Female Intelligence [Hardcover]

Jane Heller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 21, 2001

As all of the early reviews indicate, Jane Heller is a writer at the top of her game.Her sixth novel Sis Boom Bah, was the first book to be optioned for a feature film by Julia Roberts's production company, Shoelace Productions.It also made the USA Today bestseller list in its St. Martin's Press paperback edition.Her seventh novel, Name Dropping, published in paperback by St. Martin's in March, earned her the best reviews of her career, including a rave from People magazine (she's the only author with four "Book of the Week" nods from People).Now comes her eighth and most ingenious romantic comedy, Female Intelligence.An alternate selection of the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club, with audio rights already sold to Audio Renaissance, FemaleIntelligence is a modern twist on "My Fair Lady" - the perfect combination of witty, sparkling dialogue and fast-paced, page-turning plotting. In the classic film, Rex Harrison was a linguist who taught street urchin Audrey Hepburn how to speak like a lady and then fell in love with her.In FemaleIntelligence, Lynn Wyman is a linguist who teaches macho CEO Brandon Brock how to speak with ladies and falls in love with him.Lynn has a successful practice in sensitivity training, instructing alpha males in the language of Womenspeak so they can relate better to the women in their lives.When her personal life becomes the stuff of tabloids and her professional reputation is sullied, she must do something - anything - to resurrect her career.After spotting Brock on the cover of Fortune magazine's "America's Toughest Bosses" issue, she bets her friends that, by tinkering with his words, by adjusting his speech patterns, by putting him through her Wyman Method, she can turn him into "America's Most Sensitive Boss" and climb back on top.Little does she know that by winning her bet she will lose her heart.FemaleIntelligence is a hilarious look at our inability to bridge the communication gap between men and women, despite all the Mars/Venus books on the market.Brimming with Jane's inimitable humor, it also features her trademark mix of romance and suspense, including a surprise ending in which one of the heroin's friends turns out to be anything but.A sure-fire bestseller to be backed by a major marketing campaign, FemaleIntelligenceconfirms Jane's status as a wry, knowing writer with a keen eye for popular culture.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Why can't a woman be more like a man? Be careful what you ask for, as Lynn Wyman learns in Heller's (Sis Boom Bah; Name Dropping) rollicking new comedy, a sendup of female-centric pop therapy and alpha male behavior. Lynn is the linguist mastermind behind the Wyman Method, whereby manly men are taught the fine art of communicating in Womenspeak. Her husband, Kip, seems to be the poster spouse for what she preaches he has lasagna on the table when she returns home, asks how her day was, cries at the drop of a hat. But then Lynn discovers he's been unfaithful, and her ensuing loss of credibility results in a sharp decline in her multimedia fortunes. What's a Wyman to do? Humbled by her error in judgment, Lynn remains committed to the Method and hatches a plan. Hunky but boorish Brandon Brock has just made Fortune's cover for a feature on "America's Toughest Bosses"; if Lynn can turn him into "America's Most Sensitive Boss," she figures she'll be back on top. How she goes about it, particularly once she realizes that she's falling for him, is the stuff romantic comedies are made of. Good lines plus precision timing add up to a lot of laughs as the author trains her sense of cultural irony on the complex contradictions between what women say they want, what they think they want and what they really want. Heller has always been adept at devising clever premises, and this is no exception. Agent, Ellen Levine. Author tour. (Apr. 21) Forecast: Sis Boom Bah was just optioned by Julia Roberts's Shoelace Productions. If produced, the film will boost sales of all of Heller's titles, including this one; meanwhile, Female Intelligence seems ripe for the plucking by a production company.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Linguist Dr. Lynn Wyman becomes a media celebrity and best-selling author by teaching men to speak to their spouses and female co-workers in "Womanspeak." She's flying high until she discovers that her husband (and prize pupil) is having an affair with another woman and their subsequent breakup hits the papers. How can a professional communicator justify such a major personal failure? Suddenly, there are no Good Morning America bookings for her. Not ready to concede defeat, Wyman sets her sights on the biggest male chauvinist boss in the business world, lines him up as a client, changes his behavior Pygmalion-style, and falls in love. But can she master "Menspeak" well enough to tell him? This first-person narrative is a breeze to read, full of laughs, and solidly built upon an intricate, suspenseful plot. Heller (Sis Boom Bah) weaves messages about style, substance, and loyalty to oneself and one's friends into the humorous dialog. Enthusiastically recommended for public libraries.DJoyce Smothers, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, NJ
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (April 21, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312261594
• ISBN-13: 978-0312261597
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,495,308 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I hope those who've enjoyed my novels of romantic comedy will try my first nonfiction book, "Confessions of a She-Fan," about my passion for the NY Yankees. Yes, it's about baseball, but it's also about marriage (mine) and what it really means to be a fan. If you aren't into baseball, maybe you know someone who is and you'll tell them about it.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Can't wait to read more!, January 7, 2002

By 

Dianna Johnston "Compulsive Reader" (Joplin, MO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Female Intelligence (Hardcover)

Having never read anything by Jane Heller before, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had an idea -- a nice, breezy, light read -- but I was in for a surprise. Not only did I get that relaxing beach-read quality, but I got a storyline with mystery and surprises as well.

Dr. Lynn Wyman, linguistics expert and creator of the Wyman Method, a program specializing in teaching men how to communicate with women, has it all -- a thriving practice, a bestselling book, a monthly guest appearance on Good Morning America, four wonderful and supporting friends, and an adoring husband who is well-versed in Womenspeak. What more could she ask for? Then in an instant, the bottom falls out, and her career hits an all-time low. Lynn is desperate to regain her status and the Wyman Method's credibility. Seeing a picture of Brandon Brock on the cover of Fortune Magazine's America's Toughest Bosses issue, Lynn is determined to gain Brandon as her client and turn him into a sensitive, woman-respecting gentleman. And in the process, she gets more than she bargained for....

I loved Female Intelligence. It was a very quick read, and the writing pulled just the right emotions. While not necessarily knee-slapping funny, I did laugh a few times. Mostly, however, this novel was simply fun brain candy, a great weekend-filler or a breather between heavy books. And then once you've begun your Jane Heller journey, there's no turning back! I can't wait to get to her other novels. Good Job, Jane; you've got a new fan.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book, but not Heller's best, April 25, 2001

By 

Chel Micheline "Chel Micheline" (Southwest Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Female Intelligence (Hardcover)

It's always surprised me that Jane Heller wasn't as well-known as some of the other mystery writers out there. Even though I try to avoid the romance genre at all costs, her ability to blend suspense with the mushy stuff has always made me devour her books. This woman can really write a funny, well-paced book. She is one of the few authors out there that make me laugh out loud without fail. Her female protagonists are always sharp witted and very sassy.

However, Female Intelligence is just not as good as some of her earlier efforts. There's too much romance and not enough humor. The female protagonist in this book is a strong woman, but her strength and determination is what get her in trouble. To be punished for those things is very unfair, and very strange coming from the pen of Jane Heller.

The book is about a female linguist/psychologist named Dr. Wyman who teaches men something called "Womenspeak". "Womenspeak" is a rather degrading language that is supposed to help males communicate with the women in their lives by speaking the same language females speak. I don't know about you, but I am a female and don't listen to Michael Bolton OR talk about how the dessert I had last night "went straight to my thighs", which are the two basic tenants of Womenspeak. It was hard not to get offended by this, and it's repeated throughout the entire book. Regardless, Dr. Wyman finds herself struggling in her career, gets herself a star client, falls in love with him, and chaos ensues. Most of the book focuses on "Womenspeak" and the romance, as well as a destructive group of female friends Dr. Wyman surrounds herself with.

The humor is there, but it gets ruined by some of the other themes in the book. Heller appears to be headed away from the mystery genre and towards romance writing, if this book is any indication of what is to come. I just didn't like this as much as her earlier books, such as "Crystal Clear" and "Princess Charming".

It's definitely worth a read, but I advise you to wait for the paperback version or check it out from the library. If you are going to spend some cash on Jane Heller's books, go ahead and buy her earlier ones.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Makes me ashamed to be a woman, July 20, 2006

By 

Tamara Lee (Chandler, AZ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Female Intelligence (Mass Market Paperback)

Aside from the odd Harlequin romance, this is quite possible the most sexist and poorly written book ever. The character is a "linguist" who is working to make men think like women. She employs such nauseating tactics as sharing Michael Bolton music and making the men recite dialog. The point when I decided that the book was beyond terrible was the line of dialog that her male lead was forced to read (a situtation before a business meeting when there was a female employee in the room) "Good morning Susan. I don't know how you metabolize your desserts, but the chocolate mousse cake I had last night went straight to my thighs." Ewww. And the "dead on and hilarious" quote on the front of the book was misleading. There were some lame attempts at wittiness, but they fell as flat as the story line.

I've never written a review on this website, and I read voraciously. This book made me feel an obligation to share my opinion in hopes that someone else reads it and saves the four hours that I will never get back. In fact, I apologize to Harlequin writers, they are Pullitzer nominees compared to Miss Heller.