How Not to Date (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Columnist Judy McGuire has advised and entertained singles with her irreverent “Ask DateGirl” column since 2000. She’s heard it all, and here she tells it all — from the bland to the terrifying — along with sage advice on how to short-circuit any Date from Hell. Printed in a handy gift format, How Not to Date is organized into four sections, a series of gradually worse-off situations compiled from readers over the years. "Worried Grimace” features not ideal dates but nothing to freak out over. "One Eyebrow Raised" contains stories of dates with red flags. "Both Eyebrows Furrowed in Horror" collects true nightmare tales. Finally, "Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here" showcases the worst of the worst. For each nightmare situation, Judy advises what to do, and how to escape the especially frightful and potentially dangerous ones. In addition, she forecasts what the future could be like if the date is given "just one more" chance.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Sasquatch Books (December 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570615322
• ISBN-13: 978-1570615320
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #415,515 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You need this book, January 8, 2008

By	Richard G. Giorgi "Comaboy" (Chapel Hill, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Anyone who's ever dated needs to feel that the monumental mistakes they've made along the way are worth laughing over, and anyone who doesn't feel that dating is a laughing matter should pick up this book right away. If painfully funny truths were nickles, this book would be worth a million. If you can't laugh about a hard-drinking wiccan who channels baby voices through her cats on the first date, well, you may not be able to laugh at all.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Refreshing Break from the Usual Desperate Dating Tomes, February 22, 2008

By	L. Merlyn "Rustuccio" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book slayed me. It is so damn funny, and it's also worth checking out as a refreshing voice on dating - the author is clearly a woman who wants the right guy, not just any guy for the sake of having one. There are plenty of us out there, but we tend not to be the ones to write about dating - the market is saturated with silly Cinderellas looking for their prince charming and offering advice on how to compromise yourself to get a guy at any costs. These women tell us that a woman is defined by her marital status, no matter what kind of a jerk, idiot or moron their guy may be. Judy McGuire reminds us all that no one should put up with an idiot, meanie, psycho, moper, whatever, and it's better to commiserate with friends than to settle. But this is not a feminist book - no way. Judy gives just as much space to the crazy and stupid chicks out there. By sharing these entertaining and sometimes frightening tales, she reminds us all that we deserve the best, we should behave ourselves, and that men and women may well be from different planets, but we're united by our unpleasant dating experiences. It also reminds us why "sense of humor" is one of the most important thinsg to look for in any date.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Bad Dates Than You'll (Hopefully) Ever Suffer Through, January 13, 2008

By	Rachel Kramer Bussel "Cupcakes Take the Cake ... (New York City) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Who better than Seattle Weekly's Dategirl columnist Judy McGuire to walk you through the horrors of bad dating and give you some advice on how to avoid the crazies, from just slightly to dangerous? Here, she's compiled what could be considered a "best of" awful dates, from those who lie about their marital status to those who spend the whole night with hamburger in their teeth.

She also includes interviews with porn stars Tera Patrick and Joanna Angel, a shrink, a stripper, and a few other dating veterans to give some highly specific dating "do"s and "don't"s. As someone who's been on my share of bad dates but who's also committed a sin or two in the dating realm, I laughed out loud while reading this book - when I wasn't cringing in horror at some of the things people will put up with in the name of love (and nookie).

What's also great about this book is that McGuire owns up to her own dating faux pas and even gives a ray of hope that even those who mess up, like her current boyfriend, who brought along friends for moral support on their first date, can be redeemed. I can only hope that my future dates will be nowhere as tragic as some of these, and at least know what to look for. Best of all, McGuire doesn't take herself or the dating dilemmas she presents here too seriously. This is not a "you must do this (or not do this)" if you ever want to find a partner type of book. It's one that, dare I say, you could even share with someone you're dating - just not on a first date.