The Girlfriend Test: A Quiz for Women Who Want to Be a Better Date and a Better Mate

by Wendy Walsh

Book Overview

Are You Good Girlfriend Material?If you really gave it some thought, would you say that you are a full-fledged Daddy's Girl or queen of the Girls' Girls? At work are you the nonstop Chatty Cathy or the no-nonsense Corporate Cat? On dates do you wear your best Barbie Doll outfit, or are you the proper Miss Priss? Whether you can admit it or not, the fact is that we women assume many roles (and not all of them positive) at work and at play, and especially...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0609809415
• ISBN13: 9780609809419
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (CA)
• Length: 209 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Pretty Profound

I loved this book. My girlfriends loved this book. It is a must for anyone in a relationship. It doesn't repeat things you already know. It opens your eyes up to things that you should see but don't.

Wendy Gets Better Second Time Around

It's strange how sometimes a sequel can be better than the original. I had good things to say about Wendy's first book, The Boyfriend Test -- but I have to say that this one is MUCH more consistently excellent and light years kinder to both men and women, a must-read if you were a fan of TBFT.Once again, Walsh affects the informal, chatty "girlfriend" style readers of TBFT will remember. But this time the emphasis is on equiping women with the tools to take an inner journey of discovery crafted so as to make them "a better date, and a better mate" on the other end. Once again, there are scored tests and detailed elucidations for each item.But the real heart of this book is at the beginning, and even more so at the end -- when Walsh lays out her personal wisdom about the work needed to build life's most important adult relationship, as well as the rewards of doing that at-times painful, always revelatory work on yourself BEFORE you hit the trenches looking for a man to share your life with. Drawing on her MA in psychology (and especially something called "Attachment Theory"), Wendy gently, frankly and patiently guides her reader to a place of such inner strength that any guy worth his salt would be crazy not to fall head-over-heels for her. Once again, she shares personal anecdotes so you know it's real. And unlike in her other book, you finish this one with a satisfied sense that all loose ends have been tied up perfectly -- like the pleasantly full feeling you get at the end of a perfect meal among close friends.So once again, I find my single, male self endorsing a book by and for women on the subject of dating and relationships. And this time, guys, I can wholeheartedly assure you: Wendy Walsh really DOES feel warm things toward us! In fact, the astute reader of both books will note that Wendy puts women through one more test than she subjects us to. But perhaps the very best thing here is the sense you'll come away with that the word "test" has a whole different meaning than it did in school -- being less about scoring points, and more about self-realization and keeping your eyes open, keeping your heart and soul's radar on so as to sidestep life's landmines and go straight for the gold. If you're a man, this may be interesting. If you're a woman looking to develop a higher relationship IQ, "The Girlfriend Test" is pure gold. Good for you, Wendy!!

BAIT YOUR HOOK WISELY!

Here?s a book that most men will be happy about. Instead of ?The Boyfriend Test? (how men measure up) author Wendy Walsh takes a serious look at what it is the women have to do in order to become a better ?girlfriend? and thereby get the love of her dreams.As a fellow relationship author I?m always interested in what others in my field have to say about dating, romance, and love. And while I liked Wendy Walsh?s previous book, I appreciate this one even more.My favorite part of ?The Girlfriend Test? is when she writes about the 9 types of girls/women. I?m sure we can all think of a person that we know who fits one of these bills:1) Daddy?s Girl: no ones can live up to Daddy2) The Barbie Doll: the perfect girl as long as youth & beauty last3) The Girl?s Girl: the perfect friend to every woman at the expense of her own love life4) The Material Girl: the one who appears to want money more than love5) The Miss Priss: the one who lives by family standards primarily6) The Corporate Cat: the female executive with all the perks except a man7) The Chatty Cathy: talks too much, too many stories8) The Jockette: one of the boys in her recreational activities9) The Mirror: the one who surrenders to men at her own expense ------------------------My only beef appears on page 22 where she writes, ?He?s the Hook, But You?re the Fish.? And on a philosophical level I have to let her know that an old American proverb states, ?a man chases a woman until she catches him.? What that means is the woman is the angler and the man is the fish. (The Power of An Enlightened Metaphor For Love)Back to her book. ------------------------As far as Walsh?s tests, there are actually 5 of them, all of which are very practical and insightful. Here they are with my favorite question from each test:The Hook-Up Test (sounds fishy doesn?t it?): Question #2 Are you more worried about your appearance than your disposition?The First Date Test: Question #7 Do you talk too much about past relationships?The Five Date Test: Question #5 Are you rewarding bad-boy behavior?The Girlfriend Sex Test: Question #9 Do you know how to say no to sex?The Ninety-Day Test: Question #3 Do you know how to deal with the boys club?Along the way the author also has important side-bars like tips on going out alone (valet park for safety, meet the business happy hour people instead of the late-night crowd & leave by 11:30 PM because nothing good ever happens after that).I hope this book gets in the hands of a lot of women. I said much of the exact same things in my second edition of Men Are Like Fish, but the difference here is that it comes from the more trusted voice of another woman instead of from a guy (the nerve of a man talking about love....what do they know, right?)Anyway, don?t be fooled by the whole ?test? idea. While it is more on the tactical side than the spiritual side, it does a darn good job of making refined distinctions in the area of hooking (creating secure

Very Insightful

I don't know who this woman is, but she sure makes life more clear to me. There are so many little details that go on underneath the "dating dance" that I was unaware of until I read both her books. I was banging my head against the wall for years with guys who wouldn't (couldn't?) commit and now I know that I played an important part in all the drama. Thanks for writing this book, Wendy!

Incredible eye opener

This was really hard to do, to take a look at myself, but the book made me realize what I was contributing to the relationship. If you want to improve your relationships you have to read this book and see what is really going on (and stop blaming him for everything). >