Rating: 
Summary: Cad or Latent?
Review: To me, a cad is someone like a James Hewitt, Barry Lyndon, or Rhett Butler: a sophisticated and charismatic devil who uses his charm to exploit women romantically, often callously ruining her reputation and breaking her heart in the process.
Cad is not exactly how I would describe a balding, myopic, asthmatic, *Canadian* mama's boy who smugly admits never to have buttered his own toast until he left home. He is so allergy ridden that he is obviously 'mouth breathing' during his dust jacket photo, which is so perplexingly unflattering that I wonder if it had to be intentional as some sort of strange, nerd power statement. Or maybe he's attempting to make the reader mentally associate him with Woody Allen.This memoir chronicles Marin's single years after an ill conceived, disastrous early first marriage. Doing his best to social climb and advance his literary career in New York, he gleefully exploits a common mistake many women make, that if they're not superficial for once and give the nerdy, intellectual, non-alpha a chance/mercy lay, that the man will be overwhelmed with gratitude and whipped, someone that will fall gratefully in love with them, or at least treat them to breakfast in the morning. Imagine their outrage and fury when they're humiliated, used, and dumped by the nerd! And Marin is no gentleman; he tires of a one particular one night stand so quickly that he throws her out of his apartment before dawn. Somehow I couldn't feel too sorry for the women, though, since they set themselves up for the treatment and many seemed just as out to use Marin as Marin was out to use them. I also have to admit that Marin is a clever, talented writer and I did find myself entertained, if not deeply involved or committed to any of the characters. I don't think any Cosmo gal desperate for answers is going to gain too much insight into the mind of a typical man, but if anything, it should make them be more wary and have more respect for themselves than to jump in the sack on the first date and then be hurt when nothing comes out of it. Back to The Rules, girls! One other thing I have to comment on, Marin cares and comments WAY too much on women's clothing, grooming, and the decorating of his apartment for a straight man. There are several other times in the book when I question his sexuality, like when he is proud that he coined the term "buttery chunks" to describe Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's hair color. What heterosexual man would even think that way?
Rating: 
Summary: honest and hysterical
Review: To prarphrase one of the gems in this book: She said I wanted to be alone. Men do not want to be alone. They want to be with other women. When they are with other women, then they want to be alone." In short, men don't knw what they want, but they are sure it's better than what they have got. Rick chronicles his life post-divorce from Elisabeth, his wife of 3 years while living in DC. Rick is now a freelance writer in NYC, and he uses his brief marriage as "material" to woo potential girlfriends and bimbos. He says his relationship trajectory is "girlfriend-bim-girlfriend-bim." So he isn't a noble knight -- he never says he is! He is genuine and funny, and most of his dates are set up by Viv, an editor at Mademoiselle (the now-defunct women's fashion mag for which Rick freelanced.) Viv is tough and flirtatious, and she is like a one-woman yente for Rick. Some relationships are good, some are one-drink stands, as he calls them. All will make you laugh, even if you recognize yourself in some of his dates!
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