A Common Sense Guide to Successful Internet Dating

Synopsis:

Evan Marc Katz appears to be the Einstein of internet dating. With his vast knowledge of the intricacies of online dating and his wide experience working with several renowned dating websites such as 'Jdate' and 'AmericanSingles', any singleton approaching this book would think they had struck gold! Katz is overflowing with dating knowledge and can clearly transform any internet dummy into a class 'A' student. Katz' aim is to demonstrate to both male and female internet daters where they are going wrong in aspects such as their essays and profile pictures, as well as showing them how to make the first move, continue a conversation, the all important first date, analysing location, conversational topics and how to split the bill.

Reviewers comments:

Does the synopsis make it sound perfect? Well it is far from! Despite my high hopes, this guide plunged in all my expectations.

The heading reads, 'I can't believe I'm buying this book.' Honestly, I can't believe you even contemplated it. The guide is full of commonsense facts that I hope any internet dater would be aware of, making this guide an unnecessary expenditure. Not being an internet dater myself I expected to learn a thing or two. However, this guide was full of obvious and patronising advice. Rather than spend $14.95 on a book full of commonsense facts dedicated to the world of internet dating, I suggest that you use your commonsense and save your money.

The front cover picture of cartoon romance reflects Katz's cheesy and childish style. Throughout the guide, Katz attempts to uphold a comical, friendly tone; however his humour fails to get me giggling. He often admits to making up fake statistics in a non-amusing fashion to persuade his readers to adhere to the world of internet dating. However, his playful language failed to persuade me. Also, Katz's guide isn't written systematically, so key points are repeated several times throughout the book. If you really lack commonsense and 'can believe you are actually buying this book' then I suggest you remove every other page to save yourself some time!

Despite my negative opinions of Katz, his guide does have some positive aspects. He successfully transforms perceived negative stigmas of internet dating into a 'normal' and modern form. His confidence in internet dating effectively transmits into the mind of the reader, encouraging the idea that dating online is cheap and easy, as well as being extremely successful. Katz shows the way in which online dating can cater to your needs by describing several different types of websites that are specific to various religions or tastes, thus making online dating a modern concept.

Katz ranks several dating websites into a detailed table. At first glance, the table full of pros and cons of famous dating websites appears to be a goldmine. Katz clearly labels the advantages and disadvantages of fifteen dating websites, rating them by cost and applications available. His expertise is evident in this chapter of the guide, with the emphasis of ensuring that internet daters are getting their moneys worth. However a glance at the publication date of the guide (2003) indicates that the information is way out of date. Therefore the table has no relevance, as technology has advanced and more and more websites are including different applications in order to compete with leading online dating brands. Also, as Katz states, internet dating is becoming a more common and widely used medium to find love, thus new dating websites are constantly making the charts.

In spite of my apparent negativity towards Katz, one way in which the guide truly does excel is his knowledge of essay writing. Katz (repetitively) drowns his readers with the importance of writing a good, eye-catching essay. With the help of examples, the art of writing a fantastic essay is clearly explained, from how to avoid clichés and hammer down your own personality, to being concise and humorous. Both failed and successful essays are included, reinforcing the dos and don'ts of internet dating.

Another aspect of the online dating world that Katz concentrates on is how to show your best assets using a profile picture. Whilst many women would appreciate a male viewpoint, Katz fails to provide men with the same advice. Also Katz is merely giving personal advice that may not reflect the views of the whole, male internet dating population.

All the way through the manual, Katz emphasises the positive aspects of internet dating by retelling successful experiences of both his friends and himself. However he fails to place much emphasis on the dangers of internet dating. With a weighty amount of the guide concentrated on the first dates and making moves online, it seems naive to ignore the hazards that can be associated with online dating. Katz successfully shows the positives about dating online, but unfortunately fails to give the necessary precautions to his readers.

Who should read it?

Anyone who has $14.95 to splash and a low boredom threshold!