Single

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY SEP 1, 2004

"Being single is not a condition to be cured"-especially when the remedy possibly means riding a marry-and-divorce roller-coaster just to avoid loneliness-says author and psychotherapist Ford (Wonderful Ways series; Between Mother and Daughter, Getting over Getting Mad). Instead, singles (this book is ostensibly written for all, but may resonate more with women) should reject the lonely and pathetic stereotypes this status usually carries and embrace life's most lasting relationship-the one with themselves. While some may dismiss this advice as a desperate mantra, Ford skillfully uses her own story and others' anecdotes to show that it's possible to be single and content. As a once happily married young woman, a sudden widow at age 29, then a miserably remarried woman, and finally an abandoned divorcee with a baby and an immense debt, Ford knows how precarious it is to put her happiness in the hands of another. In amusing lessons divided among six sections, she counsels readers on how to marshal their singleness to confront whatever adversities they may be forced endure. This fundamental wisdom should not be lost on couples either; after all, everyone must tread solo sometimes. Ford's playful poking at her own past misadventures in love and denial (like when she went solo to a movie and ordered drinks and popcorn for two) will endear her to struggling singles and inspire many to rejoice in life's singular potential.