Good news girls. New York's self proclaimed hippest bartenders, Dushan Zaric and Jason Kosmas, have "devised a recipe for dating success'.
Their bar is a "microcosm of the world', and having witnessed countless hook-ups, and just as many break-ups, from behind it Zaric and Kosmas are now experts on the important subject of how today's single woman can get her man.
Unfortunately they can't find "him' for us. But they can teach us how to find "him', and catch "him', for ourselves.
What follows is a somewhat bemusing, and often fairly appalling, 220 pages of tips and tricks about how to dress, act, flirt, talk and socialise your way into catching yourself a man" or at least a man in a bar.
All of this cloaked in self-affirmation pop psychology, and creative cocktail recipes interspersed throughout!
As you might have guessed from my tone thus far, it is hard to find much to say in recommendation of this book.
Indeed, the obvious trajectory at this point would be to refute the extraordinary superficiality promoted by authors in the name of pursing a new relationship (though I use that term very loosely in the context of this book!). After all, the Bible speaks loudly and clearly on this matter, and particularly on the supreme importance of godliness over worldly superficiality.
And yet this book is disturbing on an even deeper level. For the reality is that despite all their witticisms, Zaric and Kosmas have failed to truly come to grips with the true nature of the human desire to be loved.
They claim that "learning to seduce a man' means learning first of all that each of us is deserving of love. After all, they assure their readers, "You are perfect, just as you are".
However, Scripture clearly tells us that we are in fact sinful human beings who have rebelled against a perfect God. Indeed our imperfections can only stand in stark contrast to His perfection.
Unfortunately, the "microcosm' in which Zaric and Kosmas live is clearly one devoid of such a God.
This is none the more evident than when the assumptions that have driven the first 200 odd pages are finally committed to ink at the end of the book. "For better or worse, in our society these days there are no right answers in terms of sexual protocol and timing'. In fact "the only person who is going to judge you is yourself'."
This is, of course, completely contradictory to the Christian worldview. The God of the Bible is one who is very much concerned with the "sexual protocol and timing' of a humanity he will one day call to judgement. Likewise the people of God are to be men and women who seek to serve one another in love, rather than manipulating and using each other for their own sexual and emotional gratification.
Zaric and Kosmas assure their readers that the key to finding their match (regardless of whether it is for a single night, or for life), is simple " "Honour yourself".
In the face of this alarming worldview, we need to return to Scripture and be reminded that the solution to our desire to be valued lies not in seeking the love of others, nor in self honour. Rather it lies in the incredible and undeserved love of God shown to us in Christ. For "to him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen" (1 Tim 6:16).
