True Love in a World of False Hope: Sex, Romance, & Real People

Rating:
Summary: A great book on relationships
Review: I've read a wide variety of books on dating, sexuality for the unmarried, and so on, and this is my all-time favorite. One of the things I love about this book is that the author is balanced. She believes that sexual intercourse should be saved for marriage, yet still avoids the trap of making any hormones, etc. seem bad and wrong for the unmarried. She also looks at relationship patterns that can be helpful or harmful. I found that she discussed several issues that most authors ignore; I appreciated this a great deal. While she hit honestly and openly on many of the main sexuality issues that most Christian authors discuss (boundary lines for physical affection, keeping your relationship Christ-centered, etc.) she went beyond them. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone seeking to gain insight on how to make good decisions about romantic relationships.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Springboard
Review: Like any other book that attempts to make generalized rules about what things should and should not be a part of your romantic relationship, you obviously have to decide for yourself whether each of the "rules" is something that makes sense in your relationship. That said, this book is a good springboard for promoting communication between you and the person you're dating on setting physical boundaries, figuring out what things need to be worked on in your relationship, and how to go about increasing healthy intimacy.

Rating:
Summary: Offers great advice for those struggling with the world
Review: My now wife and I picked this book up at a Intervarsity conference shortly after being referred to it and after reading 'Passion and Puirty' by Elizabeth Elliot. I was a bit apprehensive considering that I tend to shy away from those types of books and I thought 'Passion and Purity' was *really* heavy handed. Basically, Elliot's plan is appropriate for her generation, but Castleman offers a method of approaching dating and romance from a distinctly 90's perspective. It was encouraging to read it and realize that we're not alone in some of the glories and problems of modern dating. I'd recommend it to anyone!

Rating:
Summary: Offers great advice for those struggling with the world
Review: This book has been passed around among so many friends... and with good reason. This is great for those who are in relationships and for those who will be in one in the future. This book offers examples and boundaries that many of us don't know how to talk about or define. Definately a good book to read as we start to prepare ourselves for the romance world... while "keeping your eye on Jesus."

Rating:
Summary: Best Book on Dating Relationships
Review: This is, by far, the best book on Christian dating - yes, even better then Elizabeth Elliot's "Passion and Purity". Mrs. Castleman delivers straight-up on what is right and wrong in dating and why it is so. Also included are specific stories of people that messed up and what they did wrong, drawn from her years as a councilor and an InterVarsity staff worker. A must if you ever plan on having a dating relationship.