IF SOMEONE SAYS "YOU COMPLETE ME," RUN!

Goldberg (Whoopi Goldberg Book, 1997, etc.) offers unvarnished advice on relationships.

Based on her years of experience in a variety of relationships, the author, currently the moderator of The View, suggests ideas on interpersonal bonds that she wishes someone had suggested to her years ago. Her hope is that readers won't make the same mistakes she did or have to learn the hard way why a relationship is not working. Her manner is frank and mostly funny, and Goldberg rarely holds back. Popular culture, she writes, consistently portrays an unrealistic picture of what a "normal" bond between two people should be, which sets up everyone for major disappointment. That sweet Cinderella dream of Prince Charming sweeping you off your feet to a life of happily ever after—it's not going to happen. No one can complete you, writes Goldberg, if you're not already solid and complete in yourself. The author offers advice for those stuck in dead-end situations, for those who just want no-strings-attached sex (as well as what to do when the sex has stopped but the relationship is worth saving), and for those whose partners have strayed into affairs or have been unfaithful all along. Through occasionally profane humor, Goldberg reminds readers that you can't change the person you're with and should never get into a relationship thinking that you can, that you should be aware of any red flags before you say “I do,” that the kids always come first, and that any major lies usually come back around in the end. Goldberg's writing will appeal to women the most, but her counsel is geared toward both genders, all races, and all sexual orientations. Though the author is honest and usually spot-on, the narrative isn’t much different from most standard self-help material.

Witty in the classic Goldberg mold, but most of this is common-sense stuff that can be found in a variety of popular magazines.