Online Seductions: Falling in Love With Strangers on the Internet [Hardcover]

Esther, M.D. Gwinnell (Author), Nancy Cooperman Su (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1998

A noted psychiatrist examines peoples' obsessions with online seduction, exploring the unique lure, seductive quality, and increasing frequency of online relationships. Dr. Gwinnell offers readers guidelines for protecting themselves online.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Although this volume appears to tell torrid tales of online passion or to advise how to find the love--or at least the lust--of your life online, it does neither. Instead, psychiatrist Esther Gwinnell focuses on how and why online romances happen. Gwinnell compares the modern online relationship with historical cases of individuals who met as pen pals and fell in love. But she also notes significant differences, such as the subtle personality clues that exist in e-mail as opposed to handwritten letters.

Gwinnell uses several examples of online couples and correspondents to demonstrate how romances evolve, flourish, and sometimes wither. The examples are all composite cases to protect the identities of the many people who shared their stories and correspondence with her, but anyone who has experienced a cybercrush can testify that her examples, if simplified for illustrative purposes, are right on target. In the course of her exploration, Gwinnell discusses why cyberromance is suddenly so prevalent, how to deal with both good and bad experiences, and how to protect yourself from bad online relationships. It does an especially good job of highlighting the danger signs that your correspondent may be a pathological personality.

For those wishing to pursue online romance, Gwinnell offers some wonderfully hardheaded questions to ask yourself and your potential significant cyber-other before things go too far. --Elizabeth Lewis

Product Details

• Hardcover: 217 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha Amer Inc (April 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568362145
• ISBN-13: 978-1568362144
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,874,048 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a must-have for anyone that deals with others o, May 1, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Online Seductions: Falling in Love With Strangers on the Internet (Hardcover)

This book is a must-have for anyone that deals with others online, whether it is romantic or platonic. Dr. Gwinnell offers valuable insight on how to pick up subtle clues about the real person that we're chatting with. She reminds us about often overlooked online safety practices, as well as how to safeguard yourself in a real life meeting. Married or single, romantic or platonic, there is fantastic information in here for us all.

As a SysOp on the Adult Entertainment & Games forum on CompuServe, this book has become my bible, and I have and will continue to recommend it to all members.

~Stormy

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As More People Go Online, This Book's Value Increases, March 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Online Seductions: Falling in Love With Strangers on the Internet (Paperback)

If you ever wondered WHY or HOW total strangers could fall in love or develop deep personal relationships, then read this extremely fascinating book. Dr. Gwinnell's unique insights about how people could develop intense attachments are more important each day, as increasing numbers of people go on the Net. She explains that it is the facelessness of it all that is the key. The person on the other end only has words to guide him or her, rather than sights, sounds and so forth. She offers valuable guidance for those already in such relationships. Definitely a valuable book for the consumer as well as the professional.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great in-depth review of online relationships, January 17, 1999

By 

Jeanine Claar ([e-mail]) (Portland Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Online Seductions: Falling in Love With Strangers on the Internet (Hardcover)

Excellent in depth look into relationships that are formed online, their causes and results that can occur. If one didn't understand they psychology of finding love online, they will after reading this book. It covers every aspect of online relationships, and is brought to the reader in a clear language, without a lot of lingo that might not be understood.

It is also brought to the reader without any sense of bias. It lays out any number of ways online relationships can form, and any number of way they can end up. Very well done!