for women only (part 1)

for women only:
what you need to know about the inner lives of men
Shaunti Feldhahn

While I hesitate to leap into another book series so soon after finishing Respectable Sins, I really wanted to think about this book in more detail - more detail that a simple one-off post would do - so I am going to tackle this one in pieces over the next few weeks. It won't take too long, it only has 9 chapters, unlike the 21 of the last series!

I found this book fascinating. It is set up as an explanation of what men are really like and tries to explain it to women:

Ever been totally confused by something your man has said or done? Want to understand his secret desires and fears, his daily battles that you know nothing about?...

full of eye-opening revelations you need to not only understand the man in your life, but to support and love him in the way he needs to be loved. Grounded in biblical hope, you will discover how to love your man for who he really is - not who you think he is. (backcover)

I should be clear - this is written from the perspective of marriage, what our husbands like, desire, etc. If that is not your situation however, this book would still be helpful in understanding men generally. There is also a For young women only, written more for younger women, teenagers and it assumes singleness. I have not read this one, but the brief flick I have had through it at the bookstore, suggests it is also worth reading.

In some ways, this book is a very personal read. It talks about the relationships of marriage and how husbands and wives relate (for good or bad). However I thought it would be good to think about it in this forum because:

• it is helpful for all women (married or single) to think about the way men think and act, and to have some framework to put it in
• I would love to have feedback from male readers as to what they think of each point
• similarly, I would love to hear feedback from other women as they read these chapters and are perhaps challenged by them

As soon as I read this book, I got Husband to read it, so that I could ask him if each issue was personally relevant to him. Because, in the end, I don't care if 'all men' think a certain way if mine does not - I want to understand my husband better first and foremost! You may feel the same as you read the posts.

Anyway, join me over the next few weeks and let me know what you think of it all!