Dateable: Are You? Are They? [Paperback]

Justin Lookadoo (Author), Hayley DiMarco (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2003

Passion. It's the fuel for success, for dreams, for life. But too many teens focus their energy and passion on the wrong thing-the wrong person. Dateable pulls no punches in telling teens the truth about dating while also directing their passion toward a greater purpose in life.
Teen relationships seldom last, the authors point out, so why should teens invest so much of themselves emotionally, physically, and spiritually? The answer? They shouldn't. Instead, they can protect their hearts, live with excitement, and enjoy relationships in a way that enhances rather than detracts from those they'll have in the future. With Justin and Hayley "telling it like it is," teens will learn how to be dateable and how to evaluate the dateability of their latest crush. And they'll get some much-needed perspective on sex, his/her communication, clothes, God-even "chick flicks." Dateable also includes sidebars, quizzes, callouts, and more.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Revell; Reprinted edition (August 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800759117
• ISBN-13: 978-0800759117
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #54,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Children's & Teens > Teens
  • #23 in Books > Teens > Health, Mind & Body > Sexuality
  • #43 in Books > Teens > Religion & Spirituality

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Quotes about Justin:

"Justin Lookadoo understands teens and what's even more amazing they understand him."--Vicki Spriggs, executive director, Texas Juvenile Probation Commission

"Wherever he goes he is like the pied-piper of teens. They follow him around just waiting for him to say something that will change their lives."--Andy Hyde, publisher, The Clever Factory

"Justin Lookadoo communicates to youth, adults and entire families. He has a powerful, unique and highly effective way of reaching kids. Wow...do they ever listen!"--Josh McDowell, Josh McDowell Ministries

"I sincerely believe if our students had heard Justin speak when they were teens many would not be locked up in our prison now."--Bud Gossett, retired principal, Windham School District, Texas Department of Criminal Justice

"After a motorcycle accident put big white scars across my arms and stomach I was sure I would never enter another beauty pageant. Justin (Lookadoo) taught me to stay focused, work hard, use a little black body paint and develop the courage to go on."--Sheena Simmons, Miss East Texas, Miss Texas USA Contestant

"It has been said that procrastination occurs because of lack of enthusiasm. If that is the case then Justin (Lookadoo) should never be troubled with procrastination because he has more enthusiasm than any person I have ever seen."--Michelle Miller, assistant principal, Rice Elementary

From the Back Cover

Dateable: having an internal sense of confidence, control, and sexuality that inadvertently attracts members of the opposite sex, resulting in positive effects before, during, and after the relationship.

How Dateable are you? Check out this book and increase your Dateability!

Girls, did you know?
- Guys will lie to you to get what they want
- If he'll do it for you, he'll do it to you
- If he doesn't call it doesn't mean he hates you
- A guy will treat you like you are dressed
- You might be talking too much
- He doesn't want sex with you because he loves you, he wants it 'cuz you're a girl and you're willing
- Guys love a mystery

Guys, did you know?
- If you're too scared to ask her, then you're not man enough to go out with her
- Girls will lie to themselves to get what they want
- Girls love it when you plan things
- You control how far you go
- Girls have their own kind of porn
- You can be a "real man" without becoming a "bad boy"
- Girls don't understand you

Justin Lookadoo
Hometown: Tyler, Texas
Favorite Food: Fast
Favorite Color: Eggplant
Favorite Book: The ones he writes
Hobbies: Origami, lawn bowling
Dateability: * * * * ½ (Stars)

Hayley Morgan
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Favorite Food: Yes
Favorite Color: Pink
Favorite Book: Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography
Hobbies: Spear fishing, Ham radio
Dateability: * * * * * (Stars)

Check out more about being Dateable at www.lookadoo.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Revell; Reprinted edition (August 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800759117
• ISBN-13: 978-0800759117
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #54,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Children's & Teens > Teens
  • #23 in Books > Teens > Health, Mind & Body > Sexuality
  • #43 in Books > Teens > Religion & Spirituality

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 89 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for every teenager! August 29, 2004

By Teresa Frampton

Format:Paperback

"Dateable" has to be one of the best books I've read in awhile. In fact, I wish I'd read it a few months ago when I was going through a tough time with a guy. But the facts in this book have made me realize the mistakes I made and how I should feel about the mistakes he made.

This funny yet truthful book is blunt and to-the-point, no matter how much it hurts. It explains exactly how guys' and girls' minds work, and now I know that I haven't been judging teenage guys too harshly--they really are as perverted as I thought! Justin Lookadoo and Hayley DiMarco explain that any guy, even if he is a Christian, is going to be a guy first. There are also fun quizzes and doodles throughout the book.

I think this is a great book for any teenager. My outlook on so many things has changed now. One thing the authors suggested was, when you're with a guy, imagine that someone is taking pictures of what you're doing, and then showing them to your parents, pastor, grandma, etc. How would you feel about what you were doing? This made me realize that some things, even though they seem right, must be saved for marriage.

I also like that the book isn't one-sided and doesn't force opinions on people. It said things like "kissing, hugging, and holding hands while dating is okay. But if you believe that kissing is wrong, then don't do it." It also said a lot of truths about girls--like the fact that girls like bad boys, but they'll just hurt them in the end, so nice guys should take on the adventuresome traits that bad boys have, but not the jerky traits.

I don't agree with "Spiderfriend" and "a reader" (who wrote a review on July 17, 2004), who don't like the idea of the authors portraying guys as pansies.... The thing is, readers, most guys these days are wimps who expect the girls to do all the work. I think this book encourages guys to not be like that. Maybe the fact that guys should be the leaders in relationships is old-fashioned, but it is the way God intended relationships to be. Read more ›

39 of 47 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended to all teenagers! December 4, 2004

By Jenny H.

Format:Paperback

"Dateable" immediately caught my attention when I first saw it at a bookstore. When I read through this Christian book, I found it very helpful, truthful, and funny. A little hurtful, but hey, sometimes the truth hurts.

Justin Lookadoo and Hayley Morgan gives the readers an inside scoop on what our opposite sex does not want us to know. They tell us what both guys think and what girls think.

Personally, I thought each page in this book was very creative. The authors put in quizzes, little drawings, and comments on the side of the page. They point out how the way things begin will the way things will end.

This book offers many steps on what one should take when they enter a relationship. Girls, don't get hooked by the bait that your guy throws to every girl. Hold out and hold on. Guys, stay consistent, control what you say, and be powerful.

I strongly suggest reading this book, the authors gives personal examples that the readers might relate to. Check it out!

51 of 67 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Exaggeration: Is it? Yes. December 30, 2007

By Ryan C. Terry

Format:Paperback

Now I'd like to start off by saying that I have not read this whole book. I found it in my 15 year old sister's bedroom, chuckled, picked it up, and read a few pages from various sections. So if you'd like to dismiss my opinion based on that, I don't have to tell you that you have every right to do so.

I'm not going to say that you should not buy this book, as much as I believe that these authors need to reeducate themselves before attempting to develop a sequel or any book based on relationships or having to do with "facts" or "reality." However, I must point out that this book is based solely on generalizations and stereotypes among teens today. In some instances, I agree that, sure, something they say may be true more than 50% of the time. But when they stand behind their opinion so strongly to say things like "Don't forget, in the end, no matter how sweet he is, he is male first. And that means he has one goal, and that is the physical pay-off," I can't really stand idly by, being a male myself, and not call that too bold of a statement. Other instances such as "Well, yeah, when the guy says he loves you, he really means it. Seriously. He does. He loves you. And he loves his mom. He loves his car, his dog, and pizza. He loves winning the game," are very common, in which the authors use sarcasm aimed at teens to induce a sense of foolishness.

Though this book was written by both a male and female author, it's sole purpose seems to be to strengthen the opinion that all males engage in relationships just for sex. Everything they do is done for themselves.

Voicing an opinion is fine, it provides entertainment and useful information for you to use if you ever meet someone who opposes that opinion.... In this case, however, the authors go about changing the readers' opinion in a destructive way. It makes girls afraid to date. It attempts to makes teens believe that the relationship they're in doesn't stand a chance by outright saying "Whatever relationship you are in right now, know this: It will not last. Period. The end. I know, you are sooo into this guy or girl - but understand that this relationship will not last. You will break up. It will end."

Oh, and that leads me to one of the most interesting parts of the book: "Guys are thoughtful. They put time and effort into finding out what works for them and what doesn't. If what a guy says o you is believable, it's because he has practiced it. He has polished the words to perfection. Question: Where do you think he polished it? On his buds? Uh, that would be no. He fine-tuned his finesse on other girls. He played the game many times before using the exact same lines he's using on you. Yeah, I know, all that's over for him now that he found you. He was clownin' when he was with them, but he finally found you and now he means it. Right. And the tooth fairy left me a dollar last night too."

What this book does is attempt to destroy any faith in real feelings. It doesn't even have the decency to use the words "maybe" or "mostly" or "could," just "is" "is" "is."

If you're going to buy this book, buy it for entertainment purposes only. There isn't a sentence within its pages that contain an ounce of faith, and without that, they all lead to an untrue, hopeless abyss. Read more ›

20 of 25 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Truth on Teen Dating May 18, 2005

By Caitlin Apple

Format:Paperback

This book was so helpful on getting to know how the oppsite sex thinks and how teen relationships should be portrayed. The book brought new light on many situations and emotions that teenagers feel during relationships. Rather than having ideas and "hot to's" on dating, the book made the reader ask themselves if they were ready to date, and what some of the consequences-and benefits were. I really appreaciated both author's points of views on the subjects--Morgan was more helpful on getting through to girl's emontions, and Lookadoo was definiately more to-the-point. Some memorable points they brought up were that girls should not take the lead in relationships, and that guys should take control when they ask people out. Although many may be offended that the book tells girls that they are too chatty and need to be mysterious and that many Christian guys are becoming weaker, the steryotypes tend to be true in our society today. The book's points were emphasized by the straightforward, playful design and fun games and quizzes in between. Overall, Dateable is a book that should be read by all teens who are ready to understand teen dating and how teenage guys and girls think.