Customer Reviews

Manslations: Decoding the Secret Language of Men

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I've read my fair share of dating books, and frankly, so many of them lack substance. Jeff Mac's Manslations is both funny and informative, giving a guy's perspective without the harsh snark of He's Just Not That Into You.

Some of his examples may not be exactly a barrel of laughs for us ladies (such as that, well, men will sleep with you even if they don't like you, just because they can), but ultimately he has a positive message: that guys are easy to read if you don't try to read too much into them. I'm as guilty of this as anyone, trying to read between the lines of emails and overanalyzing conversations well beyond the point that I'm making any sense.

Mac's basic message to women is to speak up. Playing hard to get won't get you anywhere, and hinting that you want a certain gift won't do the trick. The chapters on the first date and post-date debriefing do an excellent job of breaking down what guys say and what they mean. What I really liked about Manslations is that Mac owns up to men sometimes acting in ways that seem a bit irrational (sorry guys), but he doesn't try to excuse men acting stupidly, but rather says that jerky guys are just jerky guys, and that the average guy isn't a jerk, but won't always act the way a woman would. I'm not saying that it's then been a snap for me to decipher male behavior when it comes to dating simply by reading this, but I feel like I have a better handle on things that have confused me in the past. Personally, I don't really get the whole sleeping with people you don't even like thing, so I chalk that one up to a guy thing I will never fully understand. Though it's often tempting to want to argue back to Mac (but WHY do men think/act like that?) or point out the ridiculousness of it, it's to his credit that he counteracts many of the arguments I would have made. At the end of the day, Mac is both defending his gender (in its more honorable incarnations, mostly) and giving women unique insights that'll serve well in all sorts of dating scenarios, from flirtation to (way) beyond.

I deliberately avoid dating self help books but this book floored me. First of all after just a 5 second flick through I couldn't put it down. I found myself sitting on the floor in the book store aisle laughing my head off & nodding in agreement ( ok so maybe I had a few "YES!!!" moments too). To say this book is insightful is an understatement. Even if you have nailed the man thing believe me you still have something you can learn from this author. And did I mention its intelligent w/out being condescending. The voice( yes, it spoke to me) is that of your best male friend telling you to take a seat because he is gonna tell it like it is.

Just finished reading Manslations! I could not put it down. It was like watching the sunrise. I suddenly understood so much about men...why they do and say things...why they act a certain way. I was shaking my head in agreement the whole way through.

I am nominating Jeff Mac for the Nobel Peace Prize. He has certainly earned it for advancing the cause of women everywhere.

This book is really good, useful and fun to read.

I've been going through life trying to make sense out of what magazines/books/my mom/my girlfriends were telling me about men and dating but that was so complicated I was just about to give up altogether. That's when I found Jeff's words and they made my life a lot easier and happier. I just stopped freaking and started having fun.

This book is really excellent. The author is genuinely funny and creative. His observations have helped me decode some behavior in my past relationships that I've been absolutely mystified by. Highly recommended!

Manslations: Decoding the Secret Language of Men This book is a wonderful combination of humor and solid (if offbeat) insights into the minds' of men as women attempt to negotiate the minefields of their amorous relationships. I found myself laughing out loud at how Jeff Mac nails the craziness of today's world.

I bought this book as a present to myself. Finally there is a book that is straight foward about why guys act the way that they do. If nothing else its a great laugh too.

This is not an egocentric waste of time, as a lot of relationship books turn out to be. Refreshingly relatable honest, and funny.

As far as dating books go, this would be on top of the heap. It's easy to read and funny while at the same time loaded with sensible advice. Jeff Mac's straight to the point advice really gets to heart of the matter.

This was a nice try on my part. A book that can translate what a guy is really saying. I'd say that this was the first mistake. You can't put all guys into one single box. Aren't we tired as women to be labeled as being all the same? Now, this author is really smart and can recieve my appreciation simple for publishing a book like this, it is indeed useful, but this is not the whole truth, is HIS truth and experiences, some are right, some are dead wrong. In short, this book asks you to pay attention to action, NOT words. Now this may be an obvious statement but we women sometimes forget that is "more than words" that build a relationship.

Book aside, my advice to you, from a woman who has read "Why men love bitches", "Why men marry bitches", "He's not that into you", "Men, love & Sex" and many others, is to stop labeling men in our lives as "well...he's a guy, and all guys are basically the same". Men do this as well, and this is very harmful because it leaves no room for differences to arise. This book can represent 60% of the male population and the rest of them are being lead to believe that there is just one right way to behave, think and feel if you are a guy. This is what society expects from you and you should follow those rules, otherwise you may be labeled as gay or effeminate. Let's leave room for other ways to be male in this society, because just as men struggle through the years to step away from stereotypes and to concieve that there is another type of women, aren't we supposed to do the same in return?