Steve Harvey

From http://www.amazon.com/Act-Like-Lady-Think-Relationships/product-reviews/0061728977/ref=cm_cr_pr_link_7?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&filterBy=addOneStar&pageNumber=7



This book is not for christian women., April 17, 2009
By soliloquy - See all my reviews

Just my two cents.

In my opinion, it matters that he is a comedian because we have to understand the "heart" behind his book and his occupation as a comedian lends us to the reasonable conclusion that the book is as much for entertainment as it is for actual wisdom.

In my opinion, most self-help books are better left on the shelf. If a christian woman needs a self help book, read your bible. That is the ONLY instruction manual on being a good woman or wife that a christian woman needs period. It will tell you how to please God, what to look for in a husband, what to look for in a wife, and the responsiblities of both parties. At the very least if you just have to have a self-help book find one that applies christian standards. Relationships have not failed because God's word is false! Relationships have failed because the parties involved have not followed God's Word as he has set forth.

If you are not a christian, then you are not worried about holding youself to christian standards and so I could not blame a person who claims not to have an affiliation with Christ for reading this book and promoting it more than they promote Proverbs 31.

However, I think it is very questionable for a christian woman to promote this book. We need to be careful of the things we promote so as not to lead someone astray.

Harvey begins his book with "The Mind-Set of a Man."

"No matter if a man is a CEO, a CON, or both, everything he does is filtered through his title (who he is), how he gets that title (what he does), and the reward he gets for that title (how much he makes)."

These things focus on earthly things and should not be the basis of what drives a Christian man. This is certainly not the mindset of my spouse as he puts Christ before his "title" and his family before his ego. This was so even before we married. Again, if you are not a christian, my post is not for you. I'm not judging you and it is not my goal to try and force someone who is not a Christian to "act" like a christian.

I realize that Steve is not speaking in biblical terms however, the very nature of his book and the fact that so many have flocked to it speaks of our fallen wicked reality.

The entire book is satirical in nature and the wisdom in the book does not call men and women to better relationships. They are just commentary which degrade relationships and sex to games and sport.

I also felt like, in the why men do what they do section of the book, that in regards to men it was simplistic and mildly offensive.

It appears the book sees men simply as counterparts to the complex woman. From this excerpt, men can be reduced to primal, sexual creatures:

-a man always wants something. Always. And when it comes to women, [his] plan is always to find out two things: (1) if you're willing to sleep with him, and (2) if you are, how much [relationally/emotionally] it will cost to get you to sleep with him.

I am more comfortable in taking advice from a man who I discern is a man after God's own heart and I urge people to follow after God instead of breaking His commandments to us.

Now, In the "Playbook" (which is the last section of the book), he encourages women to have standards, be forthright with family situations (e.g., if they have kids), be concerned with the maturity and not solely the physical attractiveness of a man, and to be vulnerable. I belive this is true. However, I have issues with how he expresses his ideas, especially his suggestion that sex is and should be a natural part of a dating relationship. Still, out of the entire book, I would consider this the strongest section.

In short, for christians, the devil is always on the job. He uses people unbeknowst to them to do their bad work. He takes a grain of truth and dresses it up in a lie and sells it as if it is the whole truth.

Proverbs 14:12 - There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

The fact that it has an ounce of truth (in this book or any other thing in life) cloaked in a lie does not make it the truth. Think of all the women who have broken hearts right now who cannot find a man because of their attitude or because of their choice in men. Instead of turning to God and his Word they turn to Steve Harvey thinking they have found a book that will help them solve their relationship woes. The advice is not sound and not spiritually helpful.

Again, this is for my brothers and sisters in Christ. I just want you to be aware!

Okay, that was more like 1.00 not 2 cents. Sorry for the length of this review