Act Like a Gentleman, Think Like a Woman: A Woman's Response to Steve Harvey's Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man

by Maria Bustillos

Writing in response to Steve Harvey's Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man , author Maria Bustillos reveals the secrets of women in order that men, too, can get what they want from women--which is to get them into bed. An absurdist meditation on the battle of the sexes--and required reading for would-be Lotharios, as well as parents of teenage girls--from the author of the Macho of the Dork .

Genres: Relationships, Nonfiction, Romance

166 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

Just some chick.

Reviews

[Christy Stewart · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'll begin with saying this book’s biggest problem is that the author meant for it to be funny, and it wasn't. Bustillos tries to be blunt and cheeky but it all just falls flat. What is personally offensive (as I personify all of women kind) is that the book perpetuates the image of women as Cosmo-reading Sex In The City-watching stereotypes. Steve Harvey's book may have shown men as a stereotype of retarded bipedal creatures with perpetual boners, but that doesn't mean the response is to denigrate women.

The advice the book gives is more of a joke than the author could have hoped for in any of her attempts at humor. Half the book encourages men to go after the hot dumb chicks with low self-esteem, because you can tap them easily. I'm not arguing that point, but there should have been the footnote of 'If you get to them before a polygamist cult does'. Any guy who is sad enough to need this book and it’s no-shit sherlock wisdom wont be able to use it. This thing might as be a pamphlet that says ‘Log on to the internet and register for World of Warcraft and make the best you can of your life’.

The book doesn't work as a stand alone guide AT ALL. I understand it is a response to Steve Harvey's Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, but the book consists of mostly "Steve Harvey was all...And then I'm like..." It's a poor attempt at riding the coat tails of a popular book and I might as well title this review "This Book Was Shit: A Better Woman's Response to Maria Bustillos's Act Like a Gentleman, Think Like a Woman: A Woman's Response to Steve Harvey's Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man" and get it published.

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the face of it, this is a book for men about how to get laid. It was written, apparently, as a response to the bestselling Act Like A Lady Think Like A Man by the comedian, Steve Harvey, which is supposed to instruct women in the psychology of men so that they can catch their men and get themselves the Prize (so he says) of marriage. The woman who wrote this book, it seems, thought the scales ought to be balanced on the other side by showing men how to get what they want (so Harvey also says) out of the relationship-bargain, viz., sex. Most of the books on this subject have been written by men. As Ms. Bustillos says, if you want to bag a lion, you shouldn't ask the hunter, you should ask the lion. Set a thief to catch a thief, as they say.

And it certainly is an eye-opener in that respect. Here I thought I had a fair idea about how the female mind worked. Pff! I realize now I knew almost nothing. All those Mars and Venus books, the Light My Fires and How To Pick Up Women, these are mere hen-scratchings on the surface of this universally interesting subject. This book really cuts to the heart. And the secret is extraordinarily simple. Not only simple, but available to every man, even those who might previously have thought themselves severely handicapped in this game. Why, I began to ask myself as I read, has nobody thought to write this book until now?

If I'd read this book when I was 16, I suspect, my life would have taken a whole different course. I know that sounds like a preposterously grandiose claim, and this sounds like an infomercial, but I'm actually not kidding!

Even though it pretends to be written for men, and particularly young men with no real clue about how to conduct their side in the battle of the sexes, this book will surely appeal to a much wider audience. Parents, for example, absolutely have to read this book if they want to guard their teenage daughters. Every teenage daughter needs to be armed with a copy before going forth into the dangerous world of courtship or college. Married men, if they want to stay married. And women of every age, particularly those who have found themselves going round and round in an endless circle of broken relationships, can now find out how to escape from that vicious trap.

In fact, you could give this book to almost anybody as a present. OK, maybe not to under-12s. Just about anyone else. Your 88-year-old grandma will find it hilarious.

You would think, given the subject matter, this would be a rather crass book, wouldn't you? On the contrary, I think the eggheads will like it, too. (Not surprisingly, given the author's other book, Dorkismo: The Macho of the Dork). It is, at heart, a biting social commentary as well as a How To.

In short: ADD TO SHOPPING CART! PROCEED TO CHECKOUT!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Won on first reads. As the world lost a great lady when my wonderful friend, Ramona, just passed away, this review will serve for her. She will be dearly missed and cancer will be cursed for taking her from us so young.


This is an awesome book! I am glad I got to read it. At first, I thought how could you be giving them all this info? How could you be telling them the ways to get them in our good graces enough to get us in bed. Then as I read it, I changed my view. I have been in the place of Patsy very often and there are reasons for it which are not important here. I realized it also helps us to look at men differently and see how we react to them. I have been working on not being Patsy and this book helps me with that even more. This book will be kept and my kids will be reading it when they are old enough! Amazing!!!

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

True story. Really.

I honestly thought that being a girl this book wouldn't be entertaining and I would be appauled by what i read but in fact i found it funny and above all smart.

Truth be told it made me a better wingman for my bros. :)

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this was a fantastic book!! I won the book in the Library Thing Member Giveaway program and was looking forward to reading it. I have yet to read Steve Harvey's book that this book is written in response to. I will be reading Steve Harvey's book soon. Act like a Gentleman, Think like a Woman was a very entertaining read even though I am a woman. I could see myself in some of the descriptions of the different types of woman she talks about. I know I am not a Patsy, the name she gives to the woman that every man wants.

Maria writes that Steve's book is talking about how all women want is to get the ring from the guy. She counters with the fact that all men want is to get laid. I found myself laughing while reading the book, because of the things she revealed about woman and saying how we love to hear how beautiful we are and that it should be all about us. I have to agree and disagree with that. It is great when a guy praises you and flatters you but sometimes it can get very annoying if it is the only thing that they talk about. I realized that when my hubby says things like that, that I do get turned on. It is nice to hear, we sometimes need to be praised to continue to be happy. At least that is what I noticed in myself while reading this book.

I don't know if everything will work in this book for a guy to find that Patsy so that he can get laid. I will say if you find the girl she describes then you should have no problem with getting what you want.

[Monika · Rating 2 out of 5]

-I won this book as a Goodreads First Reads, and I gotta say, it's pretty histerical. I don't know how sound the advice is, but overall, anything that makes men treat women better (hey-we have our ulterior motives sometimes too!) is ok by my book. I think some of the advice is out there, and I know its in response to Steve Harvey's book, but honestly, most women do not fit into the profile they portray in this book....I took it as just a fun, silly read, and it lived up to my expectations!

-this book came in this weekend. going to begin it this week
-still have not received and won this about a month ago
-this looks histerical, won it as a firstreads. cant wait till it comes in!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodreads giveaway win! Not having read the Steve Harvey original, I may have been missing a lot. This was really brief, but had some powerful passages that stuck with me (a woman is programmed to love whatever man loves her the most -hhmmmmm). I never laughed out loud or anything, though.

[Valerie Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was basically useless. Not even an entertaining read. It obviously was written by a woman who was disgruntled with Steve Harvey's book, but she made no point. Just spread her angst. DISlike!

[Ramona]

I won this on first reads.Please check my friend Melissa Murphy's review for this book.

[Michele · Rating 1 out of 5]

interesting point of view,

[Cat]

I cannot wait to compare the two (Steve harvey's book and Maria Bustillos book). This outta be good.

[Renee]

Not digging it so far. The author didn't like Harvey's book, so she wrote one about how to seduce easy, stupid girls? What a waste of paper. I hope this gets better.

[Hussein Suleiman]

I wanna read it but I can't buy it because I don't have way to
please if u can send me hard copy on
hr.ghat@gmail.com

thanks to all