What Would Jackie Do?: An Inspired Guide to Distinctive Living

by Shelly Branch, Sue Callaway

From fashion to finance, a sophisticated and entertaining guide that shows readers how to attain the elegance and practical smarts that defined Jackie O We can’t help but want to be like her: Exuding unmatched poise and style, she continues to fascinate people of all ages. But how would Jackie have handled the twenty-first-century? What would she think about a society that celebrates outsized egos, instant everything, and casual rules of conduct? How might she dress for the office, scan for a man, accessorize a home—and get away from it all when necessary? With intriguing research, commentary from today’s experts, and fond reminiscences from those who knew and admired the first lady of perfection, journalists Shelly Branch and Sue Callaway now offer a sparkling answer to the question, What Would Jackie Do? Applying Jackie’s philosophies to every aspect of contemporary life, including relationships, office politics, family matters, and entertaining, What Would Jackie Do? is a trove of advice, featuring: * Noblesse Oblige for Beginners * How Not to be an Interchangeable Woman * Mastering the Effortless Rich look * The art of attachment: lessons on sex, marriage, and men of consequence * Career Whirl: Pearls for Getting Ahead * Caftan in a Kelly bag: How to travel beautifully * O- Behave! Anti-brat strategies for parents * En Suite Home: Perfecting Your Domestic PitchThe next best thing to having Jackie O. as a personal adviser, What Would Jackie Do? reveals the practical wisdom behind an icon and gives all readers a piece of the Jackie mystique, be it of the heart, the mind, or the home.

Genres: Nonfiction, Fashion, Biography, Lifestyle, Self Help, Chick Lit, Personal Development

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2005

Reviews

[Kristin Lundberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

While parts of this book were interesting i think the author failed in two ways. one, I didn't think she was successful in creating advice for the "every day woman." It was more advice geared toward richer women, just not as rich as Jackie. Also, while some of the advice and ideas were current, some of it seemed kind of outdated. I don't think she was able to transform a Jackie kind of woman into a completely modern woman. I like the information about Jackie, her relationships with other people, and how she handled herself, but the guide for how to be like her fell short for me.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'll flat-out say it. This book is a waste of paper and ink. It makes me cringe.

Now, I certainly wasn't expecting a Pulitzer Prize effort or anything, but I thought, maybe, it would be cute. I came by the book for free, and figured I could browse through it after a long day at work when I didn't want to have to think about anything important for the rest of the day. You know, like "What Not to Wear" or "Mean Girls" in book form. Cheesy, but cute, and relaxing.

Instead of being called "What Would Jackie Do," this book could have been titled, "How to Be a High-Maintenance Rich Brat (I could probably find a more suitable word here, but I'll keep it PG)." It spouts out many oh so helpful tips, like - make sure the designer logo "H" on your belt stands for Hermes, not Hilfiger. After all, Jackie would never be caught dead in such low-end fashion. It even gives priceless insight to the kind of life Jackie led. Apparently she would have a maid drive around the block in a convertible and report back on what type of "hair weather" it was. Hmm.

The real gems of the book, however, are the namesake of the book - What would Jackie do? Each chapter has a set of questions, to which the authors provide their expert opinion on how Jackie would respond. For example, would Jackie shop at Target? Gasp - of course she would never wear anything with Target logo on it, but since she did like a bargain, she would probably get her yoga gear there. And my personal favorite - Would Jackie ever pick up the tab on a date? Oh dahling, of course not! Isn't the price of a hairstyle and manicure and new outfit enough to make the man pick up the check? Oh alright then, you are allowed to pay for a few drinks if you are past the dating phase and think the guy might be real marriage material. Seriously. The book even suggests giving Botox a whirl before committing to a facelift. Duh - it's what Jackie would do.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the title suggests, this is a guide to being a lady. In a time when women work in male- dominated industries and feel the pressure to "man" up, here comes a book on how to act feminine and yet stand your ground.

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis embodied style, grace and poise. How would Jackie dress for the office? Are pearls really necessary? Would the First Lady give gift cards at Christmas or present hand-selected gifts? These are the type of questions and more that are answered using Jackie's elegance and practical smarts.

This guide covers the art of looking rich effortlessly while incorporating strategies to move up the career ladder and perfecting your domestic pitch. A worthwhile read for those of us that tend to forget the importance of social etiquette and decorum and can learn the essentials of staying feminine and applying Jackie's philosophies to everyday life.

[Jill · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't finish this book. Truth be told, I didn't make it very far in. I was hoping d
For a fun read sprinkled with stories fromJackie's life. Instead this is a dull book that occasionally has the strength to rose up and insult my intelligence.

[Ari · Rating 2 out of 5]

So what I wanted, and was told I would be getting was a light hearted bit of fashion and life advice that from the life of Jackie O. Instead I got the most annoying book ever about how to live my life assuming that I have access to millionaire men and multiple homes. Not fun.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only enjoyed the style section everything else was ridiculous some of the comments made me cringe/want to scream! Encouraging being a gold digger? Cheating is an inherent quality in men?! Yeah no thanks...

[Ccmaria62 crow]

I cannot even rate this. Not only was it lame, it was not well written, surprising given the background of both writers.

[Kayleigh P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read 2010-2011. Life lessons in hypergamy a la Ms. Bouvier. Very old fashioned advice on every topic under the sun. The content is tongue in cheek and I thought it was a fun read.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

To continue my book tour of the 1960s...

Updated: Meh. Condescending and preachy in a way Jackie Kennedy was not.

[Cathie Maud · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some useful advice, but a LOT of eyebrow-raising, did-you-really-just-suggest-that 'advice' as well. I will expound on this at a later date.

[Barbara · Rating 1 out of 5]

pointless, out of date and too male centric

[Rene · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not sure why I finished this ridiculous book.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

What Would Jackie Do? was a unique book that turned Jackie Kennedy's life choices into snippets of advice for readers. This was a quick read because of the format. In one paragraph, the author would give the reader a piece of advice and also use Jackie’s own life as an example of how to execute the advice.

I enjoyed the book but really would have liked to have half the information and a little more background of each story. This was a book I picked up at different times through the course of a week. I wouldn’t advise attempting to sit down and read this in large portions because there was just too much information packed into these pages!

I liked that the book was divided into many segments that touched on topics of dressing, gift giving, hosting, traveling, even writing thank you notes! This was a fun and light book that provided insight into Jackie's life and how she was viewed. I was really quite surprised that the author had so much knowledge about Jackie. This was a very interesting way to learn about Jackie aside from reading a lengthier biography, that I don't think would have gone into so much detail about her thoughts and feelings.

This was simply a fun read that I would recommend to any fan of Jackie Kennedy.


[Lisa Faircloth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I expected this to be a book on poise and etiquette but it was more of a how-to-get-ahead-by-being-advantageous-and-deceptive manual. I feel like it actually disgraces Jackie Kennedy Onassis and speculates on way too much about her life and intentions; I wondered how much was even true and felt like I was reading a tabloid magazine. I picked it up after hearing Kelly Finglass (Director Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders) promote it and was surprised that she would think it a valuable resource for helping young ladies grow in graciousness. More like how to be a gold-digger and toe the line across the board. So many other fantastic modern books out there that teach social graces; skip this one.

[Laura Lieberman · Rating 1 out of 5]

What Would Jackie Do? Use people to get what you want, apparently. Basically the the end goal for everything (being nice to people, engaging in cultural pursuits, do volunteer work, etc.) is to get stuff for free from others, get perks, and score a rich man.

This book highlighted some unsavory aspects of Jackie K (such as referring to rural student visitors to the White House as "hillbillies" and making references to "fat little women" who are so presumptuous as to copy her fashion sense) as laudable behavior.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read and a nice insight as to how Jackie would act in various occasions, should you ever find yourself at a party with Andy Warhol. Although she may have seemed slighted in certain situations, Jackie sure to behave in such a way that she exacted her own little revenge. For example what to wear when your philandering President husband thinks YOU'RE hanging out with an automobile magnate to much. Anyway, this was a very interesting book on Jackie and her exceptional grace.

[Kit Cousin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of entertaining, but definitely dated, you know it was written in like 2000 at the very latest. And there was some things besides that I disagreed with; like it encouraged holding a grudge because someone brought an uninvited guest.

Look forward to comparing it with "Unmentionable" when I get home.

[Morgan ***Books and Bougie*** · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a cute book for little tidbits on elegance and etiquette. Nothing in the book was particularly groundbreaking. I did enjoy the Jackie-isms that were present between chapters, though. Either way, most of the things in this book are probably things you've already heard of before. So, read it for fun!

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has solid information and some interesting anecdotes, especially for those curious about etiquette. But it’s tough to read straight through—the first chapter alone was nearly 50 pages and felt like it dragged on. I couldn’t finish it.

I’d recommend it more as a reference book. If you’re looking for something specific, it’s helpful. But as a full read, it’s just too drawn out.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light hearted and very in character. If you don't look kindly on Jackie's era of womanhood, you wouldn't enjoy this, since a lot of its practical advice is still quite dated in nature. But it's lots of fun to read, I personally got a lot out of it, and learned more about the ever enigmatic JBKO.

[Kimberlee · Rating 2 out of 5]

So old-fashioned as to be hysterical. Oh, the horror of kissing the wrong man—a dull man, a cheap man—on top of the Eiffel Tower! There are so many things wrong with that sentence, I don’t know where to begin. This book could have been so much better.

[Amberlynn Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this. Demonstrated how you can add a little more sophistication in your life--not by what you buy, but how you act. Also gives great examples of how Jackie actually did handle a few situations.

[Cherie Bush · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. Fun way to learn more about this famous woman.

[Jacquelyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Silly and presumptuous. What would Jackie do? Probably quietly make this book go away.

[Diana]

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[Camille Baird · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always adrimred Jackie as someone who, in the limelight of life, handled such an array of difficult situations with aplomb and grace. I know she was not a perfect person, but if someone has found a formula that works for certain situations I am all for learning the pro's and con's from them. While not actually written by Jackie O the ladies that wrote the book obviously paid attention to her life and did a lot of research. It has a lot of good advice, quite a bit of that is useful for normal humans and a lot of it that is useful if you are a fabulous looking, amazingly rich and well set socially established person with connections, and occasionally accomodating morals. I am not saying that Jackie was immoral, but she dealt with a lot of difficult issues, public and persistent infidelity being a big one, and handled the situation well.. for her situation. The information is to be taken with a grain of salt. It may work for you, it may not. I got it mainly for her savy hints, especially on fashion but there was a whole lot more in the book. It was easy to read and interesting. I did learn quite a bit.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and easy read! This book gives concrete stories and first-hand testimonies about how Jacqueline Kennedy handled certain situations in her life: her thoughts on fashion, decorating, manners, hosting, love, careers, motherhood, etc. The book is nicely sectioned off into little blurbs on the different topics, so it is easy just to pick it up and start reading.

I personally loved the inclusion of some of Jackie's favorite recipes, and I liked knowing which brands of make-up and toiletries she preferred. Who doesn't want that Jackie-O glow?

[Priscilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another one of my manners and ettiquette books! This one analyzes the life of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis and explains how we can be more like her!

Jackie is a very classy lady. She came from a wealthy, well-to-do family, married into two very wearlthy families, and spent her life in the lime light, yet she never let it go to her head. I would have rather this book been more about Jackie's life, but instead we spent more time reading about the authors' opinion on what Jackie did. I found the book highly entertaining, but not as informative as I would have liked.

[Gprice99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. The book goes into different areas of life: love, makeup, clothing, entertaining, etc. and gives stories about Jackie Kennedy's experiences and how she handled them in various stages of her life. Has lots of stories & recollections from her friends. Not sure how much of it is true. I'd call this book a light lesson on etiquette and style. Some good gentle reminders and ideas on handling various situations gracefully. Light, fun reading.

[Lizzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book very much. There are other Jackie books that I liked much better. This book was quite long for the content, which is basically a guide to what a MODERN Jackie Kennedy would be like if she was living in our day. Most of it was speculation. I wished there was more history & stories about her real life. I didn't feel like it really did Jackie justice, it sort of made her feel like a cheap.