The Dating Manifesto

This book is a must-read for any single, man or woman. Lisa speaks with the usual candor and humor that she shares on Boundless, and you won't be disappointed. Her practical application, no-holds-barred on what Scripture instructs, and overall words of encouragement to singles of every age, is just wonderful. Great, great book.

Lisa Anderson is the director of boundless.org, a ministry aimed at helping 20- and 30-somethings grow in their faith, date with purpose, and prepare for marriage and family. In The Dating Manifesto, Lisa focuses on these same goals. I absolutely loved reading this book because of Lisa's directness and use of examples to clarify her words. While reading, I took a look at my own life and realized that I need to make improvements. I highly recommend reading this book and perusing Boundless for its many resources.

I have the sincere privilege of having worked with Lisa and her humor is just as strong in her writing as when she is sharing a story in person. This book challenges you to evaluate yourself and your dating patterns while laying out her own history to offer encouragement that you're not alone. The chapter on grief was easily the hardest chapter to read because I don't think we allow ourselves to grieve the end of a relationship; society tells us "you're better without them, move on," but when you've invested time into someone its natural to grieve the end of that relationship. I love that she calls both girls and guys out on the games they play and tells them to quit it and pursue relationships with kindness; even when letting someone down she encourages everyone to be kind - what a word of wisdom in our culture today.

You do not have to be single to enjoy this book and it is one I plan on buying for my friends for their birthdays and Christmas this year. I read it straight through on a flight this July and found myself laughing out loud at moments & feeling Lisa's pain in others. If you enjoy humorous writing and can handle tough truths about how we do relationships, this is a book you should read.

I'm single and I'm not necessarily a fan of dating books but I loved this one. Lisa Anderson has a fun, relateable and genuine approach for handling singleness and dating. "Here's the deal: being single is hard" too many books and guru's try to diminish the feelings of singles who aren't sailing through this season of life with a smile. We are not being told to be sad and depressed about the circumstances but encouraged as we journey along this part of our lives. Her advice is Christ-centered yet not preachy, uplifting and not condescending. I really liked the chapter on online dating and the chapter "It's Okay to Grieve". It is not a book written for the college and early 20's set, although at times it did read like that (hence the 4 stars). It is not a book you should just race through although you will want to.
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