Rating: 
Summary: A Life-Saver
Review: I am so glad that this book exists! I can honestly say that it has saved my life romantically and don't know where I would be without it. Before I'd read it I sort of followed the initial guidelines (eg, I never asked a man out or made the first move) but would always break the rules later on (eg, accepting last minute dates, opening up and being very available). In the long run I always got hurt then someone told me that I needed help on how to keep a man interested and avoid getting hurt. Although I do believe the book and that the rules work I try not to take it too seriously. Most women should do the rules sub-consciously as if it is real to them. It really is about building your self-confidence and esteem so that men will want to be with you. The book is not for everyone but I know that I needed it and since I've read it my relationships with men who I have liked have been so much better and more fulfilling as I have become a much more confident person and know that I will not put up with a man who treats me badly. The book is a must for women have struggled like I have with self confidence and esteem. It will help you to believe in yourself and have a lot more self respect. If you are naturally a confident and happy person maybe this book is not a necessity for you. It does not guarantee that every man will love you but it does guarantee that you will not get hurt.
Rating: 
Summary: This can only damage you-- if you're not the 'right' type.
Review: The Rules is a really self-destructive book for some... and a savior for others. It taught me how to handle myself in a way those other books couldn't. I'm not emotional, and it takes years for me to get attached to anyone, even friends. This book taught me how to use my 'coolness' to my advantage. HOWEVER, this book is not for everyone. Some people are very emotionally warm, and need closeness and togetherness in a way I don't understand. The Rules, if followed, could only hurt them, especially in the long run.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book for Meeting the Wrong Guy
Review: I never read this book. I came across it while doing a search on DejaNews for "return phone call". I wanted to see if other guys have the same problem I do; women never return my phone calls, even after saying they want me to call them or go out again. If they don't return my phone call, I move on, because I assume they are not interested. I guess today I learned my lesson that women just play hard to get, and I am saddened at all the good ones I lost because they acted uninterested after they had gone through the trouble of giving me their number and asking for mine. Wait, there was one girl who I did go out with, because when I called her the second time she was home. But I later gave up on her because she was always too busy. This book tells women to not return phone calls and to always claim to be busy and play hard to get. This probably works great if you are trying to meet a guy who plays the field, but not if you are trying to meet a nice, sincere guy.
Rating:
Summary: The Rules -- What your momma told you but you didn't listen
Review: Sisters! Don't sleep on 'The Rules' Ms. Fein and Ms. Schneider have written a simple, easy to read guide on the truth about relationships. I am a Generation X feminist/womanist to the core and I agree with the authors. Times have changed -- men have NOT. This book is more than just a guide on how to find a fulfulling relationship. It is a guide on how to have a life and your own identity and not get caught up in the identity of a man. I am an African-American woman who until I started following the Rules unconsciously, had average relationships that were not interested in committment. I spent a good amount of time waiting on my college sweetheart only to find out that this wasn't my life partner (momma told me so -- she knew the rules). Now I am back in the dating pool being treated like the queen I am and not worried about finding a mate. Respect is not just something Aretha Franklin sang about -- it's what's waiting for you after you read this book. The Rules have helped me 1. Weed out 'players' -- those not interested in the long-term and who are only interested in temporary satisfaction. 2. Set boundaries on what is acceptable behavior when been sought after for a date 3. Keep my mouth shut about all of my personal life until I get to truly know this person 4. Rediscover my self worth and what I have to offer to not only a mate, but the world Men and some women might argue, "be spontaneous and open" -- this advice is quite simply put, bulls***. For example, one chapter warns against accepting last-minute dates and for good reason. The man may be attached or just interested in casual relations. PROOF: I 'bumped' into a handsome, well-to-do man every month at a poetry reading for 4 months straight who ALWAYS asked me out afterward or the next day. After ALWAYS refusing, he asked me out again and finally I asked why did he always wait until the last minute. He told me that the reason he didn't call me is because he was still in the process of 'breaking things off' with his girlfriend of 4 years. I was saved the heartache and wasted time of being the 'rebound' girl. Meanwhile, some of my friends (especially male) would tell me "go out with him. he's got money education, a nice car and home. You're crazy to pass him up". Please! It's about respect and getting the relationship you deserve. One friend told me about this book and my momma has been trying to tell all along. Follow the rules. It will only help, not hurt. Book 2 is even better covering specific issues and situations. There is even a chapter for same sex relationships and mature women.
Rating:
Summary: The rules are not a game--they are about self-respect.
Review: Those that think this book is about playing games are wrong. Once you have read the rules you realize that it is about having a life! Women love to give to men, but usually give too much and then end up feeling taken advantage of. I had a boyfriend that I didn't use the rules on--ya he wanted to marry me, but I was always paying for things, driving to see him, and giving up things for him. He expected me to do more work because I was willing to. I didn't feel deserving of this treatment. I am a model, have a college degree, a great family, and always treat my guy like a king--and I couldn't understand why other girls always had loving boyfriends when I didn't. You can do the rules and be yourself. It's not about that. The rules just limit the time you give a guy that's not willing to give you the respect to plan his weekend in advance with you in it. Or paying for a check to appreciate the love, energy, time, and respect that you give him. You deserve this stuff girls! The rules weed out the guys that will treat you like crap!! Why should you be calling him if he's not calling you!! You are not desperate. The rules teach you to wait for the guy who is crazy about you. The guy who hand-picked you and feels extremely lucky to have you. Yes be yourself--don't change your personallity, show your appreciation for what he does for you, but realize that women are in demand! You never have to put up with a guy who does not treat you well, because he does not deserve the wonderful things that you have to offer. The rules rock!! Read it--you won't be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: "the rules" rules!
Review: i wish i knew about the rules a long time ago. men have always become tired of me and lost interest too soon, and i thought it was my looks (guys have told me i'm ugly a lot) or something and took it personally. but now after reading it several times, i see where i went wrong because i didn't know about the rules and broke all of them. the rules also shows how to get men to appreciate me more and not get taken for granted. i am too much of a 'nice girl'. when a friend told me that men take 'nice girls' for granted, i decided to buy the rules. i keep refering to this book as a bible and i would also strongly recommend "the rules II". it covers some issues not in the first book and reinforces and further explains some of the rules already in the first book. the rules may not be for everyone, but if men always dump you, or use you only for sex without offering a relationship, you must read this book!
Rating: 
Summary: Effective, but relationships should NEVER be this much work.
Review: As I man, I read the book at Barnes & Noble after watching "Politcally Correct" Monday night. Let me say this, yes, if a woman follows ALL the RULES, then she will trick some unlucky guy into thinking that she is a DIFFERENT person then who she is, and he will want to marry her. On this being a pure "how-to" book for marriage, I would give it 5 stars. But I give it 1 star for a book on how to live your life. Relationships should never be this much work. It's not supposed to be hard. It's supposed to be enjoyable. Believe me girls, (ladies or women) this is NOT enjoyable for the man. When and if "The Man" ever finds out that you, ("the woman") used "The Rules" to catch him, and marry him, he's likely to be very hurt, angry, and resentful. He might even want out of the marriage. Now if you don't care about a man's feelings, and your goal, (marriage) is the only thing that is important, then buy this book, and stick to "The Rules." But if you want a marriage based on mutual respect and equality, avoid this book like the plague, and spare a man's soul on this earth, so he can find a woman that really cares about him, who he is as a person, and NOT what he DOES for a woman.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing New Here - Let's see a "Southern" viewpoint
Review: Have you seen what these women look like? Have you heard them talk? They have been on Oprah and they have been on every other talk show. They are smart. They took two totally well known understood methods: The Jewish-American-Princess-from-New-Jersey approach and the New York-Long-Island-Catholic-Girl approach to manipulating ignorant men into marriage. I should know. I dated two or three of them in college. Back then, we called them women going to college and getting their M.R.S degree. I am from the South. I went to college in the South. There were many of these types of women there from New Jersey and New York. They had come to college here because it was so much cheaper. I soon realized that these types of women were landing only one type of man: The Northern ignorant type that could easily be manipulated into a relationship. Even still, living in a guy's dorm, I got to see "both sides" of the "rules." Well, while the "rules-oriented" girlfriend was out on their tirade playing one of their games, the guy was having a one-night-stand at a frat party behind their back. I guess that helped the guy's stress levels resulting from playing the "rules game." I wonder how these marriages based on the rules turn out? What is the divorce rate? When you have children, will there be a book on how to manipulate your child into submission? Hey, if we are going play mind games in our emotional lives, lets be consistent. Hey, I can see it now. An entire "Rules" library for everything! A total saturation similar to that of the "Chicken Soup" books. What are they up to now - "Chicken Soup for the Harley-Davidson Rider?" I am writing this as a married man. A man who was "tricked" as the authors would say, into marriage at age 23. A very unusual age to get married. The funny thing is my wife must have followed a different set of rules because if she had played these rules, we would have never lasted into the second month of dating, let alone marriage. As I looked at this "flavor-of-the-month" how-to guide for solving every love problem, I thought to myself, "just how did Kristie trick me into marrying her?" Well, for starters, she was a very naturally beautiful woman who opened up to me and allowed me to open up to her. Open-ness and honesty have only BS, deception, and manipulation as enemies. We relished in what we had in common and enjoyed debating what we did not have in common. If any stumbling blocks came, we confronted them head-on. But she did have a set of "rules", as some would call it. She did possibly play a game with me. She reassured me of my good qualities, fed my ego, and never used my insecurities against me. When I would make dangerous career moves that angered every other person in my life, she supported me. When we were engaged and I was in financial trouble, she would lend me money and counter my pride with love and reassurance. She is a typical old-fashioned Southern Belle who understands that for the most part, men need validation, they have egos that occasionally need to be fed. They know men are just as insecure as women but in different ways. They know the truth - that men ARE the weaker sex and if you really wanted to manipulate and control a man, you only have to zero in on two areas: Food and Sex. That is the real irony in this book - a complicated scheme to control a man just because these women (like many) are either too afraid that admitting to the Food/Sex logic would undermine Women's Liberation movement (which, in actuality would move it forward) or they were raised in a way that has made them too repressed in these areas to even see this logic. Because my wife made the effort to "push my positive buttons" and I like to think I am a decent caring man, I set out to reciprocate the love and respect as much as possible. I only hope I continue to do this. What keeps me ion my toes and the undying love and respect my wife gives me. If the premise of your relationship is a "game" then you are playing on dangerous emotional ground. In this day in age of mental and psychological instability, this book only adds fuel to the fire. Heaven forbid if the "game" extends into marriage - especially if children become involved. Love and Marriage is what you make of it - just like life. If you make it a game and are willing to play it, you are playing Russian Roulette with your heart. I wish someone from the South who shares my wife's approach to landing a man would publish a counter-attack book. In the end, both men and women will be happy and share love and respect. Ladies, if you want to achieve the goal that is expressed in this book: To have a man be willing to commit his life to you and follow through forever, what my wife did with me is what you have to do with most men. Every other "happily" married man I know agrees with me. If you want a very safe temporary relationship that is destined to fail - whether it is 6 months down the road, 2 years down the road, or 5 years down the road, this book is for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost as good as the Rules for Getting Laid!
Review: I just bought another counter part to this title called The Rules For Getting Laid. It has the same format, the same impactful information, and the same sense of styles as these ladies, but much more over the top and much more to the point. To me the biggest downfall fo the whole Rules Girl model is that it doens't offer a very good analysis of what MEN want, rather more of an idealized female fantasy. Furthermore, the percision of the rules and the rigid interpretation leaves little space for the reader to "go with the flow" or simply see where a relationship is going. Once again let me contrast this with the Rules For Getting Laid. The authors are teaching men how to charm a woman, how to get her in bed, and how to fulfill their fantasies just as this book teaches wome to do the same.
Rating:
Summary: This book has changed my life!
Review: I don't know how to describe it, but even after reading the book over 10 times I still feel a surge of power. Ok, I admit, I don't follow the rules 100% of the time, but let me assure you that when I don't, I end up regretting it. I found that men LOVE and RESPECT girls who follow the rules. I don't think anyone should be shooting this book down, especially if they haven't even tried it out. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because I still haven't nabbed the guy of my dreams...yet. Who knows what may happen tomorro?
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