I am in a composition 112 class at Mansfield University. We use your book almost every day. The book is very helpful. It has a lot of very interesting essays in it that explian what you are trying to teach. We also do alot of homework out of your book which really helps with many of our essays that we write. I used another book for my first english class here at college and yours in a much better addition. The Writers Way help explian many errors that i have made in the past on essays. The Writers Way has not olny helped me but has been very helpful for your teacher and other students in the class.

However, I have to admit, it's not as funny as Sis Boom Bah or Name Dropping or any of Heller's books. It is a good and quick read for this busy mom ~~ and it's pure escapism!

Dr. Lynn Wyman has a wildly successful practice in Womanspeak ~~ teaching men to speak like women ~~ until she discovered that her husband was cheating on her. Once she confided his infidelity to her circle of close friends, it was leaked to the media that the queen of communication couldn't even keep her marriage together ~~ she began to lose everything. Desperate to keep her practice, she decides to target a CEO of a huge corporation known as the world's meanest CEO and try to convert him to womenspeak. And the adventures began!

This book has it all ~~ romance, mystery and betrayal. Lynn was left to figure out just who she could trust among her girlfriends while trying to convince her new romantic interest that it wasn't her that leaked the information that she was working with him on womanspeak ~~ but I have to admit that it was a tad predictable. Which is sad because Heller's strength usually lies in the motto ~~ expected the unexpected ~~ only it didn't work in this novel.

If you're looking for a quick and entertaining read, this book would be it. However, don't expect it to measure up to Heller's other books!

10-28-02

Having never read anything by Jane Heller before, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had an idea -- a nice, breezy, light read -- but I was in for a surprise. Not only did I get that relaxing beach-read quality, but I got a storyline with mystery and surprises as well.

Dr. Lynn Wyman, linguistics expert and creator of the Wyman Method, a program specializing in teaching men how to communicate with women, has it all -- a thriving practice, a bestselling book, a monthly guest appearance on Good Morning America, four wonderful and supporting friends, and an adoring husband who is well-versed in Womenspeak. What more could she ask for? Then in an instant, the bottom falls out, and her career hits an all-time low. Lynn is desperate to regain her status and the Wyman Method's credibility. Seeing a picture of Brandon Brock on the cover of Fortune Magazine's America's Toughest Bosses issue, Lynn is determined to gain Brandon as her client and turn him into a sensitive, woman-respecting gentleman. And in the process, she gets more than she bargained for....

I loved Female Intelligence. It was a very quick read, and the writing pulled just the right emotions. While not necessarily knee-slapping funny, I did laugh a few times. Mostly, however, this novel was simply fun brain candy, a great weekend-filler or a breather between heavy books. And then once you've begun your Jane Heller journey, there's no turning back! I can't wait to get to her other novels. Good Job, Jane; you've got a new fan.

Female Intelligence by Jane Heller

Not having read anything by Jane Heller before, I didn't know I was in for a treat. FEMALE INTELLIGENCE is a witty satire mocking the entire 'self help' industry, in particular the MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS school of thought.

Lynn Wyman has perfected her method of "sensitivity training" to an art form, and has become a world famous celebrity. She has best selling books, makes regular appearances on national television, and sees tons of clients to keep her busy. She also has a successful marriage, with her husband being the prime example of a man that has learned "womenspeak". Life couldn't be more wonderful.

Then things start to fall apart. After Lynn confides in her four best friends that her marriage isn't what it seems to be, the secret is let loose and the media gets a hold of it. Soon, the entire nation knows that Lynn Wyman's marriage is a sham, and now the famous Wyman Method is no longer respected. If Lynn was failing at her own marriage, why would any of the men that used her method want to continue seeing her? One by one, she loses her clients. Not only that, the networks are no longer interested in having her on TV. Her credibility was shot. And she's running out of money fast.

Then, Lynn reads a nasty article in Fortune Magazine about the worst bosses to work for, and number one on the list is Brandon Brock, the CEO of one of the largest food corporations in the world, Fine Foods Inc. If she could secure him as a client and change him into a man who is in touch with his feminine side, her credibility will be back and she could continue on as before. What ensues is a lot of laughs and witty humor as Lynn takes on the most macho man she has ever met.

I'm giving this book "two thumbs up". Jane Heller's FEMALE INTELLIGENCE is a book that makes fun of the entire science of sensitivity training. After reading several other reviews on this book, I realized that a lot of the reviewers missed the point. Anyone who takes this book seriously is not getting it. Take on this book as a light read and do not be offended with the stereotypes presented in the book! This is fluffy book, not a book to take seriously. It took me only a few days to finish; I could not put it down. I wanted to know if Lynn Wyman successfully converted macho man Brandon Brock into a pussycat. I wanted to know who leaked those rumors about Lynn to the media. But most of all, I wanted to know if Lynn Wyman was able to restore her reputation and go back to the life she had before. This is not the last Jane Heller book I'll be reading. Highly recommended.

When teenage Megan & her stepbrother Peter spend a couple of weeks helping with a relative's apple harvest, readers get an interesting tour of a working orchard. They befriend a couple of Latino migrant worker teens and learn about their lives. Everyone they meet is good-hearted and likable, except the shadowy villains and the school bully. When sabotage and suspicious accidents begin, the teenagers cooperate to save the orchard. Refreshingly, they don't ignore adult help, as most fictional children do. Some plot devices stretch credulity. The kids bring school assignments with them and also enroll in a local school. They learn to work hard in the orchard, but usually arrive late, leave early, or skip work, acting more like city children of privilege than real workers or helpers in a harvest rush. Since this series is designed as Christian fiction, I wondered how much proselytizing would be pushed into the plot. Attending church and referring to God's help were included as a natural part of life for this Protestant Christian family. Once, Peter expounds too long in explaining how his faith makes him a moral person. Not until the end is the message too intrusive -- and offensive -- , when the author implies that the Hispanic Catholic kids did not know that Jesus cared about them until the white Protestant kids "witness" to them. This reveals the heroes as saintly do-gooders rather than true brothers & sisters of the human race, and mars the general messaage of cross-cultural peacemaking throughout the story.

"For two decades now I've been awaiting a book explaining computers and their social consequences to literate readers," claims the author. Readers with similar hopes will not find satisfaction in this book. Rather, Rawlins casually addresses important issues concerning the role of computers concerning privacy, war, and poverty with no apparent insights or solutions. His descriptions of technologies are insultingly simplistic; one wonders if an average high-school student might have more interesting views on computers. This book's lack of footnotes and bibliography adds support to this reader's suspicion that the author just wrote down whatever came to mind. If Rawlins still wonders about computers and "their social consequences," he might try reading Niel Postman's "Technopoly" or any of the brilliant works of Theodore Roszak.

There are a lot of reasons for thoughtful concern about the proliferation of computer technology in our society. Invasions of privacy, loss of contact with our fellow beings, etc., are all very valid concerns! To his credit, the author (obviously a well-accomplished professional in the computer science area) raises these perhaps unpopular themes. However, having once raised the issues he does not follow through with sound analyses of the problems and recommendations for their amelioration. Frankly, some of what he has to say comes across as barely thought out and silly. At one point he discusses a particular negative ramification of computer technology (I don't have the book in front of me so I cannot be certain which one it is. He describes the problem, indicates that it may have an adverse effect on us, and concludes that the presence of the problem has many implications, and then drops it. I, personally, would have liked to have known what some of those implications are! The whole book looks like it was written too fast and edited poorly. Save your money.

Hey, I'm only half way through it but I'm loving this book. What's wrong with me? I found his chapter on e-books and publishing to be right on the mark and couldn't help but think of Napster when he talks about "dinosaur killers" in chapter 3, and Stephen Kings recent e-Book offering. I even double checked the publishing date as the book seems so current.

Sure he is not as deep here as Postman or Roszak, but if you want an entertaining book you will buzz through in a couple of hours, get it.

The Secret Identity series continues with Debbi Rawlins' "Her Mysterious Stranger." The storyline is hard to explain without giving anything away since it doesn't begin to pick up steam until the midway point. Let's leave it at this: Taryn Scott's job is to find people. One night she is hired by attorney Nick Travis to find a man who has been missing for a year. The case seems clear cut, until Taryn finds herself in danger and naturally the mysterious Nick is not what he seems.

I began "Her Mysterious Stranger" with hope. There were no obvious hooks and the story sounded fresh. I should have known better. The familiar plot elements take a while to make their presence felt but they're there. The basis of this story and the ultimate revelations are all standard and predictable. The entire story hinges on a plot twist that would be more effective were it not foreseeable from a mile away. Not only was the exact same twist used just as obviously in an Intrigue from the old "Hidden Identity" promotion a couple of years ago, but there really is only one twist that could make this story interesting. Such inevitability ensures that it isn't.

The first half of this story is deadly dull; the second half a mix of unconvincing romance, eye-roller plot twists and uninvolving action. The first part isn't boring because nothing is happening (Although an entire chapter is dedicated to Taryn and Nick sitting in a bowling alley having an impromptu date. I nearly fell asleep.). Taryn does standard detective work on the case, so things ARE happening. It is boring because Taryn and Nick don't seem to have anything at stake in what's happening. Nearly all Intrigues revolve around crimes and mysteries in which the hero and heroine have a personal interest. That is vital to making the story emotionally compelling. Here Taryn's investigation is dull because there is nothing to give the mystery an emotional element. The people who knew the missing man all act suspicious. Why should we care? Things do improve when Taryn's meddling finally puts her at risk, but the personal element comes too late to salvage the story. Everything that follows is too predictable and cliched, though I can't say why without "ruining" it. I will say this. The revelations open a giant plot hole that is never clearly resolved and only ensures the story doesn't make much sense.

Recent attempts by American Romance writers to pen Intrigues have been mixed, from the fantastic ("When Night Draws Near") to the average ("Little Girl Found") to the subpar ("A Man of Honor"). This is the weakest yet. Unless you haven't read much romantic suspense and are surprised easily, I'd skip this one.

It is impressing that the author manages to write 283 pages without giving any relevant information.

I did not get a real sense about what Greece is like from reading this book. I thought this author had a very pessimistic/negative bent as well. He focused a lot on the ancient past and not much on the present. Never having been to Greece, I can't say whether this book is accurate or inaccurate but I would think the job of a guidebook is to make the reader excited about going somewhere and this book did not accomplish that.

A true view of life in Greece. I am speaking from experience as I grew up there and planning to return to retire there also. Greece is a beautiful country that offers a great life to someone who wants to retire there and is tired of all the crime, dirty water, boring, robotic life, fake smiles etc. If LIFE is what you are looking for, then GREECE is the place, and this book gives you a lot of instructions on how to handle things there. Thank you.