Fascinating Womanhoo

by Helen B. Andelin

Book Overview

How to Make Your Marriage a Lifelong Love Affair What makes a woman fascinating to her husband? What is happiness in marriage for a woman? These are just two of the questions Helen B. Andelin answers in the bestselling classic that has already brought new happiness and life to millions of marriages. Fascinating Womanhood offers timeless wisdom, practical advice, and old-fashioned values to meet the needs and challenges of today's fascinating woman...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553227068
• ISBN13: 9780553227062
• Release Date: February 1982
• Publisher: Bantam Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.38 lbs.

Customer Reviews

My marriage changed for the better

This book has changed my life. I recommend every woman, married or single, read it. I gained so much knowledge about what makes a couple happy. Our society glorifies adversarial relationships. But men and women are meant to be together and things could work really well if we just follow the instructions in this book. Women have so much power in a relationship to make it great or terrible. If you think this book is too old school, just remember that the new school of thought is much worse because divorce rates are the highest they’ve ever been and marriage rates are the lowest they’ve ever been. So maybe something we’re doing today is not quite working. We can learn so much from women in the past.

Buying a couple copies for my friends

Excellent book! All women of God should read and apply the principles outlined in this book to their lives

The Platinum Rule... Inspire, don't demand a great relationship

While there are some aspects of this book that are clearly old-fashioned and not for everyone (being a stay at home mom, for example), most of this book simply teaches good manners. Most everyone is familiar with the Golden Rule. A step beyond that is the platinum rule... having the respect to treat others the way THEY want to be treated. I don't know why this is so difficult for some people to grasp- almost all women are grateful when a man pays attention to what we want and like. So why is it hard to grasp the concept that men want us to treat them with respect too? Almost all men want nothing more than to have their wives (or girlfriends) happy, not snide and critical. Talk to a psychologist about this, or check with the men in your life, or see what the Bible says about living with a contentious woman if this is difficult to grasp. If you want anyone to treat you well, with love and respect then you should do the same for them. It's much easier to induce good behavior from someone than it is to force them by trying to control them with criticism. This book is a mirror to show you all of the things YOU are doing wrong. Do you want to be around someone who is unhappy, rude, demanding and critical all the time? Do you feel compelled to work hard to make them happy if that is their typical demeanor? Neither do men. Similar to "The Rules" no man wants someone behaving well only as a method of manipulation. But they do want to be with a woman who is happy, content, and kind, who does this naturally without desperately depending on a man to fix everything for them. This teaches you to be strong and sweet and kind and happy no matter what he does by showing you how to improve yourself. Do you have to follow every aspect of the book to benefit from it? No. Every couple has to negotiate their own relationship. It does NOT teach you to be a doormat, it teaches you to 1) not stress the small stuff, 2)remind men of your needs in way that is charming rather than nagging, and 3)kick him to the curb if he is abusive, cheating, or expecting you to support him. If you translated it from the 1960's housewife language into a modern book on manners everything in it is pretty basic social skills. A therapist or pastor could take years to teach you the same stuff that is in this book (minus the cultural differences that existed 50 years ago). When you are happy you probably act exactly like this already. If you want to become a better, more considerate woman, this is the book for you.

this works

This book really works. I read it a few years ago and found myself in a situation wherin I felt I needed to reread it. Within a couple of days of reading it, I could tell a difference. My husband smiled more and was thanking me for the thoughtful things I was doing. The author knows both men and women. She gives detailed information regarding many aspects of the man/woman relationship and then has solutions for how to deal with these aspects. Yes, as the wife, sometimes you have to humble yourself, but in so doing, the man humbles himself and begins to treat you the way you had hoped he would treat you. The wife must decide if she wants a happy marriage or if she wants to be right. I've watched women choose the latter, and it is sad to see the men become just as the author describes. Then the women can't imagine why their marriage is suffering. The author also looks into abusive situations, and of course, these are the exeptions. No one would want a woman to stay in such a situation.

Saved my marriage

I've been married for 33 years. After about 5 years of marriage, I was ready to throw in the towel. Marriage didn't meet my expectations. I prayed about it, and was led to this book (this book is old). I learned that my approach to resolving issues was causing more issues. I was doing all the wrong things. You can't change your partner, you can only change yourself. I began to practice the techniques suggested in this book, and I am here to say that it worked miracles for my marriage. We have raised three children -- all are adults now -- college educated and on their own. I am loving life with my husband. I have referred this book to many women over the years. You either love or hate this book. To those that hate it, stay single and be happy by yourself!

Fascinating book!

This book has taught me more about myself than anything. With a major focus on forgiveness, this book is a mental mirror and it gives a clear reflection of self. Forgiveness is such an important gift we must give freely in life. Without it, our relationships remain tainted and our situations continue to cause misery in our lives. This book, based on biblical principles, takes us away from feminism to back to the way God intended for us to be. I highly recommend it!

helped save my marriage

This book was very helpful in helping me to restore a peaceful relationship with my husband. By changing my behavior I was able to s-l-o-w-l-y make amends in a rocky marriage.I recommend this book to any wife who is critical, naggy, and dis-pleased with her husband. His behaviour is partially a mirror of how you make him feel.Give it a try!