Real Men Don't Text

Real Men Don’t Text by Michael and Ruthie Dean

The Deans bring advise to a generation of tech-savvy daters wondering how to navigate the virtual waters to marriage. Attempting to date a serial texter requires a translator. Michael and Ruthie brought a crash course in understanding what a texter means when they say “are you busy tonight?”

I found Real Men Don’t Text gave a lot of practical advice. If the guy doesn’t have the motivation to call you, you shouldn’t find the motivation to get dolled up for a date. If the guy texts you like he texts his friends, he probably doesn’t intend on you being anything other than a friend. You can’t sit around and wait for the next text, you need to live life. If the text doesn’t come, move on.

What I felt Real Men Don’t Text failed to take into consideration is we are far down the technological road. We can no longer see the point we started from in the rearview mirror. I’m probably a few years older than the intended demographic for this book and many of my friends wouldn’t be “friends” if we followed the logic in Real Men Don’t Text. We’ve reached the point of a generation not reaching for the phone to make a call first, but reaching to text. We are tweeting our devotion to our significant others. Facebook statuses are proclaiming our love. One-on-one communication is dying.

I love the idea behind going “old school” and speaking to each other. There are many phone conversations in my past with wonderful friends and boyfriends which lasted multiple hours. Many time I think “I miss the sound of so-and-so’s voice.” The reality is we need to accept the evolution of today’s advancement and train our children to respect themselves and others. Text messages don’t have to be booty calls. They are simply what Facebook is to MySpace. 

I'm No Angel

I'm No Angel by Kylie Bisutti

 Kylie spent her life battling with her physical appearance. Her long legs and trim figure partnered with a beautiful face prompted adults around her to comment on her future as a model while children mocked her. Eventually their words became a driving force behind Kylie's desire to be a model and eventually achieve the pinnacle of being a Victoria Secret's Angel.

This book highlights two truths - beauty is sometimes an illusion and God's will for our lives will propel us into unique places meant to glorify Him. Kylie's natural affinity for modeling helped her own runways and photo shoots internationally. As a teenage Kylie achieved two milestones in her life; she became a Christian and an Angel. Only one of those would give her peace and an everlasting treasure. The other robbed her of the very essence of an empowered woman.

I can't say I enjoyed this book because my heart is broken. Too many girls won't read this book because they don't want to hear from a fallen VS Angel. They are more intrigued by the current cast of disillusioned women who believe their worth lies in the slimness of their thighs, the tightness of their abs, and the perkiness of their breasts. The facade of perfection is achieved after countless hours of lies and manipulation through fake tans, Photoshop, and the more dire physical punishment that models endure. I couldn't put this book down though because the transformation was beautiful. Too many people view models as butterflies, but it was only after leaving behind the extensions, make up, bronzer, and designer clothing that Kylie truly transformed.

Kylie shines a light on the lies of the modeling industry; the reality of women who sell their bodies or use sexual stimulating images to garner attention. It is a dangerous mentality for young girls to become women who place their value in how they compare to other women. Her journey from determined model to a content woman of God is a beautiful tale of how when God is the center of our lives our thoughts change to mirror His. Scriptures are tied in skillfully with the lessons that Kylie learned in each chapter even when she didn't know the lesson herself.

With brutal honesty Kylie penned her way from Angel to being shunned by the modeling industry.