Book Review: Sensitivity 101 for the Heterosexual Male by Philip Nork

Sensitivity 101 for the Heterosexual Male is a delicate and intimate coming of age story. From the time he was in the second grade, Philip Nork had a profound interest in understanding and pleasing the female gender. In his book, he takes the reader through his adolescent years, cataloging his interactions with fellow females within his school. While reading this book, it became clear to me that Nork had a clear understanding of what he did not want in the opposite sex and what would make him happy. Most people do not analyze such things until they become adults, so I applaud the author for the originality of the story and looking back in a nurturing and humanizing way.

The author is an inherently sensitive person and he presented a delicate balance of using that to understand the girls in each story while making note of practical lessons such as:

• ·         Girls want to be heard; guys need to be better listeners
• ·         All good things come to end; try to end them on a high note
• ·         When you truly connect with someone, age does not matter
• ·         See the difference in everyone and celebrate it

 As a mature adult reader, it was a bit difficult for me to relate to the juvenile lessons outlined in this book. I think this book is most beneficial for a developing young boy or girl.  The choices and mistakes that Nork made can help another young person make the right decisions when interacting with the opposite sex.  In fact, a change in the title and cover and the author could target a neglected topic within the young adult market.