Beside Every Good Man: Loving Myself While Standing by Him.

by Serita Ann Jakes Warner Faith, November 2003 $19.95, ISBN 0-446-53130-8

As first lady of the Potter's House and wife of Bishop T.D. Jakes, Serita Jakes is uniquely positioned to explore the role of women in relation to the men in their lives. That's exactly what she does in her new book, Beside Every Good Man.

Unlike others who have addressed the topic before her, Jakes is not wedded to out-of-date, legalistic precepts, but instead offers advice that recognizes the realities of the 21st-century woman. For instance, she doesn't guilt the married women into staying in an abusive marriage, nor does she make the single woman feel bad for wanting a good man.

Jakes speaks to women at every stage of life--from the joys of childbirth to the pains of midlife crisis or the loss of a loved one. Chapter by chaplet, she offers a series of practical, concrete tips to help women through life's most difficult challenges. The reader will learn how to identify the relationships she needs to end, improve the relation ships she hopes to keep, and let her husband be the head of the household without losing herself in the process. Jakes keeps the reader interested through all phases of the book. Women can gain a wealth of wisdom for themselves and the generations that follow regardless of whether they have experienced a particular life stage or whether that stage has already passed them by.

Throughout the book, Serita Jakes shows herself to be an anointed, spiritual counselor. The scriptural references and biblical examples are well chosen and aptly complement the book's themes. The verbose introduction makes for a slow start, but the book quickly blossoms into a wealth of wisdom and a source of healing. Beside Every Good Matt is truly a must read for all women who seek God in handling life's challenges.

Kristin Henning is a freelance writer and professor at Georgetown Law Center in Washington, D.C.