Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

Publisher's Summary

Why is it so difficult for men and women to get along? In this phenomenally popular and effective work, Dr. John Gray illustrates how differences in communication styles, behavior, and emotional needs can drive the two sexes apart, and offers ways to help keep them together. By giving us insight into the opposite sex, Dr. Gray shows how we can build loving, mutually fulfilling relationships.

©1998 John Gray (P)1998 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., All Rights Reserved, Harper Audio, A Division of HarperCollins Publishers

Critic Reviews

"A valuable, much-needed book. A contribution to the understanding of the communication styles of men and women." (Harville Hendrix, Ph.D., author of Getting the Love You Want)

May I suggest...

This is an excellent book, in spite of how cliche the title has become. But I STRONGLY recommend the abridged version.

I am usually 100% anti-abridgement, I hate them hate them hate them. I owned the abridgement of this book on cassette before I purchased the unabridged version. It was abridged by and is read by the author - so you can be certain it still has everything in it that he felt was essential. The unabridged version is very repetitive, which is fine when you are reading but may put you to sleep if you are listening!

56 of 58 people found this review helpful

A Very Helpful Guide to The Opposite sex

A GREAT TOOL!!! to becoming a great partner............ This Book will save you from many many unneeded missunderstandings in a relationship. it brings much self improfment by bringing a better understanding of how and why men and women differ. ................. The ONLY negatives are 1) the voice reading is unpleasant at times and 2) few times, it may seem repetative-due to much topic clearification. yet this is really nothing compared to all the benifets it brings........All in ALL, a must read..

14 of 15 people found this review helpful

Truly Comforting

I don't normally take the time to write reviews, but this book is AMAZING. I downloaded it at a time in my life where my relationship just seemed like it was falling to pieces, but both my fiance and I have been listening to it together, and we BOTH come back to each other time and again to share just how right John Gray is! It is wonderful not only to understand the opposite sex, but also to help you understand yourself and how you can express yourself to your partner. Most of all, it is so comforting to know that you aren't alone! You recognize yourself in almost every word. Repetitive? Maybe. But almost everything John Gray says is WELL worth repeating until you've got it right. I don't know what we would do without this book. It is not a fix-all if you've got serious problems, but it is a wonderful beginning to giving each other the chance that you both deserve.

13 of 15 people found this review helpful

Poor Quality

Poor Quality of the audio book. Did not follow the book verbatim. I downloaded the unabridged version and wanted to follow along reading the unabridged book as well; in order to follow the tone of Dr. Gray's Men are from Mars. Some parts were omitted in the audio recording that were listed in the book. The audio otherwise conveyed the point in capturing the tone and message of the book, however it was overall difficult to follow along.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

I cried.

I'm 52 and in my second marriage (25yrs this time) and I've never been able to express my feelings. I'm like a caveman. This book helped me realize that I needed to learn how to express myself without yelling and making everything an argument. My wife is 90% right in how she handles the marriage because she read the book years ago. I was stubborn and a man who knew everything...a perfectionist. When I finally realized I was on my way to either a non-fully-committed marriage or another divorce. She doesn't know that I've read it but is noticing that things are changing. I can't put into words how much happier I am being able to understand and express my feelings. It's not an easy thing to get used to at all. But the author explains this in the book and I'm not as afraid to do so now. I hope that it isn't too late to make amends and show her who I really am and to do my best to make the next 25yrs be what she wants, deserves and needs. She is the best wife a man could ask for. Would love to go to a weekend seminar to continue to learn more. I will be reading all of his books now because I don't want to forget how to properly treat my wife ever again.

Thank you, John Gray....thank you.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Take this as a coaching workbook

This is a great book for coaching on communication for men and women wanting to achieve success in their intimate relationships with one another. While it is definitely dated, as some if the other readers have pointed out, and the cadence gets a little dry at times, what you can get out of this book far outweighs that. One caveat is: one needs to have an open mind and heart and be ready to receive the information. Through different phases of growth, I would definitely have received this information differently.
Here are a few things worth highlighting:
- offers great insights on how men and women's thought processes differ
- helps identify areas where you may be misunderstanding your partner and making them wrong
- for women: helps you find more effective ways to be assertive in your relationship and communicate what you want, while making your partner feel more appreciated and engaged with giving you what you need
- for men: helps you provide the displays of caring your partner needs to feel good, while getting get the space you need in the relationship and not feeling misunderstood for wanting that
- communication techniques can be applied in communicating with children, coworkers or anyone of the opposite gender
- if you remember that the ultimate goal is to achieve harmony, love, acceptance and understanding of one another, then you will move beyond the datedness or hokey case studies and pull out the real gems here.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Wish I knew about this book earlier

Recently divorced after 2 years of seperation. I wish my X-wife and myself read this book 2 years ago. The reasons for most of our problems, which I could not explain before are very clear now. I would have handled many situations differently only if had this knowledge then. I am confident the knowledge gained through this book will be very useful in my future relationships with the people from Venus

10 of 13 people found this review helpful

Terrible outdated material.

I could barely finish this book because of how bad, inaccurate, and one-sided it's psychology was. As a psychologist one should take into consideration a female perspective. which is something that this man does not do.

9 of 12 people found this review helpful

loved the hard-copy and loved the audio book

almost everyone has heard of this title unless you live in a cave on an island without any access to society and the opposite sex ... listened to it 3 times (on different flights) - makes me laugh even now just thinking about it ...

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Saved our relationship

This book truely saved our relationship at a time where both of us were very confused! John Grey is funny, insightful, and speaks well to not only women, but men too!

6 of 8 people found this review helpful

Lifechanging!!!!! a must read!!!!!

This book not just thought me how to better communicate with my partner but also made me understand more my own behaviours, moods and unexplicable resons of our arguments. I did not have to wait too long to test the methods described here... they not only work but also perform miracles! I feel like life will be much better from now on and my relationship will thrive... I even feel like I understand my dog a way better than before :D

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

super

I find it super helpful this book for having a good relation(ship) with the other sex . partner or just friends, parents, sisters, brothers- lots of knowledge is applicable. I really recommend to listen!!!! (Sometimes he repeats things over and over again, but I believe he does it a purpose- so recommend not to give up on It! stick with It- so it gets deeper the knowledge!

Great book

Amazing book verry insightful.
The Messenger Of Allah said,
The best of you is who is best to his wife.
This will help you in your marriage life.

A must read for everyone!

Easy to follow life and him her realtionship guide. Many hints a tips on successful communication when you are happy or struggling in a relationship.

well read and enjoyable to listen to

I liked listening, easy voice to hear and the book was great - I finally now have read that book after first interesting me way back in the 90's when everyone was raging about it but I never saw anything interesting in it at the time. glad I now am able to say I finally read it lol

Brilliant

This is so insightful and you learn to understand and relate to how you and your partner act as all men and women would- and takes the pressure off yourself as if your or their mistakes are specific negatives to you or them. Really easy listen and I’ll be listening again many times

Seeing for the first time

This has been probably the best book on understanding the opposite sex, improving and creating a passionate relationship.

I have been on the search of understanding and learning more women and men, and this book just gave me what I needed.

Every man and woman should either read or listen to this audio book at least once every quarter to understand himself/herself and the opposite sex.

some great advice, but not so relevant today

maybe relevant a few years ago but much of the advice wouldn't transfer to today. The book makes sweeping generalisations and gender stereotypes without accounting (as it promises to) for the idiosyncrasies or role reversals that are likely to be present in people today; anyone who takes the full advice as a literal manual is likely to feel like there's something wrong with them if their behaviour doesn't adhere to how the author tells them they are likely to be.
that being said there's some useful stuff in here which gave me food for thought.

Useful tools although i found it very sexist

I enjoyed learning about how men and women are different, how we work and how are past experiences and hurt can sometimes crop up when we least expect. I hope I've learnt how to deal with that on both accounts and how to get what I want through assertive asking. I couldn't help but find the storyline, examples and trends of the book highly sexist and aggravating but I listened til the end patiently and calmly so I could at least take what I wanted from it not just throw it away and waste the whole experience. Lesson learnt!

amazing

don't even think to buy or not!!! Buy IT NOW. amazing book. one of the best books I ever heard it