Customer Reviews

Female Intelligence

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Female Intelligence by Jane Heller

Not having read anything by Jane Heller before, I didn't know I was in for a treat. FEMALE INTELLIGENCE is a witty satire mocking the entire `self help' industry, in particular the MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS school of thought.

Lynn Wyman has perfected her method of "sensitivity training" to an art form, and has become a world famous celebrity. She has best selling books, makes regular appearances on national television, and sees tons of clients to keep her busy. She also has a successful marriage, with her husband being the prime example of a man that has learned "womenspeak". Life couldn't be more wonderful.

Then things start to fall apart. After Lynn confides in her four best friends that her marriage isn't what it seems to be, the secret is let loose and the media gets a hold of it. Soon, the entire nation knows that Lynn Wyman's marriage is a sham, and now the famous Wyman Method is no longer respected. If Lynn was failing at her own marriage, why would any of the men that used her method want to continue seeing her? One by one, she loses her clients. Not only that, the networks are no longer interested in having her on TV. Her credibility was shot. And she's running out of money fast.

Then, Lynn reads a nasty article in Fortune Magazine about the worst bosses to work for, and number one on the list is Brandon Brock, the CEO of one of the largest food corporations in the world, Fine Foods Inc. If she could secure him as a client and change him into a man who is in touch with his feminine side, her credibility will be back and she could continue on as before. What ensues is a lot of laughs and witty humor as Lynn takes on the most macho man she has ever met.

I'm giving this book "two thumbs up". Jane Heller's FEMALE INTELLIGENCE is a book that makes fun of the entire science of sensitivity training. After reading several other reviews on this book, I realized that a lot of the reviewers missed the point. Anyone who takes this book seriously is not getting it. Take on this book as a light read and do not be offended with the stereotypes presented in the book! This is fluffy book, not a book to take seriously. It took me only a few days to finish; I could not put it down. I wanted to know if Lynn Wyman successfully converted macho man Brandon Brock into a pussycat. I wanted to know who leaked those rumors about Lynn to the media. But most of all, I wanted to know if Lynn Wyman was able to restore her reputation and go back to the life she had before. This is not the last Jane Heller book I'll be reading. Highly recommended.

I have read all of Ms. Heller's books and I am a big fan, so I was thrilled when I saw she had a new one. Well...I just finished it and believe me when I tell you, you have to read this book. I spent the whole weekend reading it, and I laughed out loud so many times, my family quit asking what I was laughing at. I can't wait another year or two for her next one, so I guess I'll have to go back and reread some of her earlier books. Do yourself a favor, read this book and enjoy.

This book was a little unbelievable, but it did keep me reading. I went form having little or no sympathy for Lynne to having more as she confronted her own communication issues and learned from them. The characters were somewhat under-developed. As a reader, it was frusterating to know who betrayes Lynne before she's willing to believe it herself. A fast read that does lightly examine the communication isseus between men and women. Though the book does ove simplify the subject, it's still a page turner.

I was drawn to this book because of the great things I heard about the book/author and the humor of the plot. Boy was I dissappointed. I kept waiting for the laughs to start and only found one line that delivered. Although teaching men to communicate with women was a great concept for a book, I found the character teaching men to say things like "Gee ___, I don't know about you but I don't how I'm going to keep that mousse I ate last night from going right to my thighs". If my husband ever said that I'd have his head checked. If you want laughs, read the awesome Janet Evanovich, Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard or Anne George.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a light read and very entertaining. I loved how it showed up the self-improvement field through Lynn Wyman trying to teach men how to speak to, and maybe even understand, women through her training program. I found it really funny it was highlighted that the men mainly became interested to participate in the program to better their ambitious careers - not to actually understand women (typical !).

I loved the character types she chose to illustrate her points. Particularly as you start to realise Lynn communicates and basically thinks like a man !

Her friends characters also portray very different types of personalities with definite idosyncracies and when you put it all together it makes a good story. I also loved the ending in that Lynn also changed her own views & program, plus it gave a window into Lynn & Brandon's relationship some years down the track showing a successful relationship post the 'honeymoon period' through the importance of good communication.

If you're looking for a laugh and an easy read I would really recommend this book.

A few years ago I read Heller's The Club and loved it. Then I somehow forgot her and was reminded by a friend who'd just reviewed this title for amazon. This book is a really fun read, and it makes some good points without being preachy--i.e., that both men and women have a lot of the same faults and both can change for the better if they want to. I particularly enjoyed the major characters. Personally, I'd go out with Brandon Brock in a New York minute, even before his sensitivity training. He could call me Honey at a Yankees game too. I'm going to start looking at the other Jane Heller books I've been missinng.

this is the first book i've read by jane heller, but it won't be the last! i logged on to find out what other books heller's written, because if they're half as good as this one, i've gotta pick it up. the main characters are funny, interesting and very individual but not in a fake kind of way. you typically see that kind of character development in a drama or something, but this book is right on. don't get me wrong though - this book is VERY VERY funny.