Relationship advice from the guys! On Thursday, May 20, Dr. Jean Alerte along with Frank Gateau held a book signing in Brooklyn, N.Y. for the newly released relationship book, “Single Man, Married Man.”
Dr. Jean Alerte with eight other men has penned a new book “Single Man, Married Man” to provide women with insight to what men are thinking. So, what happens when you place eight men, single, married divorced, divorced and remarried in the position of answering and giving unique insights to real questions from real women about the male psyche when it comes to romantic relationships? What you get is a groundbreaking look at the thoughts and feelings of a diverse group of men with answers to those burning questions you’ve never been able to ask as well as surprising information that will forever transform the way you look at relationships.
In the book “Single Man, Married Man” you have a group of men that have come together to share their thoughts about women, relationships, marriage and what it takes for them to feel that connection that can lead to something more. In the book, the reader is able to get various men’s perspective on exactly what they are looking for and expecting.
How these eight men came together was not in a haphazard way; there was a deliberate process. Dr. Alerte spoke about this saying, “The process started first with myself, Frank Gateau and Jikael Bazin; the married man, the single man and the divorced man. It really happened organically. As we were doing the surveys, we were just focusing on guys who we wanted to be part of it; guys like Pervis Taylor who is a life coach, Kel Spencer, the engaged man and Fadelf Jackson who was married, divorced and then remarried. We thought his perspective was going to be very unique and figured quite a few women would be interested hearing the point of view of what makes a man get married, remarry or stay single.”
Dr. Alerte discussed how his background influenced the writing of this book. “I come from a Christian background and I come from a place where my parents have been married for over 30 years. Most of my family is married and together. So, I’ve always seen the family structure. I grew up in the church where my father is the pastor. In fact, he actually married me and my wife. For me, family is vital and I know firsthand what a good, solid partnership can do.”
In this day and age, there is a plethora of books, articles and even movies about how to navigate relationships. Some would ask whether there is a need for another one. Dr. Alerte, however, believes that “Single Man, Married Man” cannot be compared to any other body of work because there is nothing like it. “What makes this book different is that we have real questions coming from real women, seeking real answers. This is not a book where the author is trying to project his views and ideologies onto the reader. Secondly, its a relationship book written by real men. We’re not celebrities, we’re not actors; no one told us to write a book to save our careers. A lot of these relationship books are either written by a single woman, sometimes a married woman or a single guy. What we have here, now, is a group of men in different relationship statuses, coming together to bring their experiences to the table and starting a real dialogue.”
Speaking on the significance a book such as “Single Man, Married Man” has for the community, Dr. Alerte said, “This book is very important to the community because a lot of men are afraid to speak their minds about relationships. Many of them feel that as soon as they attempt to voice their opinions on the subject, they are shouted down, so their views have no merit. I believe that this book reopens the conversation and shows that many men do want love and relationships; we just express it differently.”
