Will Marry for Food, Sex, and Laundry: How to Get Him - and How to Keep Him [Paperback]

Simon Oaks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 18, 2009

Forget romance. Forget true love. Forget soulmates. If a woman wants a man to marry her, she needs to give him what he needs. Grandmothers said it first?and they were right. Men get married for reasons as basic as this: Food. Sex. Laundry. In this book, women learn that getting a man to walk down the aisle is easier than they think?that is, if they?re willing to master the art of meatloaf. This controversial throwback of a marriage manual reveals the real reasons men marry?one meal, one tryst, and one football game at a time!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Though he doesn't have any credentials beyond a happy marriage of 10 years, Oaks gets a leg up in the crowded field of find-that-man self-help with a rare male voice and an endearing sense of self-loathing. Having been plucked from confirmed bachelorhood himself, Oaks has hit upon what it takes to get and keep a man finally and forever. The answer is in Oaks's title: all men want is food, sex and clean laundry. In extensive, self-deprecatory detail, Oaks explains exactly how simple men really are, and what women can best do to fulfill their basic (only) needs. While much of this advice amounts to cheap (though funny) chauvinism, Oaks offers some intelligent commentary and advice-though nothing that can't be found elsewhere. Depending on one's reaction to Oaks's snarky, self-reflexive veneer and admittedly "throwback" gender politics, readers should find this a friendly guide to getting out there with a gratifying less-is-more approach. Others might do well to find a similar book in a less glib register.
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About the Author

Simon Oaks (Richmond, CA) is a California transplant from England, who swore he?d remain single for life. But now this former racecar driver turned writer is a bachelor turned husband, and is letting the women out there know the secrets behind making a man commit. He?s been happily married now for ten years to his American wife, Julie.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Adams Media (March 18, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598697900
• ISBN-13: 978-1598697902
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,132,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Depends on your point of view, March 21, 2009

By 

Tina "Tina" (Montreal, Quebec) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Will Marry for Food, Sex, and Laundry: How to Get Him - and How to Keep Him (Paperback)

I just finished reading Will Marry for Food, Sex and Laundry. I have to say that I have two completely different mindsets on this book.

First off, I have to say that I like the title of this book and one of the reasons I did, indeed, read it was because I thought that this book would be a funny and silly look at a man's point of view of singlehood and marriage.

IF this is the angle the author was going for, then I would have to say that this book is a success. It was silly, silly in some parts - I especially like the comparisons the author keeps making between the importance of the woman they select as their wife should able to do the same things as the mothers.

On the other hand, if this book is actually a serious look at singlehood and marriage then I have to say that this book seriously misses the mark. For one thing, it is highly sexist and extremely stereotypical. Men are cast the "the guys" and the woman are cast "as the little women". Basically, neither sexes fares well in this book and the author manages to make everyone somehow miss the point of marriage.

Which is why I believe that the author was taking a ironic look at the state of marriage. That's my story and I am sticking with it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, August 22, 2009

By 

ibabybluezi "NJ 2005 RU" (North Jersey, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Will Marry for Food, Sex, and Laundry: How to Get Him - and How to Keep Him (Paperback)

I thought Simon Oaks put the perspective of both sexes into a black and white format. The book really simplifies all that women tend to over-analyze. Of course, he discusses the dangers of over-analysis in the book as well, amongst many other things. After reading the book (because I could not put it down), I found that things are really driven by genetics and most of what we do or are good at is because we were designed that way, so it's ok to embrace it and move on. All in all, Simon really shows that there is no hidden algorithm on how to make a man feel loved and appreciated. I thought the book was well written, concise, and thorough.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars No Wonder Successful and Independent Women are Still Single!, October 17, 2009

By 

Book Nerd (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Will Marry for Food, Sex, and Laundry: How to Get Him - and How to Keep Him (Paperback)

Really, WTF?!? I mean, it's 2009 people! Whether or not you're looking for advice on finding a life-long mate, you should be coming into the relationship as a mature, independent adult capable of taking care of him/herself. If you can't take care of yourself then you don't need a wife but a personal assistant/live-in nurse, etc. I don't expect men to go out and hunt wild animals for me to cook for dinner and build me a house using his bare hands so why do men expect women, even these days, to behave according to these extremely stereotypical roles? And then write books encouraging other men to expect and seek the same?!? Women need a partner in life...an equal in all aspects, not somebody who needs to be taken care of. Personally, if I wanted to clean up after somebody and feed them, then I would rather get a cute puppy! There's a simple formula to any relationship and it's based on these 3 things: 1) love, 2) trust, and 3) respect. You should not "need" your significant other, you should want to be with that person. I've always said that the problem with the feminsit revolution isn't that women took on what have traditionally been thought of as "male" roles but that men have not had an equivalent "masculine" revolution to try to meet us 1/2 way and so the result has been women taking on far more than their fare share of responsibility and duties in relationships while men have been doing the same old thing. So it's no wonder that educated and independent women are either waiting longer to get married (to make sure we don't run into needy, incompetent, and immature kids such as this guy). It's just such a shame that today's women are still dealing with this whole 1950s "Leave it to Beaver" kind of mentality and are missing out on men who may be their equal partner in life but are getting backwards advice from (perhaps) influential advice such as this!