By Editorial Intern, Anjali Ajmani
Lauren Atterbery’s What Women Want is not your typical self-help book for men. It just isn’t. Full of humor, a straight-forward tone, and a few embarrassing scenarios, What Women Want guides men through every aspect of relationships from focusing on appearances and attire in preparation for meeting women, to going places to meet women, to kissing techniques, to building conversation, to date ideas, to meeting each other’s friends and parents, to wedding planning, and so much more. Even if some of Lauren’s advice sounds a little ridiculous, (what man actually shaves his toes?) you’ll laugh through each page, anxiously looking forward to what she has to say next. Even though What Women Want is clearly written for men, you don’t have to be a man to enjoy it. Women should read it too. It’s quite the hilarious read.
My favorite chapters from What Women Want are the “So You Want a Date” and “The Girlfriend” chapters. Lauren talks about how important it is for a man to pay attention to his looks. Funnily enough, according to Lauren, it’s perfectly okay for a man to go two days without shaving, but it’s not okay for a man to have hair on his toes or his back. Lauren writes that men shouldn’t wear flip-flops with jeans – she says it puts them in the ‘partying too hard’ category, and she adds that if men wear khaki pants, they need to wear black or brown shoes. Lauren’s nitpicky advice will make you laugh.
Several date ideas are listed throughout the book. I particularly liked the idea of the Dollar-Store date. This date involves the man giving the woman $20 and telling her to buy whatever she wants at the Dollar-Store. That sounds like a lot of fun to me because you can buy plenty of stuff at the Dollar-Store with $20. Another cool date idea is the Blind Cookie Decorating Date in which the man and the woman bake cookies together and then decorate them blindfolded! The Rewind Date is the most interesting date that Lauren mentions. On the Rewind Date, the man and woman do a typical date in reverse – they share a goodnight kiss, grab a coffee, go to a restaurant where they ask for their dessert first, then they order their entrée, and they finish their meal with an appetizer. This date idea sounds so much fun. I’m definitely going to try it out!
What Women Want discusses stress and arguments or disagreements between couples too. Lauren writes about the value of being patient with each other, forgiving each other, and giving each other space. For instance, Lauren advises that men and women set aside at least one day a week where they do things separately.
Whether you’re reading What Women Want because you’re a man looking for some advice on women or you’re reading it because you’re a woman looking for some laughs, you’ll enjoy it as much as I did! What’s your favorite tip from What Women Want? I’d like to hear your take on it.
