The Daughter-in-Law Rules – a book review and giveaway

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When you get married, you not only marry the man, you marry his family. Whether they live next door or in another country (if they live in the same house, RUN away as fast as you can), they will likely have a huge influence on his life, especially his mother. The species of humans known as the “mother-in-law” often leaves fear and trembling in her wake. There is something that happens to a woman, when another woman takes over control of her son and it often defies all logic and reason.

Here is a illustration:

Well now there is some hope for those women plagued with the dreaded mother-in-law, in the form of a book called The Daughter-in-Law Rules: 101 Surefire Ways to Manage (and Make Friends with) Your Mother-in-Law! by Sally Shields.

The author, Sally Shields, generously sent me a copy of The Daughter-in-Law Rules to read and review (she sent a couple extra too but you have to keep reading to find out about those).

What is the book about:
From the back of the book:

Do you dread visits with your mother-in-law? Do you find yourself dodging ruthless remarks at every possible moment? Is battling your mother-in-law a simple fact of life, or is there another approach to assuage the age-old conflict between mother and wife?

In the tradition of The RULES for dating, The Daughter-in-Law Rules lays out simple and witty ways to aid wives of all ages in mastering every element of mother-in-law relations–from the decorum of housekeeping to the delicate world of child rearing.

Whether you’re at the beginning of your marriage or you’ve spent years trying to make peace with your mother-in-law, The Daughter-in-Law Rules provides a revolutionary set of strategies, making copasetic coexistence possible at last!

According to website, the following is a list of things you will learn from reading The Daughter-in-Law Rules:

• The 10 Essential Things Every Newlywed Needs to Know in Order to Guarantee a Lifetime of Wedded Bliss! (or What to Do When the Honeymoon is Over-Literally!)
• The Top Three Trickiest Topics : Advice, Interests and Gift Giving— and Just How to Handle Them!
• The Most Common Mistakes That Daughter-in-Laws Make (and how to correct them!)
• The 7 Top Tips for Daughter-in-Law Survival During Holiday Time!
• The Magical Methods of How to Handle House and Home (and the Distinct Differences Between Your Place and Hers)
• The Four Imperative Policies You Must Adopt when Dining with Your MIL!
• The Two Simple Strategies That Will Abolish All Arguments with Your Husband in Regards to his mother— Forever!
• The 5 Indispensable Insider Tips for What to Expect When You (And Your Mil) Are Expecting!
• Tried and True Techniques for Having the Happiest MIL on the Block (During Baby’s First Year!)
• The 7 Significant Tidbits To Study Prior to Visiting With your Toddler!
• The Simple Four Step Process That Any Daughter-In-Law Can Immediately Employ To Eliminate 90% of All Future D.I.L.Z (Daughter-In-Law Zings!) And Create a Personalized Set of Rules Customized for Your Very Own MIL!
• …and much, much more!

This daughter-in-law’s take on the book:
My mother-in-law is really not a typical mother-in-law. Sure she has her quirks (love ya Bern!) but in general she’s been pretty easy to get along with, and I’m not just saying that because she reads our blog. In that respect, The Daughter-In-Law Rules is not a “must-have” in my house. That being said, I certainly enjoyed reading it and there were plenty of times I laughed out loud because I know a few people who could learn a little something from reading it, or it was just plain funny. I also found the play on words interesting in the title….are they rules for being a daughter-in-law or ways to RULE as a daughter-in-law…hmmmmmm….

My favorite rules are:
#47 because she uses the word flatulating and makes a possibly horrifying experience into something you may be able to laugh at later.

#56 because it made me laugh and wonder if there really are mother-in-laws who are that self-centered.

The bottom line:
The Daughter-In-Law Rules is written in a witty fun way, but also gives practical advice for handling almost any situation you will ever encounter with a “challenging” mother-in-law. From the first days of marriage to first babies and beyond, it really covers all the bases. Don’t be deceived, though. The book may appear a bit tongue-in-cheek, but the goal is to truly “develop a respectful and loving relationship with your mother-in-law.”

If you have a “challenging” mother-in-law or are engaged and want to be prepared for anything your future mother-in-law throws at you, this book IS a “must-have.” It would also make a fantastic engagement or wedding gift too.

About the Author:
Sally Shields

Sally is an award-winning pianist, composer, speaker, and author. She graduated with honors from the New England Conservatory and was a recipient of the Boston Jazz Society Award. Winner of the 17th annual Great American Jazz Piano Competition, her articles and transcriptions are featured regularly in Piano Today Magazine and her book, Modern Jazz Piano, is the standard theory manual for several music programs, including Princeton University. Her children’s song “It’s Christmastime, Once Again” was a finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and her music is currently featured on the ABC TV daytime drama All My Children.

When not traveling and performing around the world— most recently with bestselling author and musician James McBride— Sally lives in New York City with her husband and their two children.

If you would like more information about the book visit the website at: thedilrules.com. While there you can sign up for the newsletter, enter the contest to win a free copy by submitting a story, and buy the book. You can also read testimonials and learn about other projects by the author.

The giveaway:
Sally Shields has generously offered to give 2 of our readers a copy of The Daughter-in-Law Rules.

How to enter:

1. Visit the site: thedilrules.com and find something about either the book, the author, the website or any of the author’s other project that interested you.
2. Come back here and leave a comment about what you were interested in.

How to earn extra entries:

• Subscribe/be subscribed by email to our updates (make sure to verify your subscription)
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NOTE: You must provide an additional comment for each additional entry you have earned.

This giveaway is open to the USA and Canada only and ends at noon August 11, 2008.

2 winners will be selected by random drawing using Random.org.