Contrary to the what the title suggests, “How to Date Men When You Hate Men” by writer and comedian Blythe Roberson is not a how-to book or a book about hating men. Published Jan. 8, it helps readers understand what dating men is like in today’s society.

Roberson reflects on women who are constantly oppressed by masculine figures, such as President Donald Trump. She also plainly states women are conditioned to think about love by bringing up classic romance movies such as “When Harry Met Sally,”  and she asserts that love is romanticized and not anything like in film.

The simple layout of the book follows the cycle of a relationship from crushes to breakups to being single again. It provides a comedic analysis of contemporary dating. Roberson recognizes certain privileges, such as gender and race, exist, and society needs to work to destroy them because they create unnecessary issues.

The comedic relief within her dating life is soothing as she understands what women typically go through when dating. She perfectly captures what readers think in the introduction of the book when she discusses the attractive yet oppressive nature  of dating men. She understands all these factors, such as differing personalities, influence modern dating life.

Roberson’s lack of experience when it comes to having a boyfriend slightly damages her credibility considering this book is about dating. Despite this, she does a fair job relating to readers by reviewing her past crushes.

This book’s relevance to the current state of society stands out because of its references to pop culture and current social movements, such as #metoo and #timesup. With all that is happening, everyone is cautious about what they say and how they act.  For example, men should not be joking about women because it could be taken the wrong way.

Blythe Roberson clearly states her observations about the difficulties of dating men in  “How to Date Men When You Hate Men.” The book provides good advice and will relate to people’s current perceptions of dating.