Why Men Don't Have a Clue and Women Always Need More Shoes: The Ultimate Guide to the Opposite Sex (Paperback)

by Barbara Pease (Author), Allan Pease (Author) "Nagging is a term used almost exclusively by men to describe women..." (more)
Key Phrases: ducking stool, male brain, Romantic Liar, Hardware House, Institute of Psychiatry (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Husband and wife team Barbara and Allan Pease attempt build on the success of their Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps (2001) with a volume that succumbs to sequelitis. Some new research leads to a familiar conclusion: men have problem-solving brains and women have processing brains, and never the twain shall meet. In the chapter "Seven Things Men Do That Drive Women Insane," for example, the Peases explore the problem of the remote control. Men aren't flipping through all those channels to be difficult or annoying-it's just evolution. Women, they explain, like to relax at the end of a long day with a show that involves "human interaction and emotional scenes." Men, on the other hand, enjoy whizzing through the channels to "analyze the problems in each program and consider the solutions needed." The authors also explain that men's brains are hard-wired to find certain physical female attributes sexy (no surprise there) and advise women to just accept it: "If you think it's absolutely necessary, treat yourself to a nose job or enhance your breasts for your birthday." Their flippancy may turn off some readers, and their attempts at comedy often fall flat. The Peases cite a good number of sources-theories of evolutionary biology and snippets of brain research, spiced up with vignettes and anecdotes-but it's hard to take their research seriously when they include such fluff as lists of what men and women say vs. what they mean ("Nice dress," when a man says it, means "Nice breasts"; women say "Do you love me?" and mean "I want something expensive"). Also, they might have explored, or even acknowledged, the possibility that nurture may have big hand in inter-gender misunderstanding too. Instead, women (the intended audience here) get advice like this: "The key is always to manage the males in your life, rather than arguing... or feeling frustrated with them. That way, both sexes can live happily ever after." If they say so.
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Product Description

Allan and Barbara Pease have taken the world by storm with their revealing findings on the battle of the sexes. Their most recent eye-opener, Why Men Don’t Listen and Women Can’t Read Maps, was snapped up by more than eight million readers around the globe. But the battle still rages on.

Their new book takes up where the first left off, and examines the perplexing problems that keep the sexes from understanding each other. Using new findings on the brain, studies of social changes, evolutionary biology, and psychology, Barbara and Allan Pease highlight the differences in the way men and women think and act, examining topics of perennial interest to both sexes, including:

*Why men avoid commitment
*The differences between women’s nagging and men’s griping
*The top seven things men do that drive women crazy
*Why women resort to emotional blackmail
*The top turn-ons and turn-offs for both sexes

Laced with the Peases’ no-holds-barred humor, Why Men Don’t Have a Clue and Women Always Need More Shoes addresses a host of nitty-gritty battle grounds as well, from channel surfing and toilet seats to shopping and communication. Quizzes for determining who’s racking up more points (a.k.a. contributing more to the relationship) are also included.

Already a #1 bestseller in the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Holland, Spain, Brazil, Portugal, Belgium, Ireland, France, Czech Republic, India, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, Why Men Don’t Have a Clue and Women Always Need More Shoes is the universal solution to understanding the opposite sex.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; 1 edition (January 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767916107
• ISBN-13: 978-0767916103
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #122,202 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars might be OK for total know-nothings, April 25, 2004

By	Martian Bachelor (Feminacentric America) - See all my reviews

The basic attempt with this book was to use sex differences - which are all the rage these days - to make a relationships self-help book. The self-help stuff requires the usual and worn-to-death case studies of couples, followed by nice/neat explanations showing us just how simple all this really is, while the sex differences material requires a more expository approach, discussing the latest in brain research, etc. The net result is that instead of being coherent, the book comes across as being schizo, like it can't decide which kind of book it really wants to be. Or maybe the two different authors wrote different chapters. In other words, some of the book is good, a lot of it is so-so, and the rest not so great. At times it's even ridiculous.

The sex differences stuff is so watered down and simple-minded as to be virtually ludicrous (not to mention useless). Men are one-track minded hunters and women are caring/nurtering gatherers in this black and white universe. Consequently, they're able to give simple and definite answers to nuanced questions and situations which are, of course, a little more complicated than they'd like to think.

In spite of a page in the intro making one think the authors are sympathetic to men, the net portrayal is of belching, farting, dirty-joke telling louts who won't put the toilet seat down, ask for directions, or let go of the TV remote - just like in any sitcom. There's even a section on "retraining your man". The section on lieing starts out by assuring us men and women lie in equal amounts, but then devolves into illustrating all the ways men lie to women. I suppose we could have guessed from the cover being 70% pink that this book was mostly aimed at a female audience and therefore needs to constantly remind them how superior they are to men. And there's some misleading info on how much men need/want women, for example it's stated without qualification that any/all sex for men is good, though I can assure the authors that most men know very well the difference between good and bad sex, and all the shades between.

I found annoying all the plugs and mentions scatterd thru the text of the authors' previous book. Also annoying were sentences that I'd just read repeated in bold type in between paragraphs, like I'd missed them the first time; though sometimes these bold face bits have quotes or not-too-funny jokes. Altogether this wasn't a very good book. Maybe 2 1/2 stars max.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Ugh!, September 27, 2007

By	Laine M. Markham "laimar" (TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book REALLY irritated me! I have read several gender difference and self-help relationship books and none has ever worked me up the way this one did!

I am not a super-feminist. I agree that there are intrinsic differences in the sexes. I agree that men are visual creatures and if women quit making efforts toward their physical appearance after marriage, they might naturally lose the attraction of their husband. However...

I listened to the audio CD and grew increasingly irritated through the women's attraction self-quiz. I tried to take it with a grain of salt, but when it went it suggested afterwards that if you want to get a man, you should "get a boob job or work done on your face as a treat to yourself for your next birthday"...I got so outraged that I took out the disc and vowed not to listen to any more! I can understand things like styling your hair or wearing clothes that are more flattering...but suggesting to a general audience that plastic surgery is an appropriate and necessary way to gain a man's attraction??? No way.

I eventually cooled down and tried listening to another disc (I had enjoyed the 1st 3 discs a lot and decided to give it another chance). However, on this disc it suggested that women not "hint around" about things they want, but instead be "direct." I agree...I'm there. So then it gave an example. It said that if a women wanted to be in a relationship with a man she was dating, she should be direct. Example: drop little hints into conversations about how she's happy to be in a relationship. What?!?!?! That's NOT being direct, it's hinting! And manipulative...

I also agree with other reviews that the whole thing is far too generalized. Some of the beginning parts about biology and evolution of the sexes were interesting, but there was not a whole lot in here that sounded like my husband. He doesn't fart all the time, have bad hygiene or only prefer women with red lipstick, stilettos and a 70% waist/hip ration as the book says is what guys want. Don't get me wrong, he likes attractive women, but you just can't generalize what guys want like that!

I added on an extra star for the first few chapters that I thought were interesting enough to relate to my husband, but I am pretty worked up about the rest of the book!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I guess it depends on who you are., September 25, 2006

By	LPrene (Illinois) - See all my reviews

I really like this book and if I hadn't stumbled across it in a bookstore I probably wouldn't have bought it based on the reviews here. If you are a serious researcher on gender differences, this is NOT the book for you. If you have been married or otherwise living with your partner for a number of years, it probably isn't for you either. However, I do think there is a captive audience in people who are thinking of moving in together or have recently done so (as is in my case).

My boyfriend recently moved in with me and had been driving me nuts! I was divorced 14 years ago and this is my first live-in relationship since then. When I picked up this book in the bookstore, it had me crying I was laughing so hard. Yes there are a lot of stereotypes, and the generalizations they make are probably not warranted when blanketly applied. However, I am SO glad I picked up the book because it reminded me what to expect in terms of typical male-behavior, and of course, pointed out MY behaviors that are probably making him crazy too!

So anyway, the book is in the relationship self-help section NOT because it is a serious academic book on the psychology of gender differences (the title and design of the book cover suggest that as well). Yes the book is very basic, so if you are a self-help devotee you probably won't find it all that great either. However if you are neither of those and your mate is making you crazy, I think you will find the book both humorous and informative. I did!