At Long Last Love: Sage Advice and True Stories from America's Premier Matchmakers - Hardcover

Wingo, John; Wingo, Julie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0446517291 ISBN 13: 9780446517294

Publisher: Grand Central Pub, 1994

Synopsis

The founders of a successful matchmaking service furnish illuminating anecdotes and advice on finding and keeping the right romantic relationship

About this title

From Kirkus Reviews:

Based on years of experience as professional matchmakers, the Wingos present advice, backed up by case histories, for those seeking committed relationships. This upscale how-to is most effective and insightful when discussing how people undermine their own efforts to achieve long- term relationships. Among the causes of social failure are inaccurate self-perception, self-sabotage, the pursuit of fantasies, excessive self-protection, and impatience. John and Julie Wingo, married for 20 years themselves, are somewhat less successful in conveying strategies that work. Too much of this book is an infomercial for the Wingos' pricey matchmaking service (J. Wingo International). Because clients are paying $5,000 fees, too many of the subjects of the case studies here are affluent people with the class-related idiosyncracies and years of psychotherapy to fit their incomes. A vast number of middle-class readers, therefore, will have difficulty empathizing with and learning from these subjects. The authors also impart anachronistic and chauvinistic pearls like, ``To catch a man's eye in our culture, women need to be on the thin side.'' A similar bias is projected against religion. The authors will not work with a client with a religious preference, as ``such a specification is usually connected to a kind of closed-mindedness that goes beyond religious issues.'' Not only do the Wingos ignore a proven ingredient in stable couples, but they leave out church-sponsored singles events from their list of recommended social activities. Some of the strengths here include a firm stand against early sexual encounters and a lack of the pat formulas that limit other self-help/relationship books. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From Publishers Weekly:

This husband and wife team, owners of a matchmaking firm, J. Wingo International, combine corporate headhunting approaches with advising readers who want to enter into and maintain a long-term relationship. Emphasizing that self-knowledge and openness are more important than strategy, the authors suggest that many people remain unattached because they cling to stringent requirements for potential dates (or mates) in such areas as appearance, income or profession. Chapters on such issues as overcoming past experiences, first meetings and making commitments begin with lengthy case histories illustrating how difficulties were solved--with the authors' help. The Wingos' frequent references to themselves and their business make their book more advertisement than self-help guide. Author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Grand Central Pub
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0446517291
• ISBN 13: 9780446517294
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 221