The Manipulated Man [Kindle Edition]

Of course, women are not as stupid or as manipulative as the author makes out, and men are not as philanthropic and intelligent either. She presents stereotypes to make her point that women are prepared to manipulate men to serve their own selfish needs - and the extent to which they do this is substantially underestimated. I imagine that any man in his middle or later years does not need to be taught this lesson, but in her focus on a section of the female population she does not admire, Esther Vilar forgets the many women who genuinely care for their partners and friends (and the many men who don't).

I see many women I have met in the pages of her book. Sometimes I found myself nodding at her wisdom, sometimes laughing out loud at her humour, and at other times sucking through my teeth at the outrageous and dangerous things she says. Men on the rebound from bad relationships could read this and become bitter. Only women will know the true extent of the author's claims about their behaviour. As for her opinion of men, it is refreshing to find a book with the courage to speak of the many positive male characteristics that are so often ignored.

An excellent read - I picked up the book and could not put it down until I had finished it. Entertained? Totally. Persuaded? Much less so. This is a good starter for the man who wants to open his eyes to what is really going on around him in his personal world. But if you want a serious - properly referenced and researched - book on men's issues then get Warren Farrell's "The Myth of Male Power". Farrel's book is just as readable, but backs up opinion with impeccable academic research. Esther - in contrast - appeals only to common sense. There is no substance to back up her views. Interesting and welcome as these are, this is a polemic - just one person's personal opinion.

I don't agree with all her observations and generalizations about women. And, I do think that things have changed a little bit since the '70s. Nonetheless, her basic points, that men pay for sex in one way or another from women, and that women use sex as a coin in trade for other things, is consistent with my own experiences and those other men have told me about. I also agree that the only way things will change for the better is if both sexes realize this and move to changed it for real. Otherwise men are left as johns and women as whores for the rest of humanity's tenure on this planet.

BTW, you can't find this book in the US. Apparently it's too hot for American book distributors to touch. So you know it's gotta get into some really juicy stuff. =)

The characterisation of the sexes is fairly spot on - whilst some may hail and denounce it's despcriptions as generalisations, the polemic towers as a overview of the entire race of men and women over many, many years; and by doing so hits a big unspoken nail on the head.

Its what most men have sensed and most women deny. Indeed it offers a new way to look at the world we live in, that is if you hadn't already wised up throught your own observation and thought.

In spite of Vilar's wrath and ice... Many women have warm hearts and many men are not so easily led... Ultimatly the book holds up a mirror to feminism and shatters the generalisation within the women's movement of: man bad, woman good; Man oppresor; woman oppressed.