How to Ruin Your Love Life

by Ben Stein

A good love relationship isn’t really that important. In fact, it uses up a lot of time you could spend thinking about yourself . . . and doing things all alone or with your drunken, loser friends. That’s why Ben Stein has written How to Ruin Your Love Life. Following up on the wild success of his pioneering "do-the-opposite-of-what-I-say" self-help book, How to Ruin Your Life, he now brings you, in 44 easy-to-follow-steps, ways to definitively and absolutely . . . ruin your love life. The essays in this bitingly humorous book include such master strokes "Talk about Yourself Exclusively," "Make Fun of Your Lover’s Family," "Demand Expensive Gifts from Your Lover," and "Compare Your Lover with Lovers You’ve Dated in the Past." And then there’s the most important one of "If You’re Dating Someone Who Has a Lot of Problems, Is Generally a Mess, and All of Your Friends Dislike Him or Her, Get Married Anyway – Marriage Will Solve All of Your Problems." This work will not only make you laugh out loud, it will allow you to honestly assess how many of these relationship-killers you (and your lover) are currently engaging in. Learn from this book, and for heaven’s sake, do the opposite right now!

Genres: Humor

119 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Benjamin Stein is a multifaceted American figure known for his work as a writer, lawyer, actor, comedian, and commentator on politics and economics. He began his public life as a speechwriter for Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, later gaining widespread recognition in the entertainment world for his deadpan comedic style. Stein became a pop culture icon through his role as the monotone economics teacher in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and as the host of Win Ben Stein’s Money, a game show that earned multiple Emmy Awards. He also played Dr. Arthur Neuman in The Mask and its sequel. A Yale Law School valedictorian, Stein worked as a lawyer for the Federal Trade Commission and taught law and economics at Pepperdine University.
A prolific columnist, Stein has contributed to The American Spectator, Newsmax, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, among others. His books, often co-authored with Phil DeMuth, address financial planning and economic commentary. In 2008, he wrote and starred in Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, a controversial documentary criticized for promoting intelligent design.
Politically conservative, Stein has defended Nixon's legacy, expressed strong views on U.S. foreign policy, and advocated higher taxes on the wealthy to support military initiatives and reduce national debt. During the 2008 financial crisis, he came under scrutiny for downplaying early warning signs and misjudging the scale of the economic collapse.
Stein has also had an extensive voice acting and television career, appearing in series such as The Wonder Years, Seinfeld, and Family Guy, and voicing characters in The Fairly OddParents, Rugrats, and Animaniacs. His personal life includes a long-standing marriage to entertainment lawyer Alexandra Denman and homes in California, Idaho, and Washington, D.C. Though often polarizing in his opinions, Stein remains a recognizable figure across political, academic, and entertainment domains.

Reviews

[Joseph Demakis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would read all of them...!

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's witty, funny, and accurate! Now I understand why my ex is still single at 42, and why I couldn't put up with that relationship anymore. My ex was very proficient when it came to doing all that this book says you shouldn't do. Following all this rules helped her to ruin her love life. And somehow that helped me to realize that there are some kind of people that I don't want to be with at all. You also learn by being on the other side of the one person that follows these rules.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute
Couldn't help thinking as I was reading that every guy I've ever dated must have read this book and taken at least some of it to heart. And not in the reverse psychology way you're supposed to take it. Not like I'm claiming perfection, it was just interesting to read about some of the more atrocious aspects of my past relationships as pseudo advice

[dirt · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is supposed to be funny, at least that's how it sells itself in the intro. I read the first three chapters & didn't crack a smile once. There are no funny words like poop, barf, fornicate, or any of the other funny things people in loving relationships say to each other.

[Brenden]

How to Ruin Your Love Life by Ben Stein (2003)

[Veronica Schultz]

This was pretty good. Not amazing, but a fun read.

[Jonathan Tennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Purchased this book years ago when I went to a Ben Stein reading / presentation at a university. It sat on my shelf for years and I read this as a collection (Life, Love Life, Financial Life) in a few sittings. It gets kinda dry when read this way but his points remain relevant--most people I know who are messing up their lives in some way are doing some variety of the things listed in these books. The hardest parts of the book for me were the ones that resonated most with my actions. No one is perfect and I'll be the first to admit that I am far from it.

In the end, I read it imagining what it would've sounded like if Ben had narrated it.

Enjoyable enough. Would recommend to anyone, especially if you can never get enough of "Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?"

My favorite line happened to come from the Love Life book but is applicable to these types of behaviors wherever you see them: "Remember, people do change--but only for you--and only if you love them with all your heart."

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the author's take on things that you can do to ruin your love life. There are 44 items listed in the book of which most center around "put yourself first" in one way or another. The book does have an epilogue that lets you know that none of us are perfect but that we can strive to be better by doing the opposite of what is in the book.

[Shane Coffey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was better than the original "How to Ruin Your Life". Great to read with a partner, actually, and discuss the points you feel challenged about. It's a simple text, but there is benefit to be had from it if you read it with intentionality. Kind of like exercise: You get out of it what you put into it.