The Man Whisperer by Rick Johnson
Reviewed by Karri Compton
"There are lots of good, if difficult to put into practice, concepts here that are sure to make a difference in marriages."
Rick Johnson is the founder of Better Dads, a fathering skills program designed to inspire and equip men to be more engaged in the lives of their children. You can visit that website here: http://www.betterdads.net. He has written two other books that help moms and dads in their quest to develop godly character in their sons.
Most women don’t understand the subtle power they wield over men. The differences between men and women are myriad, and let’s face it, hard to deal with. Sometimes we just want the opposite sex to act more like us. But that’s the wrong attitude.
In The Man Whisperer, Johnson likens a woman to a horse whisperer. She learns the language of the horse, earns its trust, is tender yet firm, but she doesn’t try to make the horse a human. Instead of trying to get a man to be more like a woman, the author seeks to answer this question: “How can I get a PhD in my man, so that I know how to encourage him to be his personal best self?” Sounds like a lifetime endeavor to me.
With chapters that expound on qualities of good men, traits that hold men back, and how to use influence effectively, women will find much to ponder in this book. In a chapter called “Power Tools for Women,” Johnson lists things like appreciation, forgiveness, respect, and praise as tools that work. And under the heading of those things that don’t work we find (as no surprise): nagging, manipulation, belligerence, and begging.
Many of the concepts found in this book have been dealt with before by people like Stu Weber and Kevin Leman, but instead of just explaining how men are wired, Johnson helps women use their influence positively in their man’s life.
I would recommend this for engaged women, newlyweds, or any woman who wonders how to help make her man be the best he can be. There are lots of good, if difficult to put into practice, concepts here that are sure to make a difference in marriages.
Karri
Compton,
wife and mother of three, devours Christian fiction whenever possible. Her favorite
genre is suspense/thriller, especially Ted Dekker novels. Since promoting biblical
worldview fiction is dear to her heart, she reviews on her blog, Fiction
Fanatics
Only! and is a staff reviewer and interviewer for such sites as The Christian
Suspense Zone. Her latest published work appears in Peculiar People's novel collaboration,
Delivered. She is a member of such writers' groups as The Lost Genre Guild and
FCW. Editing the completed first draft of her novel keeps her busy, as well as
performing in musicals put on by her local community theater association.
