Rating: 
Summary: Intelligence Earned
Review: "Female Intelligence" is without a doubt one of my favorite works by Jane Heller. An amusing, suspenseful, downright hilarious read- and one of the most relatable, 'could happen in real life' novels Heller has put out to date. Lynn Wyman, the protagonist/main character, is the developer of the "Wymann Method", which, in a nutshell, is a program that is guarenteed to turn the wolfiest of men into sensitive, caring husbands, bosses, boyfriends, et cetera. Through scripts, exercises, and plain old talks, Wymann has a high success rate with the men she counsels, has a spot on Good Morning America, a column, a full practice, and quite a nice income. Throw in a sweet, sensitive, carpenter husband, and you have the winner of hte Ms. Successfull American pageant. However, her success takes a turn for the worse when she accidentally eavesdrops on one of her husband's conversations....with his girlfriend!!! When the story breaks that America's marriage counselor, the woman who restores chivalry in the male sex's marriage is falling apart, everything plummits. Almost overnight, Lynn loses over half her clients, her publicists, radio and literary agents, and quite a drop in popularity. The woman is desperate to get her career on track...when....ta da!!! Fortune publishes a list of America's Toughest Bosses- the "toughest" being Brandon Brock, CEO of a food company. Lynn is determined to land him as her client, and restore her fame as the woman who transformed America's Toughest Boss into America's Sweetest Boss. ...Brilliantly done.
Rating: 
Summary: enjoyed every page
Review: A few years ago I read Heller's The Club and loved it. Then I somehow forgot her and was reminded by a friend who'd just reviewed this title for amazon. This book is a really fun read, and it makes some good points without being preachy--i.e., that both men and women have a lot of the same faults and both can change for the better if they want to. I particularly enjoyed the major characters. Personally, I'd go out with Brandon Brock in a New York minute, even before his sensitivity training. He could call me Honey at a Yankees game too. I'm going to start looking at the other Jane Heller books I've been missinng.
Rating: 
Summary: Paper thin plot + ridiculous premise = total waste of time
Review: Even by lax beach read standards, "Female Intelligence," is pretty bad. John Gray, Dr. Phil, et. al. are subjects that are ripe for parody, but Jane Heller totally wastes the opportunity in her novel about a relationship / linguistics expert who is pretty cluless when it comes to her own relations with the opposite sex. The problem is that there are several preposterous plot "twists" as the novel plods along. Although Heller would have us believe that Lynn Wyman ranks up there nearly with Oprah or Joy Brown as a self-help celebrity, Lynn's reputation and business is all but destroyed by a relatively minor scandal. The only way Lynn can restore her career to its former prominence is by taking on America's Worst Boss as a client. Brandon Brock, is written by Heller as so boorish that he would likely be fending off sexual harassment suits, not seeking the advice of a linguistics expert to save his job. The book jacket makes it appear as though the suspenseful nook of the novel is whether or not Lynn and Brock get together. Since they are in bed a little more than half way through the book, there's little to no suspense left. Oh yeah, someone from Lynn's inner circle not only broke up her marriage and threatens her relationship with Brock, and it is this so-called mystery that makes up the latter half of the book. The revelation of the trouble maker and her reasons for doing so make no sense, but it is unlikely the reader will care by that point anyway. This is not one of Jane Heller's better efforts. Usually her novels have humorous and quick witted female narrators with plots, while not exactly suspenseful, at least keep your interest long enough to finish the book. Sadly, none of these qualities are present in "Female Intelligence." Lynn Wyman is a clueless ninny who finds love with one her clients, a pig who was reformed by listening to Michael Bolton and memorizing fortune cookie sayings. Maybe Heller's next novel with be back up to the standards she established in "Princess Charming" or "Sis-Boom-Bah."
Rating:
Summary: Paper thin plot + ridiculous premise = total waste of time
Review: Even by lax beach read standards, "Female Intelligence," is pretty bad. John Gray, Dr. Phil, et. al. are subjects that are ripe for parody, but Jane Heller totally wastes the opportunity in her novel about a relationship / linguistics expert who is pretty cluless when it comes to her own relations with the opposite sex. The problem is that there are several preposterous plot "twists" as the novel plods along. Although Heller would have us believe that Lynn Wyman ranks up there nearly with Oprah or Joy Brown as a self-help celebrity, Lynn's reputation and business is all but destroyed by a relatively minor scandal. The only way Lynn can restore her career to its former prominence is by taking on America's Worst Boss as a client. Brandon Brock, is written by Heller as so boorish that he would likely be fending off sexual harassment suits, not seeking the advice of a linguistics expert to save his job. The book jacket makes it appear as though the suspenseful nook of the novel is whether or not Lynn and Brock get together. Since they are in bed a little more than half way through the book, there's little to no suspense left. Oh yeah, someone from Lynn's inner circle not only broke up her marriage and threatens her relationship with Brock, and it is this so-called mystery that makes up the latter half of the book. The revelation of the trouble maker and her reasons for doing so make no sense, but it is unlikely the reader will care by that point anyway. This is not one of Jane Heller's better efforts. Usually her novels have humorous and quick witted female narrators with plots, while not exactly suspenseful, at least keep your interest long enough to finish the book. Sadly, none of these qualities are present in "Female Intelligence." Lynn Wyman is a clueless ninny who finds love with one her clients, a pig who was reformed by listening to Michael Bolton and memorizing fortune cookie sayings. Maybe Heller's next novel with be back up to the standards she established in "Princess Charming" or "Sis-Boom-Bah."
Rating:
Summary: A fun book!
Review: Female Intelligence by Jane Heller Not having read anything by Jane Heller before, I didn't know I was in for a treat. FEMALE INTELLIGENCE is a witty satire mocking the entire `self help' industry, in particular the MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS school of thought. Lynn Wyman has perfected her method of "sensitivity training" to an art form, and has become a world famous celebrity. She has best selling books, makes regular appearances on national television, and sees tons of clients to keep her busy. She also has a successful marriage, with her husband being the prime example of a man that has learned "womenspeak". Life couldn't be more wonderful. Then things start to fall apart. After Lynn confides in her four best friends that her marriage isn't what it seems to be, the secret is let loose and the media gets a hold of it. Soon, the entire nation knows that Lynn Wyman's marriage is a sham, and now the famous Wyman Method is no longer respected. If Lynn was failing at her own marriage, why would any of the men that used her method want to continue seeing her? One by one, she loses her clients. Not only that, the networks are no longer interested in having her on TV. Her credibility was shot. And she's running out of money fast. Then, Lynn reads a nasty article in Fortune Magazine about the worst bosses to work for, and number one on the list is Brandon Brock, the CEO of one of the largest food corporations in the world, Fine Foods Inc. If she could secure him as a client and change him into a man who is in touch with his feminine side, her credibility will be back and she could continue on as before. What ensues is a lot of laughs and witty humor as Lynn takes on the most macho man she has ever met. I'm giving this book "two thumbs up". Jane Heller's FEMALE INTELLIGENCE is a book that makes fun of the entire science of sensitivity training. After reading several other reviews on this book, I realized that a lot of the reviewers missed the point. Anyone who takes this book seriously is not getting it. Take on this book as a light read and do not be offended with the stereotypes presented in the book! This is fluffy book, not a book to take seriously. It took me only a few days to finish; I could not put it down. I wanted to know if Lynn Wyman successfully converted macho man Brandon Brock into a pussycat. I wanted to know who leaked those rumors about Lynn to the media. But most of all, I wanted to know if Lynn Wyman was able to restore her reputation and go back to the life she had before. This is not the last Jane Heller book I'll be reading. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A fun book!
Review: Female Intelligence by Jane Heller Not having read anything by Jane Heller before, I didn't know I was in for a treat. FEMALE INTELLIGENCE is a witty satire mocking the entire 'self help' industry, in particular the MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS school of thought. Lynn Wyman has perfected her method of "sensitivity training" to an art form, and has become a world famous celebrity. She has best selling books, makes regular appearances on national television, and sees tons of clients to keep her busy. She also has a successful marriage, with her husband being the prime example of a man that has learned "womenspeak". Life couldn't be more wonderful. Then things start to fall apart. After Lynn confides in her four best friends that her marriage isn't what it seems to be, the secret is let loose and the media gets a hold of it. Soon, the entire nation knows that Lynn Wyman's marriage is a sham, and now the famous Wyman Method is no longer respected. If Lynn was failing at her own marriage, why would any of the men that used her method want to continue seeing her? One by one, she loses her clients. Not only that, the networks are no longer interested in having her on TV. Her credibility was shot. And she's running out of money fast. Then, Lynn reads a nasty article in Fortune Magazine about the worst bosses to work for, and number one on the list is Brandon Brock, the CEO of one of the largest food corporations in the world, Fine Foods Inc. If she could secure him as a client and change him into a man who is in touch with his feminine side, her credibility will be back and she could continue on as before. What ensues is a lot of laughs and witty humor as Lynn takes on the most macho man she has ever met. I'm giving this book "two thumbs up". Jane Heller's FEMALE INTELLIGENCE is a book that makes fun of the entire science of sensitivity training. After reading several other reviews on this book, I realized that a lot of the reviewers missed the point. Anyone who takes this book seriously is not getting it. Take on this book as a light read and do not be offended with the stereotypes presented in the book! This is fluffy book, not a book to take seriously. It took me only a few days to finish; I could not put it down. I wanted to know if Lynn Wyman successfully converted macho man Brandon Brock into a pussycat. I wanted to know who leaked those rumors about Lynn to the media. But most of all, I wanted to know if Lynn Wyman was able to restore her reputation and go back to the life she had before. This is not the last Jane Heller book I'll be reading. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Female Intelligence: Vacation Companion
Review: Female Intelligence would be a great commuter flight or poolside companion: engaging, entertaining, but predictable and not too deep. Heller's writing style allows her heroine to interact with the reader. The chatty prose sparks a sense of intimacy between book and audience, as if Lynn Wyman, the narrator, is sharing her story over cocktails at happy hour. And poking fun at male-female stereotypes always amuses. But the sketchy secondary character development leaves something to be desired in the whodunnit angle of the plot line. Breezing through this cute romance between a self-righteous but likeable heroine and her tamed brute was an energizing vacation from heavy lit.
Rating:
Summary: Go Jane Go
Review: Get out the sun screen, a big hat and sunglasses, and be prepared to laugh. Jane Heller treats us to a entertaining parody of a story, making equal fun of men and women and their inability to communicate. Cleverly written with the tongue firmly in the cheek, this book was meant as an amusing introspection of cross-gender communications, marriage, friendships, and true love - with characters that are way over the top (but who you might recognize anyway). Teaching the Wyman Method of Womanspeak, Lynn Wyman is on the top of the game and believes she has developed the perfect program to enable Mars to communicate with Venus (the "cure for the common cad"). When her marriage and her business implode, we all learn a little about ourselves - not only the importance of communicating, but also about trust and friendship. Apparently some folks thought this was the great American novel or something? This is a light hearted beach read type satire - in case you are confused. A sense of humor is mandatory.
Rating:
Summary: Can't wait to read more!
Review: Having never read anything by Jane Heller before, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had an idea -- a nice, breezy, light read -- but I was in for a surprise. Not only did I get that relaxing beach-read quality, but I got a storyline with mystery and surprises as well. Dr. Lynn Wyman, linguistics expert and creator of the Wyman Method, a program specializing in teaching men how to communicate with women, has it all -- a thriving practice, a bestselling book, a monthly guest appearance on Good Morning America, four wonderful and supporting friends, and an adoring husband who is well-versed in Womenspeak. What more could she ask for? Then in an instant, the bottom falls out, and her career hits an all-time low. Lynn is desperate to regain her status and the Wyman Method's credibility. Seeing a picture of Brandon Brock on the cover of Fortune Magazine's America's Toughest Bosses issue, Lynn is determined to gain Brandon as her client and turn him into a sensitive, woman-respecting gentleman. And in the process, she gets more than she bargained for.... I loved Female Intelligence. It was a very quick read, and the writing pulled just the right emotions. While not necessarily knee-slapping funny, I did laugh a few times. Mostly, however, this novel was simply fun brain candy, a great weekend-filler or a breather between heavy books. And then once you've begun your Jane Heller journey, there's no turning back! I can't wait to get to her other novels. Good Job, Jane; you've got a new fan.
Rating:
Summary: It is a fun and fast read
Review: However, I have to admit, it's not as funny as Sis Boom Bah or Name Dropping or any of Heller's books. It is a good and quick read for this busy mom ~~ and it's pure escapism! Dr. Lynn Wyman has a wildly successful practice in Womanspeak ~~ teaching men to speak like women ~~ until she discovered that her husband was cheating on her. Once she confided his infidelity to her circle of close friends, it was leaked to the media that the queen of communication couldn't even keep her marriage together ~~ she began to lose everything. Desperate to keep her practice, she decides to target a CEO of a huge corporation known as the world's meanest CEO and try to convert him to womenspeak. And the adventures began! This book has it all ~~ romance, mystery and betrayal. Lynn was left to figure out just who she could trust among her girlfriends while trying to convince her new romantic interest that it wasn't her that leaked the information that she was working with him on womanspeak ~~ but I have to admit that it was a tad predictable. Which is sad because Heller's strength usually lies in the motto ~~ expected the unexpected ~~ only it didn't work in this novel. If you're looking for a quick and entertaining read, this book would be it. However, don't expect it to measure up to Heller's other books! 10-28-02
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