Single Women - Alive and Well! is the intelligent answer to all those books telling women they need a man in order to be happy. Its stories are about and by single women who have learned to be strong on their own. Whether never married, divorced, or widowed, these women have not let society dictate to them that "alone" means "incomplete." Single Women - Alive and Well! inspires women of all ages, backgrounds, and circumstances, even those married, to strive for contentment in their lives apart from a relationship. Fulfillment, says Single Women - Alive and Well!, is found within. And once found, it can never be lost, stolen, or broken, unlike a heart…In a perfect world, every woman would find her Prince Charming and live happily ever after. In the real world, even married women know that such fantasy is a figment of Hollywood's imagination. Yet society continues to convince single women that their main goals in life should be to find a man, marry him, and give birth to his children. A career, friends, and outside interests are simply substitutes for this "true" road to contentment. Why, then, are women who "have it all" not satisfied? Because nothing outside of herself can make a woman happy. As Abraham Lincoln said, "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Single Women - Alive and Well! demonstrates this truth over and over again, from the perspective of women who used to agonize over their solitary existence, thinking that something was wrong with them, that they weren't normal, that they would "be happy when…" These single women all discovered, either through an epiphany or many experiences, that they did not want to sit around waiting for life to happen to them. That they would live life to the fullest, choose to enjoy the blessings of being single, and take charge of their future. From their newfound freedom, they emerged stronger, more confident, and capable to do something as simple as eat out alone. As one writer says, "I'm alone…but not lonely." Another writer tackles the fear of driving cross-country by herself for the first time. Others tell about attending a bullfight alone, overcoming a phobia of horses, or mastering a college chemistry class as an older student. These stories are as individual as the women who wrote them, as diversified as our culture, and more rewarding to read than any romance novel. For they are true, taken from real life. These Single Women - Alive and Well! didn't need a million dollars for incentive to survive on their own little islands. Instead, they built their boats and bridges and found the secret to life-getting to know, accept, and love oneself… | Single Women - Alive and Well by Dianne Lorang, Paperback | Indigo Chapters