Dateable: Are You? Are They?

Rating:
Summary: A must-read for every teenager!
Review: "Dateable" has to be one of the best books I've read in awhile. In fact, I wish I'd read it a few months ago when I was going through a tough time with a guy. But the facts in this book have made me realize the mistakes I made and how I should feel about the mistakes he made.

This funny yet truthful book is blunt and to-the-point, no matter how much it hurts. It explains exactly how guys' and girls' minds work, and now I know that I haven't been judging teenage guys too harshly--they really are as perverted as I thought! Justin Lookadoo and Hayley DiMarco explain that any guy, even if he is a Christian, is going to be a guy first. There are also fun quizzes and doodles throughout the book.

I think this is a great book for any teenager. My outlook on so many things has changed now. One thing the authors suggested was, when you're with a guy, imagine that someone is taking pictures of what you're doing, and then showing them to your parents, pastor, grandma, etc. How would you feel about what you were doing? This made me realize that some things, even though they seem right, must be saved for marriage.

I also like that the book isn't one-sided and doesn't force opinions on people. It said things like "kissing, hugging, and holding hands while dating is okay. But if you believe that kissing is wrong, then don't do it." It also said a lot of truths about girls--like the fact that girls like bad boys, but they'll just hurt them in the end, so nice guys should take on the adventuresome traits that bad boys have, but not the jerky traits.

I don't agree with "Spiderfriend" and "a reader" (who wrote a review on July 17, 2004), who don't like the idea of the authors portraying guys as pansies. The thing is, readers, most guys these days are wimps who expect the girls to do all the work. I think this book encourages guys to not be like that. Maybe the fact that guys should be the leaders in relationships is old-fashioned, but it is the way God intended relationships to be.

Rating:
Summary: Recommended to all teenagers!
Review: "Dateable" immediately caught my attention when I first saw it at a bookstore. When I read through this Christian book, I found it very helpful, truthful, and funny. A little hurtful, but hey, sometimes the truth hurts.

Justin Lookadoo and Hayley Morgan gives the readers an inside scoop on what our opposite sex does not want us to know. They tell us what both guys think and what girls think.

Personally, I thought each page in this book was very creative. The authors put in quizzes, little drawings, and comments on the side of the page. They point out how the way things begin will the way things will end.

This book offers many steps on what one should take when they enter a relationship. Girls, don't get hooked by the bait that your guy throws to every girl. Hold out and hold on. Guys, stay consistent, control what you say, and be powerful.

I strongly suggest reading this book, the authors gives personal examples that the readers might relate to. Check it out!

Rating:
Summary: Follow the advice in "Dateable"...
Review: ...And look forward to a lonely dating life (outside of your uber-'Christian' church, that is).

As a student and a historian, I tend to look at all the pieces of the book before I begin - not just the back cover, but the publisher (Revell, hopefully regretting this now), chapter titles, and author bios, for example, to give me an idea of what I'm in for. Another reviewer was absolutely right - the chapter titles are rather off-putting. ("Boys will be Boys" "Girls, Shut Up" "Guys, Be a Man" "If What You're Showing Ain't On the Menu Keep It Covered Up" are among the most insidious.) However, I also took a moment to read the bios of the authors, also at the beginning. Turns out Mr. Lookadoo was a 5-year Juvenile Probation Officer - a noble profession, indeed - but unfortunately, judging by the way he portrays young men in the book, he really let his experiences with the worst kids turn into generalizations of ALL young males. Teenage boys are shifty, shady, all about sex, and totally untrustworthy... and if you've ever know a kid to go to the Juvenile Delinquent's (as I have known a few myself) then those adjectives might sound familiar.

And that's just Justin Lookadoo's part. JUST his part? Oh yeah, the entire BOOK seems to be written about from his perspective! Wait, fan, you refer me to that weak line in the bio that says Hayley Morgan is the "sensible voice in the mix"? (Yeah, well, I don't know how sensible she can be if she's been messing with the Bible to make it more palatable and - ahem, MARKETABLE, dear Christian friends - to teens in the eXtreme Bible Series!) Anyway, unless she's "amen-ing" everything Lookadoo says, or coming up with her own nonsense that is so reflective of those "reading Paul out-of-context" Bible-roles, the entire work seems to have almost no female voice and says little more than the chapter titles reveal... Ladies, shut up; Men, "Be a Man" and subsequently take on an outdated idea of masculinity that will make you crazy (See "Real Boys") in middle-age (and most likely divorced). And just like that last directive, there's little for women in this book. Wholly and completely, VEHEMENTLY pass this one up.

PS. Stylistically, the book's pages are COVERED in what the authors probably thought were cute doodles and underlinings, but in the end come off as something out of a seventh-grader's study hall notebook. (Yes... Justin and Hayley thought the book would be more readable if their writing was all over it, sometimes marring the text in such a way that it is difficult to read!) If you can't even use a used textbook because you hate the previous owner's notes, you'll HATE this.

Rating:
Summary: A MUST Read for anyone of dating years
Review: A fantastic book about the realities of dating. A must read for any and all teenagers (not bad for a dating adult either). Sound advice written in an very enjoyable easy to read format. Give it to every teenager in your life.

Rating:
Summary: CRAP
Review: Another cash in by Baptists to pray on the insicurities of "on fire" christians, the worst people on this earth. Book is crap and a bad influence on youth. Most guys arent solely sex driven, and most women arent sluts.

Rating:
Summary: A MUST for all teens!
Review: DATEABLE: ARE YOU? ARE THEY? by Justin Lookadoo and Hayley Morgan is an excellent book for teens who are just beginning or already in the midst of the dating game. The authors, nationally acclaimed for their understanding and relating with kids, write this book from years of experience in the field. Lookadoo is a juvenile probation officer and Morgan launched The Hungry Planet teen think tank, reaching out to thousands of teens across America. The male/female author pair tell teens in plain language how to deal with their passions and turn them toward developing themselves into the most they as individuals can become, living up to their full potentials and achieving their highest dreams. The authors not only warn of the pitfalls of young dating relationships, but they also speak plainly about how both girls and guys can avoid the inherent traps in our culture which can destroy their lives. The authors address young readers in their own "teen" language and call a spade a spade about what happens in the dating relationships, how the guys really think, how the girls really think, and what they can do to understand and protect themselves for a long and happy future instead of destroying it and all around them in one hasty, passionate moment, whether it be drugs, sex, or some other fool-hearty experiment. This book is a MUST for all teens, and a valuable tool into understanding and loving themselves through the most difficult period of their lives

Rating:
Summary: a must read
Review: Dateable: Are You? Are They? Is the best book on the subject of dating that I have read. Instead of telling you not to do something, this book tells you not to do something and then TELLS YOU WHY. The majority of Christian books and to some extent even secular teen magazines tell you not to do something and never tell you why. I guess they assume you are stupid or don't want you to know. This book is blunt, honest, and very factual. Much of Hayley's insight into the female mind was dead on. And many of my guy friends have told me a few of the things that Justin talks about from the male perspective. This book comes off as being mildly offensive. It tells guys to be a man and tells girls to be modest. It exposes both female and male behavior to the reader. And the way they do this comes across as very offensive. But much of what was said in here is true. If you don't believe me, I can give you the numbers to some of my guy friends and you can ask them. None of them has read this book. As for the girls, I am one and, sadly, have been known to do some of the things that Hayley talks about. If you want a sugarcoated book that tells you not to date at all, I suggest anything by Josh Harris. If you want to be sugarcoated even more, I suggest reading anything else on the market, Christian or not. This book will probably continue to get numerous negative reviews from readers for its seemingly "outdated" approach to dating and marriage. If you want to date the "modern" way, fine. As for the content of this book, I really liked it. It has quizzes, doodles and Shel Silverstein like illustrations throughout. Parts of the book are highlighted and underlined. The book starts out by explaining how the average teen (we college students are no better) spends all their quality time chasing after members of the opposite sex and puts aside their "passions" (hobbies, interests) in life by trying to make someone like them. Then the authors make you think about all that you've lost by doing this. Next up is a rough explanation of what goes through both the female and male mind when they are in a relationship. It talks about how guys think and how girls think. Lookadoo and Morgan go on to talk about how much you put in a relationship equals how much it will hurt when it is over. Most of the remaining book divides up between the two authors as they talk to guys and girls individually throughout the pages. It ends with what you need to be willing to do for certain things. Unlike most other books on this subject matter, Lookadoo and Morgan have the attitude of "listen to what we have to say or not" the mentality here is not one of "you're going to rot in hell if you don't do this" as is the case with many other Christian books, but instead they simply tell you how it is and let you decide. This is by far the best book on the market. I also recommend the follow-up: The Dateable Rules by the same authors. It IS mildly offensive. I will warn you of that. Read it with a level head and don't get all offended by what they have to say. I don't find their dating method outdated at all. I've seen how the old fashioned way still works the best. So read it.

Rating:
Summary: HORNDOGS OWNERS MANUAL !! GREAT BOOK!!
Review: I am SO glad my daughter got this book when she did. This book is NOT one sided it just tells the truth about boys. If a girl does not appreciate this priceless advice she probably has already had several sexual relationships. Society is pretty much telling girls to become sluts to be accepted. This book explains horndog behavior in detail. There are consequences to having sex and girls need to know this. HE WILL TELL HIS FRIENDS. HE WILL MOVE ON. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FEEL WHEN HE IS DOING THIS WITH SOMEONE ELSE? SEX FOR TEEN BOYS IS JUST A GAME. The best advice is to be the one who got away. Guys move on and forget your name. LIKE IT OR NOT ITS THE TRUTH! Boys will not enjoy this book however. Thank you Justin and Hayley for writing this book.

Rating:
Summary: The truth can hurt
Review: I had to physically stop myself from reading this book in the store. When I FINALLY got home with it, I read it straight through in a matter of a few hours! There might have been a few parts I found offensive, but I then recognized the only reason the statements offended me was because they were true! Girls do lie to themselves, guys do lie to girls, guys should be dominant, and girls do need to shutup! Sorry if this book stepped on your toes, and no offense intended...but maybe your toes needed to be stepped on. There are exceptions to every fact, but in general, these facts apply to a LOT of people. I loaned my book out within a matter of days, and I already want it back so I can read it again. I whole-heartedly support and recomend this book.

Rating:
Summary: This book is TRASH written by fanatics!
Review: I have never been so offended by a book. Even worse is Justin Lookadoo's website. This book assumes that all boys want one thing and will do anything to get it, and that all girls are either good little religious freaks or hookers on the street. Just reading the chapter titles alone should make you put this book right back on the shelf. Don't waste one second reading this garbage... As for the copy I have, it's made good kindling for our fireplace.