It's Not Me, It's You: The Ultimate Breakup Book [Hardcover]

Anna Jane Grossman (Author), Flint Wainess (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 16, 2006

Sick and tired of married people getting all the attention and the gifts while the brokenhearted are left with nothing but that hideous bridesmaid dress or, worse, that hideous bridesmaid? This indispensable guide to the modern breakup is for you! Engagements and weddings have their own elaborate etiquette, even lavish gift-giving rituals, but married people already have the thing they need more than that fondue set and trip to Aruba: They have each other. And what do people going through the breakup have at the moment when they’re most lacking attention, not to mention gifts and trips? Nada. Enter the anti-Cupids, Anna Jane Grossman and Flint Wainess, here to lend the breakup its ceremonial due, here to break down the breakup. Whether you’re thinking about dumping someone, suspect you’re about to be dumped yourself, or have recently been shown the proverbial door, Grossman and Wainess offer clear-eyed, commonsense advice to get you through this confusing period. Do you have a plan of attack (or defense) in mind? If you’ve just been sent packing, do you know the best way to get your stuff back? Do you understand the full range of options at your disposal for exorcising your ex from memory? Do you have the right vocabulary to make a clean breakup, or to explain your lust for revenge to your friends? Yes, It’s Not Me, It’s You tells you everything you need to know about the breakup: how to do it . . . where to do it . . . when to do it . . . whether to do it . . . whether you can have a friend do it for you. And perhaps most important: what to do after it’s over (hint-it’s never really over). Laugh-out-loud funny, It’s Not Me, It’s You reminds us all that just because your relationship was an unmitigated disaster, it doesn’t mean your breakup can’t be a smashing success.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Operating under the premise that breaking up is an art form "like synchronized swimming," lifestyle reporter Grossman's and television writer Wainess's book cajoles readers to efficiently dump their lame not-so-significant others and proffers up strategies for surviving the aftermath, but the authors are less interested in helping readers than in trying to entertain them. The quizzes, charts, tables, graphs, "breakup trees" and myth-busting lists that populate this book offer little in the way of guidance, instead relying on juvenile humor (on breakup sex: "Ohhh baby, is this hot"; on surviving getting dumped: "just decide your ex is an uber-villain," but "don't...burn down your ex's house") that distracts from the book's breakup philosophy: know what you want to do, then do it, firmly. Readers looking for lessons on the art of the breakup will find little substance here, but the authors' relentless joking, though certainly not for everyone, may appeal to readers looking for a way to while away lonely evenings.
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Review

"A cross between a guidebook and a bitch session, with healthy doses of sympathy and pathos throughout." -- Woodstock Times, 1/24/06

"Winks at you while offering strategy as to how to best survive the fall." -- Smith Magazine, 2/8/06

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (January 16, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 073821051X
• ISBN-13: 978-0738210513
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #801,479 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Anna Jane Grossman is a New York-based freelance writer specializing in lifestyle and entertainment features. Her work has appeared in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Salon.com, The Washington Post, Elle, and Fortune.
Her second book, Obsolete, is being published by Abrams Image in September 2009. For more information, visit: http://AnnaJane.net.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone needs this book!, January 29, 2006

By 

Mel - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's Not Me, It's You: The Ultimate Breakup Book (Hardcover)

Even if you're in a relationship you think will last forever, you should read this book. And if you are going through a breakup, it's almost a staple. You'll learn some history of the breakup, hear stories you'll relate to and laugh out loud. I couldn't put it down!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh Voice in a Stale Genre, September 19, 2006

By 

J.E. (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's Not Me, It's You: The Ultimate Breakup Book (Hardcover)

I went thru a really tuff breakup and I had so many questions, but mostly WHY ME and HOW DARE HE? This book was really great in making me feel like the the pain of relationships is common, expected and that I am not the only one going thru these tons of negative feelings that pop up when you feel rejected and left behind. Relationships fail, thats life and this is a great book that shouts truth and gives you a good laugh when you need it most. You may not want to hear everthing the authors write about but there is so much truth in their words. Its a fresh take on all the other other books that make you feel that all love works, sometimes love isn't really love and they address that. Good Show!!!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Send this to your ex!, March 12, 2006

By 

P. Steven - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's Not Me, It's You: The Ultimate Breakup Book (Hardcover)

What a great book!! At first I thought it would be just a fun read, but it is so full of absolute truths!! It is a must read for anyone who has just broken up, and makes a great gift for the dumper. Don't ever let her think she has the upper hand!!