Last week Friday (22.06.12) saw the UK release of the much anticipated (at least by me) Think Like A Man, the film adaptation of Steve Harvey’s best selling self-help book Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man. In conjunction with the release, I’ve decided to review the book that started it all. One of the original Kings of Comedy, Steve Harvey is best known for making people laugh but as he branched into radio, he found himself bombarded with questions about relationships. Due to the insistence from his many fans – men and women alike – he finally published the relationship book in 2009, giving his insight into the unknown: how women can get into the heads of their men.
I have never read a self-help book (I’m quite sceptical of them you see) but the chapters cover various problems so you are likely to identify with something. I for one headed straight for the ‘Why Men Cheat’ chapter before I had even read the introduction but other chapters that may prove popular are: ‘The Three Things Every Man Needs’, ‘The Five Questions Every Woman Should Ask Before She Gets In Too Deep’ and ‘How Men Distinguish Between the Marrying Types and the Plaything’. When I apply certain chapters to specific circumstances in my life, what Harvey says makes sense yet there is this assumption that every man thinks the same way he does.
Firstly, I find the examples he shares are typical of American behaviour and I wonder if much of Harvey’s advice can be equally applied to men outside of the US. Even if it can, why is there this assumption that the majority of men, if not all, ‘Think Like A Man’? It is inevitable that not all men will agree with what Harvey says and will have different solutions to female enquiries but I also find that the ‘real men’ that Harvey talks of will have to be of a mature age so his words of wisdom will definitely not apply to a man of my age. So if you are under the age of 30 you can purchase the book for future reference if you please, but I doubt it will be of much use now.
I did find much of the information useful, particularly the first half of the book, and I found that in regards to what was being said I already do think like a man. It also has comedic value as the book captures the true essence of Harvey’s personality and you can imagine some lines used as part of his stand up routine. But if you think that following every bit of advice down to the full stop will help you get the man you want and keep him, you’re not living up to reality. Why? Because a lot of men would have to read the book first and learn how to be the man Harvey speaks of before agreeing to the advice and deciding it can be applied to them.
Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man is short but gets straight to the point. It has good tips with funny scenarios but it is not for everyone. If you are thinking about buying it don’t do it simply because of the author’s name.
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