Advice given and taken. Life's lessons offered and learned.
Discoveries made; conclusions drawn. Those are some of the themes
in these four titles, which struck me as being related.
"Raised by Wolves: Everything You Need To Know To Live a Happy
and Civilized Life," by Christine Mellor (Harper, $13.99, 256
pages): Young adults are ill-equipped for the real world, Mellor
posits. To help, she offers funny yet practical advice on domestic
issues (many uses for baking soda, how to wash dishes by hand),
behavior in the workplace (don't make people wait for you),
etiquette (cell phones, parties) and more.
"Your Mother Was Right: All the Great Advice You Tried to
Forget" by Kate Reardon (Three Rivers, $13.99, 336 pages): Reardon
has cross-marketed her website with this book, culling the best of
the advice sent to www.toptips.com by "women from around the
world." Topics include fashion and beauty, family and friendship,
fitness and health.
"A Boy Should Know How to Tie a Tie: And Other Lessons for
Succeeding in Life" by Antwone Fisher (Touchstone, $19.99, 240
pages): The title is true enough, but Fisher focuses on what adult
men need to know in the arenas of style, grooming,
self-improvement, self-identity and diet. (And, yes, the author is
that Antwone Fisher, subject of the 2002 film directed by and
starring Denzel Washington.)
"What I Learned About Life When My Husband Got Fired" by Tina
Pennington and Mandy Williams (Red and Black, $25, 345 pages): This
approach to "personal finance and prioritizing your life" is both
pragmatically helpful and very entertaining. The authors are
sisters with a wealth of firsthand advice.
