He's Just Not That Into You

by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo

Disclaimer: Not reading this for my own (immediate, at least) benefit. After reading this book, I still think that C. is, in fact, into me. I started reading this book while waiting for a friend at the airport, browsing the bookstore there because I was too much of a slacker to have actually brought a book with me for the wait. But I read the last half of it, because another friend of mine had raved about it. And so when I was cruising the GIL Express for summer reading, I decided to finish it.

It's great. It's quick. And unfortunately, useful. I don't know why women make excuses for guys. We do, though. And it's sad that telling women "You deserve more than that" would make a book a best-seller, that this is breaking news to anyone. The book dictates that instead of "wasting the pretty" on guys who aren't calling you, paying attention to you, or generally exhibiting ambivalent behavior about you, you should go out and find someone else. That if you put up with this, then a guys has no incentive to change, and won't (either for you or the next girl). Basically, it says that where there's a will, there's a way for guys, and if they aren't willing, then you don't want them anyway, so don't waste your time chasing them and trying to make them willing.

The tone is so much of an upper though (constantly telling us women readers that we're all smart, beautiful and witty and capable of getting soooo much more) that after awhile it starts to seem condescending, though. Or maybe that's just me being cynical.

Some of the chapter titles are great: "He's Just Not That into You if...

• He's not Asking You Out
  
• He's not Calling You
  
• He's Having Sex with Someone Else
• He Only Wants You When He's Drunk
• He's Breaking Up With You
• He's Disappeared on You
• He's Married (and Other Insane Variations on
  Being Unavailable)
• He's a Selfish Jerk, a Bully, or a Really Big Freak"