What to Do When No One Has a Clue: Advice for the Brave New World

by Stephanie Pierson, Barbara Harrison

Is it okay to text bad news? What do you do if you and your intended already have  hyphenated last names? Is it gauche to take home leftovers from a four-star restaurant? Should you admit you are getting your MBA online? Is it okay to ask a lesbian how she got pregnant? Who gets the dog in the divorce? Is an anti-wrinkle cream that is made of pig collagen kosher?


You will always have a clue with expert advice


Badgley Mischka, designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka
Rick Bayless, chef
Colin Cowie, event producer
Bethenny Frankel, author and star of The Real Housewives of New York City
Arianna Huffington, editor in chief of The Huffington Post
Daniel Jones, editor of the New York Times “Modern Love” column
Louis Licari, hairstylist
Danny Meyer, restaurateur
Marion Nestle, nutritionist
Carley Roney, cofounder of TheKnot.com
Paul Saffo, technology forecaster and futurist
Pepper Schwartz, Ph.D., sociologist and relationship expert
Deborah Tannen, language expert
Erik Torkells, editor for TripAdvisor.com


Plus a dean of admissions, a leading dermatologist, a dog trainer, a founder of an online dating site, and other experts on what to do when no one has a clue.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Rachel]

A quick, lighthearted read, but not overly practical. Presented as a series of modern day etiquette questions the inquiries ranged from the serious to the quirky (webcasting a funeral?) as did the responses. I’m not quite sure why they chose to offer so many tongue-in-cheek responses if they were trying to treat this as actual advice, but maybe they weren’t? I found it a bit meta that at the end, there was a question regarding trusting online advice columns, some of which have turned out to be fictitious. Nonetheless, I did have some fun reading it and I learned a new term, which I’ll have to remember when I find myself on a WebMD rabbit hole—cyberchondria.

[Daniel Currie]

I'm not at all sure who these people are or where they came up with these situations, but obviously I am not their target audience, based on how few of these situations I could actually relate to.

I think this could have been a much more interesting and practical read if they hadn't so often gone for the snarky, smart ass reponse rather than actual advice.

But there are a few good lines and some real advice is given. It is a very quick and easy read, taking less than 2 hours reading every word. I'd give it 2.5 stars if I could, but I don't see myself refering to this book ever again.

[Erin]

Mildly amusing "modern" etiquette book. The question I liked the best was what to do when someone asks you if you're going to webcast your cousin's funeral because they can't make it to the actual event.

[Scott]

Fun book! Perfectly Seinfeldian.

[Heidi]

Fun, easy read, and a little quirky advice/etiquette. Really enjoyed it.

[Samantha]

Interesting book. Some humor, and lots of situations I wouldn't want to find myself in.

[Lia]

It's always fun to read a non-fiction book like this. However, I found this book is a little bit ordinary for my taste, despite the extraordinary topic that the authors brought