Maybe He's Just a Jerk: Women's Jerkline Stories about the Men in Their Lives

Rosen, founder of the ``Jerkline,'' a call-in phone line, here collects tales of women involved with ``jerks.'' The species comes in many varieties, she shows, but they all know how to make women miserable, and they will never change. The only sensible thing to do, Rosen concludes, is end the relationship, a process she details. The jerk in all his guises--con man, sleazy lover, charming scoundrel, married seducer, mama's boy, batterer, critic, addict--emerges through personal stories that range from humorous to tragic. On occasion it seems as though Rosen has written this book more to entertain or let off steam than to inform, but it is fun to read, and the advice, although skimpy, is sensible and direct. An appendix lists national hotlines and self-help groups. ( Sept. )