Mansplaining
Friday, July 13, 2018, 2:04 p.m.Chevy Chase LibraryStaff Picks
Mansplaining
Well these certainly aged like avocados...
Books written by men who later found themselves in hot water about the very subject they claimed to be an expert on.
Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari
After an awkward dating situation, Aziz Ansari set out to find a book to help him navigate dating in the modern world. Unable to find such a book, he decided to write one himself. With the help of sociologist Eric Klinenberg, Ansari pooled data from thousands of participants about their experiences in finding love in the age of the internet. It's strange that with all the extensive research Ansari has done on the subject of love, he still managed to find himself in hot water after the story of a "date gone wrong" (massive understatement) surfaced about him from an anonymous source.
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey
Comedian Steve Harvey offers up his "knowledge" on love and relationships in his New York Times best-seller Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. Despite two failed marriages (and rumors of possibly another divorce in the near future), Harvey fancies himself the love expert and is here to help the ladies win the game of love through antiquated tactics and downright manipulation. Allow Harvey to condescendingly tell you ladies why every negative aspect of your interactions with men is your own fault and how to trick him down that aisle. Read along and hope that the mind of men isn't as base and misogynistic as Harvey describes.
Super Rich: A Guide to Having it All by Russell Simmons
Being the name behind big brands like DefJam records, Phat Farm and numerous other successful business, it makes sense for Russell Simmons to write a book about what he knows best, how to make money. Simmons offers more than just fast facts on how to make a quick buck. He seeks to give the reader something deeper, wisdom, so that they are able to do more than attain wealth, they are able to keep it. The latter being the harder of the two. But with all Simmons knows about getting money and keeping it, he came under fire when his "Rush Card" a prepaid debit card for those who don't have a traditional bank account, was accused of predatory practices and excessive fees. Simmons sold the "Rush Card" to another company which eventually distanced itself from the founder following his sexual assault allegations sometime later.
How To Get Out of Your Own Way by Tyrese Gibson
Be it threatening to quit The Fast and the Furious franchise if co-star, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson stars in a spinoff (could he possibly have picked a worse person to feud with?) or having a public meltdown on social media because of his child support payments, you'd be hard-pressed to find another celebrity more in their own way more than Tyrese Gibson. By keeping subjects vague enough to feign some level of expertise, Gibson was able to compile enough cliches, pop culture references and name drops to fill an entire book. This book is the written manifestation of the phrase "jack of all trades, master of none." Gibson touches on a number of topics and (much like Steve Harvey) covers the ever popular subject of "why men cheat and why it's all women's fault."
Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins
Life coach Tony Robbins has built an empire convincing people of the power they already possess inside themselves. Robbins harnessed the power inside himself to convince millions of people to spend inordinate amounts of money to hear him spew basic platitudes with the utmost confidence. According to Robbins, you're already a winner, you just don't know it yet. That is of course unless you are a victim of abuse or harassment like the women and men of the #MeToo movement. Robbins made light of the victims of the #MeToo movement at a recent seminar by suggesting that they are only looking for fame by bringing attention to the horrible actions of their abusers.
Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari
After an awkward dating situation, Aziz Ansari set out to find a book to help him navigate dating in the modern world. Unable to find such a book, he decided to write one himself. With the help of sociologist Eric Klinenberg, Ansari pooled data from thousands of participants about their experiences in finding love in the age of the internet. It's strange that with all the extensive research Ansari has done on the subject of love, he still managed to find himself in hot water after the story of a "date gone wrong" (massive understatement) surfaced about him from an anonymous source.
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey
Comedian Steve Harvey offers up his "knowledge" on love and relationships in his New York Times best-seller Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. Despite two failed marriages (and rumors of possibly another divorce in the near future), Harvey fancies himself the love expert and is here to help the ladies win the game of love through antiquated tactics and downright manipulation. Allow Harvey to condescendingly tell you ladies why every negative aspect of your interactions with men is your own fault and how to trick him down that aisle. Read along and hope that the mind of men isn't as base and misogynistic as Harvey describes.
Super Rich: A Guide to Having it All by Russell Simmons
Being the name behind big brands like DefJam records, Phat Farm and numerous other successful business, it makes sense for Russell Simmons to write a book about what he knows best, how to make money. Simmons offers more than just fast facts on how to make a quick buck. He seeks to give the reader something deeper, wisdom, so that they are able to do more than attain wealth, they are able to keep it. The latter being the harder of the two. But with all Simmons knows about getting money and keeping it, he came under fire when his "Rush Card" a prepaid debit card for those who don't have a traditional bank account, was accused of predatory practices and excessive fees. Simmons sold the "Rush Card" to another company which eventually distanced itself from the founder following his sexual assault allegations sometime later.
How To Get Out of Your Own Way by Tyrese Gibson
Be it threatening to quit The Fast and the Furious franchise if co-star, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson stars in a spinoff (could he possibly have picked a worse person to feud with?) or having a public meltdown on social media because of his child support payments, you'd be hard-pressed to find another celebrity more in their own way more than Tyrese Gibson. By keeping subjects vague enough to feign some level of expertise, Gibson was able to compile enough cliches, pop culture references and name drops to fill an entire book. This book is the written manifestation of the phrase "jack of all trades, master of none." Gibson touches on a number of topics and (much like Steve Harvey) covers the ever popular subject of "why men cheat and why it's all women's fault."
Unlimited Power by Tony Robbins
Life coach Tony Robbins has built an empire convincing people of the power they already possess inside themselves. Robbins harnessed the power inside himself to convince millions of people to spend inordinate amounts of money to hear him spew basic platitudes with the utmost confidence. According to Robbins, you're already a winner, you just don't know it yet. That is of course unless you are a victim of abuse or harassment like the women and men of the #MeToo movement. Robbins made light of the victims of the #MeToo movement at a recent seminar by suggesting that they are only looking for fame by bringing attention to the horrible actions of their abusers.
