Author: Steve Nakamoto

Publisher: Java Books; 2nd edition

Pub. in: June, 2002

ISBN: 0967089328

Pages: 208

Measurements: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches

Origin of product: USA

Order code: BA00422

Other information:  

Writer's Digest Magazine Self-Published Book Awards Nonfiction Honorable Mention

The below interview with the author is presented to help readers better understand the background of the book writing.

QUESTION TO THE AUTHOR: TELL US ABOUT YOUR BOOK MEN ARE LIKE FISH. WHY DID YOUR WRITE THIS BOOK? EXPLAIN YOUR TITLE AND WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT YOUR MESSAGE AND THE BOOK AS A WHOLE.

Men Are Like Fish uses a fishing metaphor to illustrate how a woman can hook-up with the right man and land his elusive love. It's another way of looking at love in a fun and simple way (from a man's point-of-view).

I wrote this book as the result of my own search for answers. I had a love affair that ended badly for me many years ago and it took me a long time to recover emotionally. Then I came across the work of Tony Robbins in the field of neurolinguistic programming which gave me some specific cause and effect reasons why romantic love happens.

I began working on the idea of a book titled "Instant Romance" which was about how you can use neurolinguistic programming techniques to get people to fall in love with you, especially on cruises and Club Med vacations.

Then one day I started noticing how people use fishing words in relationship phrases like he's a nice catch, she landed a husband, he fell for her hook, line, and sinker, there are more fish in the sea, and don't let the big one get away, to name a few. Part of my training with Tony Robbins was in the use of metaphors to create perceptional shifts and better understanding of complex ideas. So my book idea evolved into "Fishing For Love."

But writing still seemed a chore for me, so I took the easier route and decided to create a book of 500 quotations around the love and fishing theme. I went to book writing seminars and had my book idea evaluated by literary agents and book editors at the Maui Writer's Conference. In a nutshell, the feedback was that any relationship book with the word "Fishing" as its lead-in would end up in the sports section of the book store. Also my original book idea was written for men and the agents and editors said that no publisher would take on a relationship book targeted for a predominately male audience. That's because research shows that nearly 80% of all relationship books are purchased by women.

So I had to come up with an idea about relationships from a man's point of view but written for a female audience. They also told me that the book of quotations was a bad idea and that it would only fly if I actually wrote a first person narrative with personal anecdotes. At the time it that seemed like a hard task for me to accomplish.

Then I came across a lady on a sightseeing tour that I was conducting (my part-time occupation is as a professional tour director) who told me, "Steve I’ve heard you talk about your fishing for love idea and it reminds me of the old saying that a man chases a woman until she catches him."

I found out that the saying was an American proverb which meant that if the woman is doing the catching, that makes the man the fish. I had it the other way around. Once I realize that love works best in America when it's the man who is the fish, then the book fell into place. I had the first edition of the book completed about 6 months later.

That first edition came out in January 2000 and won an honorable mention certificate in the Writer's Digest 2000 Self-Published Nonfiction Book Awards. For the next two years I went on over 180 radio talk shows where I discussed my book and tested out some new ideas. I definitely learned more in those two years of promoting than the previous 7 years when I was researching and writing the original book.

So it's the second edition of Men Are Like Fish that is out now in bookstores and Amazon.com. This new edition is expanded, rewritten, updated, and loaded with unique new decision tools. I also took a calculated risk in making this new version a little bit more provocative. I hope that women can see the greater value in well-qualified straight talk instead of the usual wishy-washy self-help takes. But I realize that love is a very personal and sensitive issue so some women are just going to get offended and angry at the audacity of a man advising a woman on what to do.

QUESTION TO THE AUTHOR: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FEEDBACK FROM READERS? WHAT DO THEY SAY TO YOU ABOUT THEIR INTERPRETATIONS OF YOUR BOOKS?

The people who appreciate my book are the ones who scribble notes all over the pages and have questions for me. I really admire those people and know that their caring will be richly rewarded as they master this subject.

There are others, however, both men and women who react angrily and refuse to take responsibility for learning and understanding about love. These people may even buy dozens of relationship books, but the central problem never gets solved. And that is to start over with a clean slate, be fully responsible for their love life, and master the fundamentals of healthy self-esteem, communication skills, and love relationships.

One of my challenges in writing a somewhat provocative book is that a woman doesn't have to like it in order for it to be true. For example, I wrote about how physical awkwardness with a woman who is too tall or big may spook away some men some of the time. Now if I were to ask a man about this he could probably see how this can be true, but I’ve had a recent complaint from a female reader who got really offended with this line. So I’m always faced with that dilemma of writing something that is true but sensitive rather than just avoiding the subject altogether.

But honestly I think that most people who get a hold of my book just dabble in the subject matter and skim through the pages. And by doing this, my book unfortunately is doomed to have only limited value.

QUESTIONS TO THE AUTHOR: WHERE DID YOU GROW UP AND WHO WERE YOUR EARLIEST INFLUENCES?

In 6th grade I moved from a poor area of Los Angeles to the upper middle class suburb of Palos Verdes. I was a bright kid in all subjects, except writing. So in a way it is ironic that I would become an author. My parents did however purchase a set of the World Book Encyclopedia which I read wholeheartedly from cover-to-cover.

The biggest influences of my adolescent life aside from my family and friends were sports heroes and the Beatles. I learned to play the guitar and sing Beatles songs which made me kind of a romantic teenager. But mostly my claim to fame was that I was the basketball star at my high school. I also loved to surf which was a cool thing about growing up close to the beach in Southern California.

TALK A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL OUTLOOK ON EVERYDAY LIFE AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE IN THE SELF ACHIEVING SCIENCE.

I've come to believe that life is more about reaching for fulfillment rather than simple fun or pleasure. It's also about finding out what a person can be passionate about in life (at least for a man). I used to think that there were exotic places in the world where I'd rather live, but the more I traveled the more I wanted to go home where I have friends, can work on my writing projects, and go surfing whenever I wish.

In regards to the self achieving science, I learned from the best when I was a trainer for Tony Robbins. Success and failure are the natural cumulative result of 1) the decisions you make, 2) the outcomes you define, 3) the strategies you employ, and 4) the quality of actions you take. How masterfully you do all this will largely determine the results in your life.

As far as love is concerned, the real issue is about intimacy rather than romance. Unfortunately, the young American public is swayed more toward the colorful dating and romance side of relationships. Our pop culture is not very enlightened or wise needless to say.

DO YOU HAVE ANY HOBBIES? WHAT ARE THEY? HOW DO THEY ENHANCE YOUR WRITING?

Writing and creating book ideas is my main hobby, but I also love to surf, play beach volleyball, and do a little tour directing.

Tour directing really helps me test new ideas and gets me to be more of an extrovert. My best works usually comes after I've returned from a week of being on the road conducting sightseeing tours.
Surfing and volleyball are a refreshing break from writing. Like I said in the beginning, writing doesn't come easy for me. But creating ideas does. So the more that I refresh myself, the more creative I become and the better work I eventually produce.

As long as I am making a positive difference in other people's lives, I'll happily continue writing new books.

Just like a big brother all of us wish we had, Steve offers women insights on men using fishing terms and methods. "Men are like fish," he says, "And scared fish can't be caught!" Oooh! And what scares 'em? Steve tells you - in detail and with humor, wit, charm and a few personal anecdotes. He also offers insights on preparation (attitude adjustment) and goes beyond the usual beauty/grooming tips found in every women's magazine with advice on improving your bait, from a MAN's perspective. He also points out that a fish on the hook is still not quite caught - and tells you how to "set the hook" and "land your catch." His list of 101 best fishing holes offers many that are obvious:

bookstores, continuing education classes; and some that are not: local radio/TV station events, city tours, CPR training. The point is to get out and have a good time where the fish are. Much of what Steve has to say will sound familiar, like Mom's advice, and much is simple common sense. But it helps a lot to hear it from the other side. In the end, Steve assures us, the Big Ones ARE out there, waiting to be caught!

We highly recommend this practical and entertaining book to all the women who are seeking committed relationships and their true love.

Target readers: Basically for female readers, but good for young males too in helping them better understand themselves.

Better with Know Yourself: A Woman's Guide to Wholeness, Radiance & Supreme Confidence :

			2 Buy with : ¥ 336.00
			Quantity:  +112345678910