It was one of the left-overs from our book sale (if you missed the post, you can read about our sale here), and will be part of next year's sale, I suppose.
The subtitle is somewhat misleading in that there is not much talk about love in it, but there certainly is plenty about daily life, how to manage one's household (there are tips on how to make the bed, clean the house, what kitchen utensils the author deems indispensable, and more), what to keep in mind when buying a suit, how to behave during a job interview, and so on.
It was quite entertaining, sometimes almost making me laugh out loud, but one thing I found quite annoying was the basic attitude underlying the entire book: that all the things a man should know and do were put together so that he'd be better able to impress his boss, impress other guys and impress the ladies.
This is not an attitude I share; while I do of course acknowledge the fact that nobody is an island and we are all part of a complex network of social relationships, both in business and private, and should always take into consideration that our freedom ends where the next person's begins, I do not agree that something like a well-cut suit should be mainly chosen so that the boss, the colleagues, the customers and the ladies are impressed. Instead, my point of view is that these things should first and foremost be done and observed because they make you feel better about yourself - and the rest will follow.
On the back of the book, the description reads:
"...scores of other indispensable social skills designed to thrill your date, impress your boss, and surprise your family. Inside is enough information to transform any father's son from a walking faux pas into a perfect, respectable gentleman."Still, as I said, it was an entertaining read; the book was written in 1995 and certainly offers some rather timeless advice, not only to men.
That looks like an interesting book. Will have to check it out. My motto is "it's a mans world, always has been, always will be"..... :-)
ReplyDeleteNever wrong to find out such stuff, Dorothy, and maybe you'll find it as entertaining as I did. I should have quoted some of the funniest bits, but I never marked them while I was reading the book, and this morning didn't have the time to search for them.
DeleteI suppose I would occasionally giggle at a funny remark but, on the whole, that sort of book with that sort of advice is really annoying. I like men to be a little less shallow.
ReplyDeleteI just read your holiday post about RJ.s hospital episode. That must have been really frightening for you. The problem is that when we are on holiday we don't allow ourselves to become acclimatised enough. I am so glad he is better again and you can still say that you had a good time. Better luck next time.
Thank you, Friko! We, too, hope that our next holiday will not require another trip to a hospital.
DeleteThe thing about such advice books is, I guess, not to take them too seriously. I allowed myself to be entertained, mostly, and not much else - although I must admit I quite liked the drawings that show four different ways of tieing a tie.
I think I might enjoy this...It sounds like fairly light non-fiction and I often enjoy that, and essays which are witty as well as intelligent. But I might have been too irritated by that basic idea that we humans must do what we do to impress others. I've never cared for that. If we aren't authentic, what are we?
ReplyDeletePrecisely, Kristi! I do understand there are men and women out there who grow up without learning from their parents about basics such as table manners etc., but I doubt those who'd really nead advice on how to behave in public (and private) would read such a book in the first place...
DeleteI was certain that somewhere I had picked this book up in a charity shop or book fair but a cursory glance of my shelves has not revealed it. It is the sort of book I'd dip into rather than read.
ReplyDelete