“Rules for Straight Men”

Steven Jett

Airleaf Publishing & Book Selling, LLC

It’s hard to know what to expect when diving into a book titled “Rules for Straight Men.”

Will it be a strict set of guidelines for me to follow for success in the world of heterosexual dating? Will the rules help me in many areas of my life, or just in making sure I’m definitely, 100-percent, straight and other people can tell I am too?

One thing is for certain: This book offers no rules for straight women.

Unfortunately, author Steven Jett can’t give the rules straight enough. Instead, he meanders through 75 pages, repeating entire phrases and maxims ad nauseam.

“Rules” isn’t a big publishing-house project, so it may be unfair to grade the book against a higher standard, but in scope, Jett thinks too big, too broad and too harsh.

Jett paints a rough picture of a dating landscape where women and men constantly slash at each other’s throats. There is little to no cooperation – except when it comes to matters of sexual satisfaction. But even then, men are supposed to take control.

While the book feels overwritten and outlandish in many ways, a couple nuggets of wisdom do exist.

For one, Jett points out that dating is a game (although at times he likens it more voraciously to war), which it certainly seems to be. Both men and women are guilty of overpreparing, overthinking, and overacting within the context of a date, all for the purpose of getting some action.

This is a good, albeit unoriginal, thought; unfortunately, Jett continues by telling readers to be Mr. Personality, but also advising that you “lie your ass off.” So close to making a valid, coherent point, Jett dives off the deep end once again, ready to isolate the readers he was just able to provide with real, solid dating advice.

Another area in which the advice feels sound is the topic of rejection. Jett talks about rejection quite a bit, so, like any other person, it’s assumed he’s had practice with it. He offers more sound advice by telling his readers not to fear rejection, but to embrace it. If you get turned down by someone, stand up tall and find another, better, person.

Finally, Jett is careful to point out that he does not condone violent behavior toward women. Instead, he endorses being the no-nonsense bad boy who gets any woman he wants, how he wants, when he wants her. As much as this may seem like a trite idea, it is fairly true. Pop culture and real-life situations often play up the bad-boy role as the best for sexual success.

Jett shrugs off “feminist” ideas and the notion of a “feminine side” as unusual and unwanted. The world would be a better place if every man were able to have unmitigated sexual encounters with countless female partners, Jett says. And she would thank him oh-so-nicely for showing her the best time she’s ever had.

But the world is far more complex than this. Each sex has mystified the other for millennia. In the end, “Rules for Straight Men” falls short of explaining much more than any other information men have gathered in the past about women.

Gentlemen, back to the drawing board.

E-mail O'Connor at coconnor@media.ucla.edu. If you'd like to send comments on the book to Steven Jett, e-mail him at rulesforstraightmen@yahoo.com.