D-I-V-O-R-C-E

Categories: Staff Picks

It's Called a Breakup Because it's Broken, by Greg Behrendt and Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt.  This is a slim book with basic but useful advice, and here are the main points:

• Don't call him; call your large group of supportive female friends instead;
• Dress better than you used to, and wear more jewelry;
• Don't drink, eat, or shop too much;
• Exercise;
• Rearrange the furniture.

The furniture part is good, especially if you don't have much left after he's taken it all.  The drinking, eating, and exercise parts are also good, of course, but how can you wear better jewelry if you’re not allowed to shop too much?  What if you don't have a large group of supportive female friends?  (For example if the break-up comes when your significant other falls in love with your best friend?)

Berhrendt and Ruotola-Behrendt's target audience is a youngish (probably 20-30) childless couple. The most amusing part of It's Called a Breakup Because it's Broken are the letters from people (mostly women) who have survived even worse break-ups than yours.