Book Review: The Male Gift Giving Survival Guide

This extraordinary book was recommended to me by a colleague after he visited my new web site, Gift Ideas For Women. The Male Gift Giving Survival Guide compliments my website perfectly, untangling for men the web of gifts for women. It deciphers the components of the complex female psyche to its most logical terms. And no, that's not a misprint...I just used the words "female" and "logical" in the same sentence.

There is but one universal truth about those of the fairer sex: "Women Love Gifts". So, all women love gifts... a guy doesn't have to be a genius to grasp that concept. Or does he? Ask your golf buddy who gave his wife a garden rake for her birthday. "You just had to remind me" he mumbles dropping his head. Make certain that you have lined up another friend for next week's game though...your buddy is going to drop you like a rock. According to the author, women adore gifts that reflect the love of the giver and his explicit understanding of her desires and tastes. As a woman, I must salute this author. His book is the literal lifeboat of women's gift ideas, without which no self-respecting man would ever set sail on the sea of relationships.

The author, Tim Connor, is a seasoned and well-traveled professional speaker who has authored 45 books. He wrote this book based upon the knowledge he gained in his personal mission to discover the keys to female happiness. The result of his quest is this easy-to-read, spiral bound book that men can refer to routinely. Not only does Tim's book disclose the keys to a woman's happiness, it is the genuine tool for unlocking it with an ever-so-easy click.

The book begins with the quote:

"A man who knows what women want rules the world."
- Nick Marshall

This first quote of many accurately reflects the intention of this book. Continual studies concur that the happiest relationships, right or wrong, are those in which the woman is happy and fulfilled. There are some common guidelines in the book that apply to every woman regardless of her individual preferences and needs.

Important chapters include "The 20 Biggest Gift-Giving Mistakes Men Make", "It's not about the money or the number of gifts, or is it?" and two chapters detailing in-depth, women's stories about the worst and best gifts they have ever received. Many of the best gifts, as pointed out in the book, were not the most expensive or glittery. They were often romantic gifts that were well thought out, affordable, considerate and timely.

Many of the collective complaints about gifts from men to women are that the men often don't remember important dates, don't pay attention to the nuances of a woman's life and don't know what she prefers most or cares for the least. The Male Gift Giving Survival Guide covers all three bases. The book features an extensive diary prompting men to record important dates, what makes her happy or feel loved, favorite colors, dress and jewelry sizes, travel destinations, food, restaurants, activities, etc. Guys can fill out this diary as their relationship with a woman progresses and consult it regularly for help choosing the perfect gift. Other diary sections are for tracking any gift given to the woman, her reaction and also a gift log so that the same gift is not given again and again.

Overall, I found this book to be an amusing and accurate portrayal of the importance of gifts in the life of a woman. Every male over the age of twelve who reads and follows this book will certainly reflect the female appreciation of his genius in the smile he wears on his face.