Closing the Deal: Two Married Guys Take You from Single Miss to Wedded Bliss [Hardcover]

Richard Kirshenbaum (Author), Daniel Rosenberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 18, 2005

In this hip and utterly indispensable guide, two happily married husbands and regular guys reveal the secrets to getting a man down on bended knee -- his most uncomfortable position.

Over the years, Richard Kirshenbaum and Daniel Rosenberg have dispensed loads of successful relationship advice to friends, colleagues, and relatives, who then pushed the ex-bachelors to share their lessons with the masses of future brides who need help taking their existing relationships to the next level. These guys have been there and know what it takes to get even the biggest commitment phobes to take the plunge.

Closing the Deal will help you make a realistic assessment of your relationship and offers a fresh perspective on how your man's mind works. You'll find a new way to drive your relationship toward marriage without resorting to game playing.

The authors promote the importance of truth telling, self-positioning, and the artful use of marketing tactics to reel in your man. You don't have to be the prettiest, thinnest, or richest woman to close the deal -- there is an art to it!

Closing the Deal is not about outsmarting your man to the altar -- it's about learning to understand him. Richard and Daniel explain that no matter how much a guy may love his significant other, Change is the Enemy, so wannabe brides everywhere must convince their boyfriends that marriage is man's best friend. Closing the Deal will show you how to do just that.

To help future brides build their matrimonial muscles and monitor their progress, Richard and Daniel include quizzes and real-life scenarios and throw in a glossary for extra clarification.

Honest and supportive, funny and straightforward, theseideal big brothers offer a sure cure for the wedding-bell blues.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard Kirshenbaum is co-chairman of Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners, one of the largest creative advertising agencies in the country, and the author, with Jonathan Bond, of Under the Radar. Richard and his wife, Dana, married ten years ago and have a son and two daughters.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One

Is He Not The One?

Is he the one? this is the seminal question that always makes the act of dating both frustrating and fascinating. While this guessing game will always keep things interesting and mysterious, it may be more reasonable to tackle the other question first, the one that is far easier to answer: "Is he not The One?" While some of you would argue that you "know right away" whether someone isn't for you, sometimes it's not all that clear.

For those of you who want to get married, there actually is something worse than singledom: spending your life with someone who doesn't make you happy. Before we get started with your journey of self-discovery, let us emphasize that marriage isn't about entrapment. It's about taking something great and making it better. And as in fairy tales, the important part is as much about finding the right prince as it is about living happily ever after. Just because you think you have a prince now, doesn't mean he's your Prince Charming.

We 're going to help you figure out where you stand with your man and help you make an informed decision by presenting the tools that will help you correctly analyze the level of person whom you are with. Level doesn't refer to social standing or self-worth, it refers to your compatibility as a couple and his willingness to commit. Besides compatibility issues, we 're going to discuss reality issues, as well. Realities in relationships are sometimes difficult to see (especially when you don't want to face them), so we're going to spend a little time figuring out if you are being honest with yourself about your relationship.

Let's face it though, there are endless reasons why your relationship could falter before your saunter to the altar. We want to say up front that no matter how great the advice is in this book, and no matter how closely you follow it, there are some guys who will never pull the trigger. These men have Commitia, a type of VD (vow disavowal) that makes the most eloquent of men flub their lines at the mere mention of the M word. These are the perennial bachelors, serial daters, and commitment-phobes who exist in every socioeconomic group, and their modus operandi is fairly consistent. They certainly will never be The One. These are the relationships that need to be cut short immediately or, better yet, ended before they've begun, or else time 's a-wastin'.

Let's tackle the issue of whether your man is the marrying kind -- you need to know that from the start. Since the goal of Closing the Deal isn't to get you married for marriage 's sake but to help you make that step with your soul mate, we wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't address the very difficult issue of whether you're kidding yourself about your current relationship. This is where our big brother advice really kicks in, and it won't be fun. Although we promise to be as gentle as possible, be forewarned: You could discover some great and some not-so-great news over the next few pages.

Does your boyfriend fit into the "kind of, maybe" category? Does he lack the most basic qualities that being a husband will require? Let's take the all-important "What Kind of Man Is He?" test and find out before it's too late.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (January 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060590092
• ISBN-13: 978-0060590093
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,659,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, a book that explains guys to girls, February 10, 2005

By 

Jeff B "JB" (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Closing the Deal: Two Married Guys Take You from Single Miss to Wedded Bliss (Hardcover)

Someone gave this book to my girlfriend, and she kept laughing out loud, and interrupting me to show me things. So finally, I just read it myself. It's got a lot of insights into how men think and what makes them happy, and the best thing is, it explains it in a way that women can understand. It really demystifies us. From a male perspective, it makes our wants and desires seem a lot more reasonable than women often make them out to be.
What I really appreciate is that it's not a how-to book on how to trap a guy. It's about finding the right guy, or realizing when you have or have not.
Every single girl should read it. Even if she's not yet searching for Mr. Right.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet Reminder, August 11, 2005

By 

Sarah Ashley Munoz - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Closing the Deal: Two Married Guys Take You from Single Miss to Wedded Bliss (Hardcover)

This book was a joy to read. Incredibly smart and funny. I really liked it. For me this book served as a sweet reminder of the amazing relationship i'm in and helped return my focus to being the best partner i can be. This book was different because it reminds women of the many powerful assets we have and have just forgot to employ. It gave me a sense of control over my man's marriage mentality instead of me just feeling helpless during the wait. Also, i would like to stress that this book in no way encourages any sort of manipulation or game playing. It is a very sincere guide to understanding your man's point of view and reminding you of the many ways in which your actions can influence his. Awesome book. Happy reading.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, True, and Extremely Entertaining, November 1, 2006

By 

Jenni Kosarin "Author of HE'S JUST NOT IN THE... (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Closing the Deal: Two Married Guys Reveal the Dirty Truth to Getting Your Man to Commit (Paperback)

This book is so well written; funny, witty, and on the mark. I believe that if a woman listens to these authors, she WILL close the deal if it's meant to be. I think Closing the Deal is wonderful for those women who hang on--even when they know in their hearts that he's not necesarily The One. It's also perfect for the woman who's had enough "wait" time and is ready to grow a set. Loved this book.