Rating: 
Summary: Changed my life!
Review: Wow! Wow! Do not hesitate in getting this book. I'm going to read it a 2nd time. Good thing I had a couple red pens because the first one went dry due to the need to underline so many wonderful, Godly points. Joshua Harris is remarkably mature and insightful for his age (early 20s). I'm 26 and now "I've kissed dating goodbye," too. Having been incredibly hurt (and also causing an incredible amount of hurting) in my last supposedly-Christian relationship, the new, God-centered approach he outlines seems like exactly what God would have me do. I've learned to be content in this "season of singleness" and to seek to serve God and prepare for the future He has for me. Harris' prayer for us is God's prayer (Phillipians 1:9-11, "That your love my abound more and more in knowledge and insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruits of righteousness...") This is just one of literally tens of Biblical references that guides Harris every step of the way. If I could have one wish, it was that I would have read this book in 11th grade, before I started dating. It would have saved me (and my ex-girlfriends) a lot of hurt. Thankfully, all things are made new in Christ, and it's never to late to be made new! This book would also be great for married people! In fact, I gave a copy to my mom, both so that she can better understand her children, and also so that she can read about Harris' insights into God-centered relationships. Harris challenges us to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ by protecting both our and their purity, and by not pursuing romantic relationships, contact or activities until God has prepared us and has given us the person He would have us be with. No, he doesn't advocate becoming a hermit. On the contrary, his approach teaches us to cultivate deeper (100% Godly) relationships with members of the opposite sex, carried out only in group settings, so "that nothing need be hidden." I've now got a "passion for purity" in relationships and life in general! While we can never completely eliminate sin, we are either progressing toward or away from purity. Previously, I had been stepping away too often. It also lays out a Godly path for dealing with tough situations in relationships. And it concludes with a helpful section on how to move toward marriage with a potential spouse in a Godly-fashion when God has ordained the "when" and the "who"! Rather than being an "obligation" to wait to date, Harris presents it in a way that makes me feel priveleged to serve God (and myself and His Children) in this way. Harris also includes many good references for further reading. I'm reading one of those books now, called "The Rich Single Life" by C.J. Mahaney. It's also outstanding. I guarantee you've never read a book on relationships like this. As Harris says, "this is not a "how to date" book but a "how to break up with dating book!"" It's impossible to say too many good things about this book. I've learned the importance of preparation, service, humility, contentedness, prayer, purity, love, gentleness, self-control, patience, knowledge, tenderness, compassion, vision, listening, and so much else. I'm literally on-line right now buying a case of this book to give away to friends & family. I would strongly encourage anyone, whether in a relationship or not, Christian or not, to get this book and STUDY it immediately. It will change your life, too!
Rating:
Summary: Quite a challenge, but well worth it!
Review: I am 25 years old, and I have dated since I was 16, moving from boyfriend to boyfriend as soon as possible. I always felt lonely if I didn't have someone to hold hands with, kiss, snuggle with, etc. But every one of my nine relationships ended in someone getting hurt because one of us was not ready to make the big commitment. I also ended up having intimate relations, as it is very difficult to say no when you are in a relationship for a long time. (I know of only a handful of 20+ people who have accomplished this.) After ending my most recent relationship, this book looked very appealling. I read it and I was all set to give up dating. Now that my hurt and anger have diminished, the books advice gets hard to follow, especially being the holidays...however... I have never been so happy with the direction my life is taking, and it's getting easier every day. For anyone reading this review, please take heart and give this way of living a chance. The bad reviews sound like they are coming from people who do not have the conviction or will power to give up intimacy. You will meet many, many men/women like this, and they make it very hard to stick to your guns. And others make it sound like living like this makes it impossible to meet people - not true! You meet people of the same sex and become freinds, don't you? Just treat the opposite sex the same way while you are getting to know them! (Very hard, but not impossible!) And just let me say - for those who think that Joshua Harris did not have enough experience or was old enough to know what he was talking about, I believe it is God's message, through Josh, we are hearing when we read I Kissed Dating Goodbye. Please give it a chance - you will not regret it! I've gotten so many rewards already.
Rating: 
Summary: Good but not great
Review: Joshua Harris did a wonderful job with this book, but I don't really think i will follow it. He did a great job in saying that we need to date when we are looking for the "right one", but yet it seems pretty hard. I know we have to put everything in God's hands because he is the one thats in-charge. He knows whats best for us, but i'm still young and i'm not ready to settle down so I still believe in dating but just not to the extreme.
Rating:
Summary: Am I agree with Josh?
Review: The answer is yes. And I'm completely recommend this book to everybody who just started to feel something to the other sex. And I have to say (from experince), that everything in the book is right, I only regret that I couldn't read this book earlier.
Rating: 
Summary: Yeah, even he later admits he took things a bit far.....
Review: Joshua Harris took things a bit far. He even goes on to admit this in his later books, written after he got married. Not a "bad" book, but one that can send people to a far side of the spectrum that Christ did not necessarily intend for us. (This is coming from a guy who is 22 and hasn't kissed a girl in two years purposefully and thinks courtship is fine, but is no more biblical than dating. The intentions in relationships, the clear expression of those intentions, and the following of behavior in line with those intentions (assuming they are godly intentions) are what is important. So guard your heart, but don't lock it in a box and hide it from the world.
Rating: 
Summary: Just another way of dating
Review: No matter which way you spin it, Mr. Harris' idea of courting is just a more traditional way of dating. Are you interviewing this person for marriage or what? Now, it may not be the "world's way" of doing things, but its still dating nonetheless. Sorry to burst anyone's bubble. Its just a safer, more responsible way to see if the person you are dating is the person you will marry. The ideas and customs purported in this book are biblical and responsible- I'm not making any statement as to his suggestions... I just want to say that courting IS dating. I take real issue with people who suggest that Christians who "date" in the "worldly" sense are somewhat less spiritual then those who "court". I tend more toward a "courtship" view of dating, but lets call it what it is, ok?
Rating:
Summary: High expectations
Review: What you're trying to do relationship-wise, is extremely difficult and can be painful. At least it has been for me, and in the past two years, never had any success with waiting for the right person to come along. I've kept myself pure. The ones who come along are always the ones who are searching, and they are usually searching with wrong motives. I always believed that a true relationship exists beyond physical desire and through friendship, a sort of divine love which is selfless, and I think is pretty unrealisitic right now based on how selfish people are. I've gone through this approach, but what I've learned is how both men and women work by animal instincts. Relationships exist in 4 aspects, which is physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. But nothing can begin or last without intamacy. The underlying intinctive motive for men and women to be in a relationship is the need for intimacy (to breed), in the sexual aspect, it is the number one reason why people get married. What I've tried to do, was build relationships based on the emotional, mental, and spiritual (God in the center). But almost everyone associates love with the physical aspect, instead of aspects that are more meaningful and tie a relationship together. I don't believe in dating, because it creates a false atmosphere. But anyway, I appreciate this book and the message Joshua is trying to get across.
Rating:
Summary: Tough, but Good Advice
Review: Any young person with raging hormones ready to unleash his/her fiery passions will find the advice pretty hard to swallow. I mean, when you're in constant contact (no pun intended) with someone seemingly suitable of the opposite sex (or nowadays even the same sex!), the temptation can be pretty overwhelming. This book shows a better and nobler way, what our Hollywood teachers don't tell us. The advice is from someone with a more mature viewpoint, looking at things with a wider and longer-term perspective, in contrast to the living-for-the-moment mentality we're so used to. However, completely forgoing dating and premarital intimacy is simply impossible for some. Not everyone is endowed with strong willpower. What Harris needs to reinforce much more strongly, I feel, since this book is primarily for the Christian audience, is the need for Divine help in this matter. Otherwise it'll be just too tough.
Rating:
Summary: It has helped me
Review: I am a 16 year old girl. The main thing I got from "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" is not to rush friendships or romantic relationships, but let God take care of them. Before reading this book, I thought I was doing very well in the areas of boys and purity because I have never dated. But I when I read it I realized I needed to change my attitude toward relationships. It showed me where I have been selfish - infatuation, flirting, self-pity, jealousy, etc. Some of Josh's ideas are hard to put into practice, but I know I will be so much happier - and more pleasing to God - when I do. IKDG has shown me how to act toward guys (and how not to) and how to keep God the focus of my friendships and my life.
If you feel you're ready for marriage, maybe skip to "Boy Meets Girl". But if you're not, "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" will help you to appreciate God's gift of singelness and please him with your life. This is a challenging book; but if you follow it, I think it will all be worth it.
IKDG may not be for everyone, but I would encourage you to give it a chance.
Rating:
Summary: Smart advice for the very young
Review: Josh Harris has straight ideas when you consider he is writing to the youth. I am only 17, and have just begun to take intrest in members of the oppisite sex. This book was a huge help in keeping me away from petty, shallow, and emotionally scarring relationships, which would have hurt and distracted me from my future goals. I still struggle to follow his guidelines, but it is a fabulous challenge he has presented here.
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