The Complete Book of Rules
TIME-TESTED SECRETS
FOR CAPTURING THE HEART
OF MR RIGHT
Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider
Contents
Introduction: The Rules Phenomenon
4 But First the Product – You!
Rule 1 Be a ‘Creature Unlike Any Other’
Rule 2 Don’t Talk to a Man First (and Don’t Ask Him to Dance)
Rule 3 Don’t Stare at Men or Talk Too Much
Rule 4 Don’t Meet Him Halfway or Go Dutch on a Date
Rule 5 Don’t Call Him and Rarely Return His Calls
Rule 6 Always End Phone Calls First
Rule 7 If He Doesn’t Call, He’s Not That Interested. Period!
Rule 8 Don’t Accept a Saturday Night Date After Wednesday
Rule 9 Fill Up Your Time before the Date
Rule 10 How to Act on Dates 1, 2 and 3
Rule 11 How to Act on Dates 4 through Commitment Time
Rule 12 Always End the Date First
Rule 13 Show Up Even If You Don’t Feel Like It
Rule 14 Long-Distance Relationships. Part I: How They Should Start
Rule 15 Long Distance Relationships. Part II: Making It Work
Rule 16 Stop Dating Him If He Doesn’t Buy You a Romantic Gift For Your Birthday or Valentine’s Day
Rule 17 Don’t Go Overboard and Other Rules for Giving To Men
Rule 18 Don’t See Him More Than Once or Twice a Week
Rule 19 No More than Casual Kissing on the First Date
Rule 20 Don’t Rush Into Sex and Other Rules for Intimacy
Rule 21 Don’t Tell Him What To Do
Rule 23 Don’t Expect a Man to Change or Try to Change Him
Rule 24 Don’t Open Up Too Fast
Rule 25 Be Honest But Mysterious
Rule 26 Don’t Live With a Man (or Leave Your Things in His House)
Rule 27 Observe His Behaviour on the Holidays
Rule 28 Rules for Personal Ads and Dating Services
Rule 29 Rules for On-line Dating
Rule 30 Don’t Waste Time on Fantasy Relationships
Rule 31 Be Smart and Other Rules for Dating in School
Rule 32 Take Care of Yourself and Other Rules for Dating in College
Rule 33 Don’t Stand by His Desk and Other Rules for the Office Romance
Rule 34 Don’t Be a Groupie and Other Rules for Dating Celebrities or High-Profile Men
Rule 35 Rules for Turning a Friend Into a Boyfriend
Rule 36 Second Chances – Rules for Getting Back an Ex
Rule 37 Don’t Date a Married Man
Rule 38 Don’t Be a Rebound Girl and Other Rules for Dating a Man Who is Separated
Rule 39 Slowly Involve Him in Your Family and Other Rules for Women with Children
Rule 40 Starting Over – Rules for the Mature Woman
Rule 41 Practise, Practise, Practise! (or, Getting Good at The Rules)