Co-Dependent... What a Bore was a fast and enjoyable read. At many points in my reading, I just could not contain my enthusiasm! For it is frequently hilarious (I laughed out loud at many parts), often very opinionated (but he did warn us) and always thought provoking. An excellent work, dealing with a wide variety of topics. Mr. Goodner's sense of irony and his cynicism is highly developed, but they only serve to illustrate his points and help make what could be a dry subject into a fast and scintillating read.

Co-Dependent... What a Bore is wise, funny, shocking and thought provoking throughout. Definitely it is controversial and Mr. Goodner is going to have some eyebrows and possibly some pens raised against him in anger, but he should know that. I personally read the work with an open mind and a spirit of acceptance, and I believe that Mr. Goodner states his case and position very fairly, entertainingly and persuasively. Mr. Goodner pulls no punches, and boy, is that refreshing!

As I said before, I laughed out loud at many points - Mr. Goodner is gifted in breaking the tension and shaking up the rhythm of the work through humor and wit, so that the reader remains captivated.

Unfortunately I am not really in a position to comment on its psychological / scientific aspect, but I gathered from the "Acknowledgements" section that the content has been thrash out with other experts in the field. All I can tell you is that as a layperson, a reader of the type, which will be picking up the book in a bookstore, or coffee table as in my case, it works very well.

Again, I honestly have enjoyed reading this book, and got a lot out of it. I wish Mr. Goodner the best of luck in sending this out into the world. Will he have any problems selling it? I think not.

4 of 5 found the following review helpful:

Proofreading: What a Bore...  Jun 10, 2004

Mr. Goodner's tone and voice are strong and enjoyable, and his logic is excellent. The book covers a considerably narrower set of definitions for "co-dependent" than I had hoped. I had wanted to read a refutal or new perspective on co-dependent relationship dynamics as described by Robert Burney and Melanie Beattie; instead, Mr. Goodner uses most of the book to support his case for refusing to accept the term "co-dependent." He points out the illogical origins of the term and emphasizes that mental health workers have a professional duty to stick to the DSM when making their diagnoses. I agree. Just, caveat emptor if you're looking to read about "love versus toxic love" as I was. And caveat emptor anyway for verbosity and shoddiness - Mr. Goodner has probably never read Strunk & White, and he is an inconsistent speller. Co-dependant or co-dependent? Got editor?

P.S. - My favorite thing in the book was an aside in which Mr. Goodner asserted that committing rape is not about being in control, but about using aggression to get what you want (in that case, sex), much as a mugger uses aggression to get money. That got me started thinking about the whole range of methods people use to manipulate others into giving them what they want - aggression, charm, negotiations, lawyers. I suppose if there's a level of mutual agreeability to the outcome of such manipulation, then it's no longer manipulation, just negotiation, or maybe just social interaction. I would imagine there's a mutual agreeability threshold below which the initiator of the interaction qualifies as "antisocial."

P.P.S. - I wish you the best, Mr. Goodner, and thanks for the cute raccoon picture.

5 of 7 found the following review helpful:

Co-dependent...What a Bore and Other Clinical Observations  Aug 09, 2003

Even if you don't subscribe to Mr. Goodner's doctrine, which is so uncommonly sensitive, this book is a GREAT READ! (You will laugh aloud, even hysterically at one point.)

Full of daring witticism and intellectual perceptions, this book will jar the senses, especially in the professional world, I think.

Thank you for caring, Mr. Goodner. Will you be my personal spiritual guru?

3 of 5 found the following review helpful:

Wow!  Dec 08, 2003

I love this book! It's got everything! Humor, Psychology, Co-dependent-bashing, Politics, Wit, Humor, Lore, Wisdom, Humor, Sarcasm, Not-so-common sense, and on and on. What a gem is Rick Goodner and his book, Co-dependent...What a Bore...

6 of 12 found the following review helpful:

Instead of trashing  Mar 23, 2004

Instead of just trashing someone else's work (that has helped many, many people) does this author actually have anything of use to say? Why write a book tearing down other people's work instead of adding your own original work? Any therapy can be abused to a silly extreme... that doesn't negate the proper use of the therapy itself. And what's with the automatic belittling of "affluent white women"? Is one's affluence (...)and race a buffer to all psychological problems and pain? I think jealousy has reared it's ugly head with this author- not only in envying the success of someone else's work but in the personal vendetta against "affluent white women". I bet you anything this author's mother was an "affluent white woman"!

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