A Second Opinion

        Michele Weiner-Davis'
                 The Divorce Remedy

   Michele Weiner-Davis is the author of The Divorce Remedy, which is subtitled "The Proven 7-Step Program for Saving Your Marriage."

   The inside front cover proclaims: "And if you think your partner already has a foot out the door, this proven program is a recipe for change, even if only you participate."

   We thought the only words that might stop someone with one foot out the door are: "Stop, or I'll Shoot!" And as any police officer can tell you, even that doesn't always work.

   On the inside front cover, the author and publisher claim, "In The Divorce Remedy, Weiner-Davis has created a seven-step program anyone can follow to revitalize even the most damaged marriage."

   Frankly, we don't believe it. We don't believe the author or the publisher believe it, either.

   On the copyright page which hardly anyone reads, in the smallest print in the book, Michele Weiner-Davis and Simon & Schuster tell you what they really believe. We'll put it in large print so you can read it without eyestrain.

"THE AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY LIABILITY, LOSS, OR RISK, PERSONAL OR OTHERWISE, THAT IS INCURRED AS A CONSEQUENCE, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OF THE USE AND APPLICATION OF ANY OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK."

   The first noun in the title is "divorce." Do you think people picking up this book might think that's where their marriage is headed?

   You can stop right there.

   Like psychic hotlines and no-money-down real estate schemes, Michele and Simon & Schuster take no responsibility for the consequences of what they say.

   If you create a new life in one last attempt to save a failing marriage, you will have obligations and responsibilities which continue for decades, but Michele Weiner-Davis and Simon & Schuster don't want to hear about it.

   The first noun in the title is "divorce." Do you think people picking up this book might think that's where their marriage is headed?

   Someday, some attorney is going to file a suit based on what their client believed, or what a reasonable person could believe, from the claims made for "proven" seven-step programs.

Sources:

• Michele Weiner-Davis, The Divorce Remedy: The Proven 7-Step Program for Saving Your Marriage (Simon & Schuster 2001). Michele Weiner-Davis is the author of A Woman's Guide to Changing Her Man: Without His Even Knowing It (Golden 1998), among other works.

• Michele Weiner-Davis sells advice and products under the name Divorce Busting®.

• Her product line include such things as phone coaching at $150 a session or $390 for three sessions.