayist Marcelle Clements asked over one hundred women from across the country--young and old, never married, divorced and widowed, childless and single mothers--to talk about being single. How did they get there? Were they sorry or glad? What is the texture of their experience? The heart of this book is the individual voices of the women answering these questions, heard in all their tenacity and humor.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting, but grows tedious.......2003-12-14
Marcelle Clements picked an interesting subject for The Improvised Woman, and amoung the interviews with single women in this book some are insightful. However, some are repetitive, and some just plain uninteresting. Also, Clements writing can get monotonous, and she fails to draw meaningful conclusions in this work.
I would recommend this book to be checked out from a library or purchased used, because it is unlikely that one would read it a second time.
Not for the Independent Single Woman.......2003-08-14
I'm single, I'm 30 and I don't feel like I'm a pariah so this book just wasn't for me. I was really hoping it would be some uplifting, positive stories about women I could look to as role models.
This book is more on how to "deal" with being single...really more for those who are RECENTLY single than Reinventing single.
Hallelujah!.......2000-03-01
I've just recently picked this book up again and read it through for the second time! So inspiring. I always felt "different" when it came to relationships with men & what my friends were doing or felt. Why didn't I dream about marriage? Why when I thought I had found "the one" (even got engaged) did it seem like a sham? All my friends say "you just haven't met the right guy. When you do, you'll feel differently."
I don't believe them. I love men, but I just can't see giving up my privacy & autonomy. I always excel at the first year or two of a relationship because you still have that to some extent...then they want more, or they want their mommies, or to go to that "next-level." ugh. I also have NO positive role models to prove me otherwise...
This book has shown me that HALLELUJAH! it's not just me. That I don't have to get married. That I can love and live and be free and not feel like I missed out on something. That marriage is NOT the end-all-be-all of what we (men and women) have to aspire to. And it's interesting that, being in the "Gen X" grouping, many of them/us have still been "programmed" to believe this! Isn't that amazing? But let me tell you something...my 80-year-old grandmother agrees with me and the book! She just wishes she could have gotten her two cents in! Thanks Marcelle!
Not what I expected........2000-02-24
I was looking for a book that was positive about women being single because I enjoy being single and it's so hard to find books or stories about people who are actually happy with the single lifestyle. This book isn't it. For every positive story there are at least 2 negative stories and it's hard to weed through to find the positive ones. I only got a quarter of the way through before I decided I couldn't finish this book. Some of these women sound so pathetic. They don't like being single and they don't like being married so they join together to commiserate their unhappiness. Just too pathetic.
The over-arching emotion is sadness, for love is realing........1999-09-24
In reading this book, I found myself able to identify with most all of the thoughts and feelings of the subjects, as well as many of the actions. Ironically, I am male, fifty years old and single and celibate for the past eight years. Oh, I have dated, some, and am a parent who shares custody. More than being a snapshot of the singlewomen in the 90's, I think the book speaks to the dire position, we as a culture, have placed love in. We have so beat each other up with our comparitive competiveness, that our willingness to trust others is subjugated by the need to defend the Self. The cost of loving was, most often, deemed too high- and that is sad. I have often said to friends: "There are no Women".
Average customer rating:
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Four Plays by Charabanc Theatre Company: Reinventing Woman's Work
Manufacturer: A Colin Smythe Publication
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Screenplays
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ASIN: 0861404386 |
Average customer rating:
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Reinventing Love: Six Women Talk about Love, Lust, Sex, and Romance (Plume)
Laurie Abraham ,
Laura Green ,
Magda Krance ,
Janice Rosenberg ,
Carroll Stoner , and
Janice Somerville
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
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ASIN: 0452269911 |
Customer Reviews:
POLITICAL INTRIGUE.......2001-04-21
This book is full of interesting political intrigue!!!!!! I am 16 years old, and I think politics is boring and stupid, but Sea Without a Shore's old-world-ish politics were fresh, interesting, realistic, and altogether entertaining. The way Russel integrates the old legends of mage lore into the Moontide and Magic Rise series is great because it is very believable, and interesting as you follow the characters, on either side of the Farr court, discovering more and more about the legendary mages. Tristam's part in the book is being the modest hero, whom everything seems to happen to because he is special, no doubt. Russel accomplishes much with the long dialogue of the characters and their subtle movements. Never a dull moment, enough intelligent conversations intertwine with exciting action. In this book, the Swallow finally reaches Varia, a seeming tropical paradise that provides ample culture, tradition, natives, and mysterious places for much adventure into the unknown. The Dutchess is always a source of mystery, her strong yet vulnerable character revealed yet never fully understood. The characters made this book, as does the great ending that involves most of the main characters. A must-read! I can't wait to read their predecessors, the river into darkness series!
Russell's tapestry.......2000-02-20
Book Two of Moontide and Magic Rise is good for the same reason as its predecessor: fascinating characters, locations, and intrigue. Russell is excellent at weaving an intricate tapestry of storylines, leaving the reader in just enough darkness that he or she will want to read on to solve the mystery. I'm glad to have stumbled upon Sean Russell, as I was beginning to think there were no more writers left, only people very poorly copying very poor ideas from television.
Refreshing........1998-08-24
Moontide and Magic Rise is the only thing of Sean Russell's I've read so far but definitely will read more. The big draw for me was that it was very original in what has become a deluge of Jordan/Goodkind themes. The first of the two books took off pretty slowly, there was a bit much detail spent on the mundane. Maybe by the second book I was used to it but I definitely thought it was the better of the two. With only 100 pgs. to go I was thinking there's no way this will wrap it up and then found myself disappointed that it did because I wanted more! Good story.
Wonderful, wonderful book (and series).......1998-03-05
As with all his other books, Russell takes the reader through a rich landscape filled with interesting and fully developed characters. The "scent" of magic continues through book 2 and keeps the reader hungry for the next page.
My only gripe is that I'm still waiting for book 3. If you're a compulsive reader, I'd suggest you either wait until all the books are out or buy them now, so they don't go out of print, and stockpile them.
Russell's books capture my interest in a way that, previously, had only been captured by Guy Gavriel Kay's books.
Books:
- Mulligan Stew (Irish Eyes Romance)
- Obstruction of Justice
- On a Night Like This
- Perfect Timing (Dafina)
- Peripheral Reaches
- Plantation: A Lowcountry Tale
- Pocho
- Pronto
- Proust: Swann's Way (Landmarks of World Literature)
- Pysanky in the 21st Century
Books Index
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- Hendrik Petrus Berlage: Thoughts on Style, 1886-1909
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- All Aboard: Lucky in War, Lucky in Peace, Lucky in Love
