Rating: 
Summary: Fresh and original!
Review: I picked up this book on the strength of the plot. The premise of the book which should be well chronicled by now, what's a player to do once his best friend marries? This was a life altering event for our main character Rodney who soon realizes he's one woman short. The fun begins when he ponders his single life and makes a list of former girlfriends. The list soon becomes a major catalyst for reflection, discussion and introspection for not only Rodney but his best friend and his new bride, his sister, his mother and even former girlfriends. Nelson George's writing style is hip and fun. I went in knowing absolutely nothing about what a publicist does and came away with a good understanding and appreciation for the profession. I also appreciate "being in Rodney's head"; I never once had to wonder about Rodney's motivation.This book is part comedy, part mystery and part drama. It was well worth the time.
Rating: 
Summary: ONE PLOT SHORT
Review: I was hesitant at first to purchase this novel, it seems that contemporary fiction by African American authors on the subject of love & relationships is much to abundant on bookstore shelves. I'd had my fill of the repetetive girl-meets-boy story. In the end, my admiration for Nelson George's non-fiction and my curiousity about a male perspective in this tired genre, led me to give the book a try. While the book did have it's good points, I didn't gain any insight into the male psyche having read ONE WOMAN SHORT. One critic compared this novel to HIGH FIDELITY and while the protagonists are similarly egotistical but likeable, George has alot to learn from Nick Hornsby about storytelling. In ONE WOMAN SHORT, George tells the story of Rodney Hampton, a dyed in the wool bachelor who has an epiphany at a friend's wedding and realizes that he may have let the woman of his dreams get away. After compiling a list of his conquests, he narrows his focus to a trinity of past girlfriends, one of which he is certain is Ms. Right. In what could have been an entertaining and humorous story is slightly bungled by George who gives the reader the impression that he's still writing non-fiction. Page after page is spent describing Rodney's observations about everything from his career to the "scene" in LA instead of advancing the plotline. he introduces character after character all in situations that never tie into Rodney's mission of finding a wife. George has a fantastic way with dialogue and description, probably stemming from his career as a journalist but that isn't enough to make ONE WOMAN SHORT a quality read.
Rating:
Summary: ONE PLOT SHORT
Review: I was hesitant at first to purchase this novel, it seems that contemporary fiction by African American authors on the subject of love & relationships is much to abundant on bookstore shelves. I'd had my fill of the repetetive girl-meets-boy story. In the end, my admiration for Nelson George's non-fiction and my curiousity about a male perspective in this tired genre, led me to give the book a try. While the book did have it's good points, I didn't gain any insight into the male psyche having read ONE WOMAN SHORT. One critic compared this novel to HIGH FIDELITY and while the protagonists are similarly egotistical but likeable, George has alot to learn from Nick Hornsby about storytelling. In ONE WOMAN SHORT, George tells the story of Rodney Hampton, a dyed in the wool bachelor who has an epiphany at a friend's wedding and realizes that he may have let the woman of his dreams get away. After compiling a list of his conquests, he narrows his focus to a trinity of past girlfriends, one of which he is certain is Ms. Right. In what could have been an entertaining and humorous story is slightly bungled by George who gives the reader the impression that he's still writing non-fiction. Page after page is spent describing Rodney's observations about everything from his career to the "scene" in LA instead of advancing the plotline. he introduces character after character all in situations that never tie into Rodney's mission of finding a wife. George has a fantastic way with dialogue and description, probably stemming from his career as a journalist but that isn't enough to make ONE WOMAN SHORT a quality read.
Rating:
Summary: ONE PLOT SHORT
Review: I was hesitant at first to purchase this novel, it seems that contemporary fiction by African American authors on the subject of love & relationships is much too abundant on bookstore shelves. I'd had my fill of the repetetive girl-meets-boy story. In the end, my admiration for Nelson George's non-fiction and my curiousity about a male perspective in this tired genre, led me to give the book a try. While the book did have it's good points, I didn't gain any insight into the male psyche having read ONE WOMAN SHORT. One critic compared this novel to HIGH FIDELITY and while the protagonists are similarly egotistical but likeable, George has alot to learn from Nick Hornsby about storytelling. In ONE WOMAN SHORT, George tells the story of Rodney Hampton, a dyed in the wool bachelor who has an epiphany at a friend's wedding and realizes that he may have let the woman of his dreams get away. After compiling a list of his conquests, he narrows his focus to a trinity of past girlfriends, one of which he is certain is Ms. Right. What could have been an entertaining and humorous story is bungled by George who gives the reader the impression that he's still writing non-fiction. Page after page is spent describing Rodney's observations about everything from his career to the "scene" in LA instead of advancing the plotline. He introduces character after character all in situations that never tie into Rodney's mission of finding a wife. George has a fantastic way with dialogue and description, probably stemming from his career as a journalist but that isn't enough to make ONE WOMAN SHORT a quality read.
Rating: 
Summary: OKAY!
Review: If you like Nelson George, you will like this book. It wasn't a page turner, but it was a good storyline. But as someone else pointed out, the ending is missing. You are left hanging as to what happened. I guess we will have to wait for the sequel. Right, Nelson?
Rating:
Summary: Lacks Spunk
Review: Move over Eric Jerome Dickey and Omar Tyree...Nelson George's name should be as common to a readers' lips as is a tongue. One Woman Short, paperback, even available at [local retailer] 255 pages with a revised book cover design. Nelson George is an excellent writer. I stumbled upon this book while browsing black authors at [local retailer]. It was a very good read and I highly recommend to book clubs and individual readers alike. Rodney Hampton (main character) whose occupation is in Public Relations, runs Hampton Media in Los Angeles, CA. This single man is a professional when it comes to juggling women. He is single and loving it, or so he thought until his best friend Tim gets married. Rodney goes through the usual symptoms that most brothers do, when their running buddy decides to settle down. Then the story takes an unusual turn. Rodney makes a list that consist of 133 women from his past. He is eager to see if his noncommittal ways etc. caused him to miss out on a good wife. He decides to contact the top three candidates. After his ailing mother tells him he is "one woman short"...that is the fuel to drive him through his search. The reader will be mentally transported (Oprah says that is the key to a good story) to California. Taste buds will desire something from the menu at Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles or Aunt Kizzy's Soul Food. Ears will imagine the sounds of music coming from some fancy entertainment industry party. Rodney's line of work puts him in the midst of whose who in Black Hollywood's Music and Movie Industry. I was even intriqued at the thought of the Blaxican Cafe (a mexican soul food restaurant). I simply could not put this book down. It was a definite page turner. I had to see what would happen as Rodney contacted the three women from his past. It was refreshing to follow Rodney's immature reflection turn into mature introspection. All single readers may want to prepare a list of their own after reading the book. The list says a lot about each persons' journey to the here and now. The reader will feel up close and personal while reading this story. See what happens when someone gives too little in a relationship or gives too much. Will the complex man named Rodney (who deep down wants to write children's books, enjoys Aveda bath gel and candles and feels responsible when taking his neices to the WNBA games) remain one woman short? Will Tim fall victim to temptation? Will the friendship between Rodney and Tim remain strong? Each well developed character has a story of their own that includes betrayal, tragedy, sex, happiness, true love, healing, friendship and jealously...VERY ENTERTAINING! The story is very witty, sexy, funny, intelligent and refreshing. The author has a unique flair for story telling. His use of metaphors and analogies certainly are on the money...the character are well defined and very memorable. I could hardly believe little old Houston, Texas was mentioned in this story.
Rating:
Summary: Very Witty, Mature, Entertaining and Refreshing...
Review: Move over Eric Jerome Dickey and Omar Tyree...Nelson George's name should be as common to a readers' lips as is a tongue. One Woman Short, paperback, even available at [local retailer] 255 pages with a revised book cover design. Nelson George is an excellent writer. I stumbled upon this book while browsing black authors at [local retailer]. It was a very good read and I highly recommend to book clubs and individual readers alike. Rodney Hampton (main character) whose occupation is in Public Relations, runs Hampton Media in Los Angeles, CA. This single man is a professional when it comes to juggling women. He is single and loving it, or so he thought until his best friend Tim gets married. Rodney goes through the usual symptoms that most brothers do, when their running buddy decides to settle down. Then the story takes an unusual turn. Rodney makes a list that consist of 133 women from his past. He is eager to see if his noncommittal ways etc. caused him to miss out on a good wife. He decides to contact the top three candidates. After his ailing mother tells him he is "one woman short"...that is the fuel to drive him through his search. The reader will be mentally transported (Oprah says that is the key to a good story) to California. Taste buds will desire something from the menu at Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles or Aunt Kizzy's Soul Food. Ears will imagine the sounds of music coming from some fancy entertainment industry party. Rodney's line of work puts him in the midst of whose who in Black Hollywood's Music and Movie Industry. I was even intriqued at the thought of the Blaxican Cafe (a mexican soul food restaurant). I simply could not put this book down. It was a definite page turner. I had to see what would happen as Rodney contacted the three women from his past. It was refreshing to follow Rodney's immature reflection turn into mature introspection. All single readers may want to prepare a list of their own after reading the book. The list says a lot about each persons' journey to the here and now. The reader will feel up close and personal while reading this story. See what happens when someone gives too little in a relationship or gives too much. Will the complex man named Rodney (who deep down wants to write children's books, enjoys Aveda bath gel and candles and feels responsible when taking his neices to the WNBA games) remain one woman short? Will Tim fall victim to temptation? Will the friendship between Rodney and Tim remain strong? Each well developed character has a story of their own that includes betrayal, tragedy, sex, happiness, true love, healing, friendship and jealously...VERY ENTERTAINING! The story is very witty, sexy, funny, intelligent and refreshing. The author has a unique flair for story telling. His use of metaphors and analogies certainly are on the money...the character are well defined and very memorable. I could hardly believe little old Houston, Texas was mentioned in this story.
Rating:
Summary: Light, enjoyable read
Review: One Woman Short is the brisk, entertaining tale of a man who realizes, after the marriage of his best buddy, that it may be time for him to find the right woman and settle down too. Somehow, he gets the misbegotten idea to compile an exhaustive list of all the girls he's loved before, certain that somewhere on that list of over one hundred women, "the one" is hidden. I enjoyed Nelson George's style and his glimpse into the black entertainment world was fun. However, Rodney, the protagonist, seemed to be man who has his head on straight - why would such a man be convinced that his future bride is one of the skeletons in his relationship closet? Why wouldn't he seek out a fresh, new love? And isn't he enough of an individual in his own mind to decide for himself when he wants to settle down, not be influenced by his homey's marital status and the pressures from his mom and sister? Those questions aside, One Woman Short is a nice, light, summer read. Although the plot can be somewhat contrived, it is still an enjoyable story.
Rating:
Summary: Just OK...
Review: One Woman Short is the story of Rodney a 30 something AA male, who decides on the day of his best friends wedding, that he needs to find the right woman. He makes a list of all the different women he has been with over the years, and eventually narrows it down to 3 women. The story deals alot with Rodney's PR business and the people that he represents. We never really get to know the 3 women who are the chosen ones on his list. They are mentioned, but there is not alot of book space for them. The book just kind of leaves you hanging. There were some funny parts to the book, but again nothing to get excited over. I wish much success and blessing to Nelson George. Peace!
Rating:
Summary: It Was Okay....
Review: One Woman Short was an "okay" book. Nothing earth-shattering on either extreme: I didn't love it, and I didn't hate it. Things that I liked: the main character, Rodney, was a pretty nice guy; his sister, Roberta, is funny, sassy, sharp-tongued, and loves her brother dearly; George writes in very vivid descriptive detail (I felt like I was in L.A. myself, and I've never been there before). Things I didn't like: the whole premise of the book (a thirty-something successful black male feeling pressure to get married after his friend's wedding, and hounding from his mother, sister, and nieces? A little farfetched); the method Rodney used to seek out his future bride (a list of 133 old flames - how do you even narrow it down to 3 - and why the 3 losers he picked?); and as another reviewer pointed out, there was too much narration, and not enough dialogue. Overall, it was, like I said, an "okay" book. I think it may have been better if George had developed the characters, and Rodney's relationship to them, more. This was definitely better than Urban Romance. And even though it appears that George's writing style just doesn't appeal to me, since I already have it, I'll read Seduced as well.
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