Rating: 
Summary: Very insightful, but...
Review: This book was very insightful in many areas, but it seemed to have a lot of repetition. Also, Dr. Gray failed to give any mention or acknowlegement toward interracial and intercultural relationships. (I am a white male dating an asian female, BTW.)Aside from that, Dr. Gray did an excellent job. For guys, I also strongly recommend "Women: Maxim's Unauthorized Guide." I don't think it's available here, but if you mix Dr. Gray with the writers of Maxim Magazine, you really can't go wrong. Best of luck!
Rating: 
Summary: A great tool for those who cannot find their "soul mate"
Review: John Gray provides the reader with very useful tips on how to make a relationship work, from both the woman and man's points of view. He clearly explains how men and women usually behave, what they are usually expected to do, and how and why they so many times misunderstand each other without realizing the potential of a relationship. He also goes back to some traditional customs- though not old-fashioned - making the reader feel that no matter how many times he has failed in a relationship, he some day will find his or her "soul mate". All single people who have unsuccesfully tried to find that "perfect partner", should try to apply these basic rules and see what happens...
Rating:
Summary: Great Advice on pre-marital relationships!
Review: I bought this book around the start of my relationship with my fiance. After being through several unsuccessful relationships, I thought it would be interesting to read this book and see if my fiance and I were following the rules established by John Gray. I found his advice very helpful, and at the same time felt reassured as my fiance and I had already been following the patterns set down in this book, which should lead to a successful relationship and subsequent marriage. John Gray's series MARS AND VENUS are all excellent books, and this is no exception. He gives examples on what to do and what not to do, and it's all written in plain english. I found all of it interesting and fun. The reason for only a 4 star rating is because I personally did not agree with everything he said in the book, but this is my own personal opinion. The book is well written and is a must-read for any one about to pursue a new relationship.
Rating:
Summary: thought it would be sexist
Review: I was very skeptical when someone recommended this book. Not only am I leary of self-help books in general, I thought I would be turned off by the concept that men and women automatically act in certain ways just because of their gender. While there are obvious exceptions and variations to general tendencies, I thought this book did an excellent job of pointing out the different way men and women think and act. It did so in a way that wasn't insulting to either men or women. At times, I did think it was simplistic. However, I think the general premise that men like to pursue and women enjoy being pursued is pretty basic.
Rating: 
Summary: Its worth the hype
Review: At first I was reluctant to buy this book because it seemed too much like pop psychology trying to make millions. I read another book on differences between men and women called "You just don't understand" and I liked that one alot so I thought I'd give this one a chance too. Whereas "You just don't understand" focuses more on communication in general, this one focuses more on intimate relationships. Overall the book is quite entertaining and insightful. Once I got started, I ended up reading the entire thing in one long sitting. To some, John Gray's ideas might sound rather sexist and anti-feminist, but they aren't meant to be that way at all. When men do things such as open doors for women or pay for a date, they are not thinking about how helpless the women is, they do it because they think it will please a woman and they feel good when they can provide for her. In the year 2000, many women now take the initiative and ask the guy out first but John Gray gives convincing reasons why this might not always work. John Gray says that a woman's primary source of self esteem in a relationship is to feel loved and get her needs met, and this is harder to do when she is taking the initiative and trying too hard to please him. Although John Gray has put together a lot of good ideas that I can't wait to try out when I date the next guy, I see two major problems with the book which is why I give it 3.5 stars and not five. First, the book is rather long because it is redundant in several spots. The book is close to 400 pages but could easily be 150 pages without omitting any key ideas. Every few pages or so he mentions once again that men feel good when they please a women because it makes him happy too and that women should focus more on responding positively to his advances rather than trying to hard to give him something in return. Second, it doesn't say where John Gray gets his ideas about men and women in relationships. Is this just his own speculation? Is it based on his personal experiences with women? His friends' experiences? Is this based on some psychological research that he was too lazy to cite references for? This is one reason why I prefer "You Just Don't Understand". Deborah Tannen's information came from mainly psychological research.
Rating:
Summary: Amazingly accurate
Review: Gray takes subject that I was beyond my understanding and creates amazingly accurate generalizations. Obviously, no generic book can cover extremes of human emotions and wants, so Gray has wisely chosen to only cover a majority of the Bell-curve. When reading the book I have noticed so many parallels with my experiences it is amazing and I think that's because most people have very similar needs, not wants, but needs. From male point of view, Gray expounds upon chivalry and empathy in dealing with a woman and I don't know of any woman who prefers less of it than more. He also blasts the concept of equality between men and women who are complementary because of their needs in an eventual partnership. Even with an initial browse (first or second page, where all 5 steps are listed) it is evident that book's purpose is to help the reader find a person who they can live with through a marriage. If you're looking only to pick-up, date or find a friend this is not the book for you.
Rating: 
Summary: oh dear
Review: The people John describes are not people I recognise from my world. His men, for instance, only talk to each other when there's a problem. His single women are looking for marriage, whereas all the single women I know want to avoid it. He gives gender-specific advice. He says that the man's role in dating is to make the woman happy, and that the woman's role is to acknowledge that the man is making her happy. He says that women shouldn't pursue men; he doesn't give a reason, which is a shame, because a rule like that is a constraint on a process which is already hard. He says that men should apologise more and should make a point of calling back; politeness is a good thing, although I've not found it a gender issue. I disagreed with most things in this book. What bothers me is that John is a relationship expert while I am anything but, and that a lot of people have found this book useful. Maybe I am missing something. Maybe it's a cultural thing. It may well be that I'm delusional and the world really is as John describes it; although if it is, I don't think I'll be doing any dating - it doesn't sound much fun!
Rating:
Summary: Nice Try
Review: Unfortunately, in this volumn, Gray appears to have "cranked" this one out for his publisher. It appears to have been hastily written although there is certainly some very good material in the book. A small, yet more useful book I have found is The Romantic's Guide by Michael Webb. It is full of great dating and relationship ideas and advice. Don't sweat the small stuff in love is also helpful.
Rating:
Summary: Mars and Venus on a Date
Review: This is a wonderful book! John Gray's insite into male and female behavior is such a gift. I chose to read this book because I wanted to have the best chance at making the fewest mistakes in my next relationship. An even bigger enhancement is to have your partner read it as well if you are already in a relationship. By applying the tools in this book, my partner and I are well on our way to forever. This book can help you develop the tools to make the right choices and to see the difference between good and bad behaviors in yourself and in your potential partner. Happy reading and dating!
Rating:
Summary: Wrong Premise
Review: It seems like this book starts out with the wrong premise -- that dating is something you do in order to lead to getting a girl to sleep with you. While dating might be a noble way to lead to marriage, the whole idea is that you date to mate is ludicrious. I guess that explains why Dr. Gray has been married so many times. I think dating is more for having fun and getting to know one another -- becoming great friends. Two books I recently read that do a good job at giving excellent advice on dating are THE ROMANTIC'S GUIDE and CREATIVE DATING.
| 
