The Hedonism Handbook: Mastering the Lost Arts of Leisure and Pleasure

Built around the notion that a new wave of self-help puritanism--abetted by the good ol' American drive toward success and eternal youth--is stifling the nation with ""tedious"" ideals, Flocker's campy little volume aims to redirect readers toward a more lofty goal: the pursuit of pleasure. Fans of Flocker's previous book, the bestselling Metrosexual Guide to Style, will appreciate his clever lists and section titles: e.g. ""Top Ten Reasons Big Rats Abandon the Race"" and ""Looking Good--Buy the Outfit, Screw the Phone Bill."" The pages are delightfully laid out, with amusing marginalia and wonderful Victorian-era illustrations, and there are plenty of barbs to keep readers chuckling. For example, writing of May-December relationships, Flocker quips: ""The trick, on both sides of the fence, is to feign serious interest."" But the book nonetheless feels a bit too weakly espoused. For one, Flocker's ideas and examples appear grasped-at rather than pondered-on. For another, he's constantly hedging his argument, always calling for caution and balance in the indulgences he espouses, as though afraid of a backlash from the very forces that he mocks. Flocker's first book was notable for its dissection of an existing trend; it seems unlikely that his second will spark a new one. That said, this little red book does have its moments of wit, joy and even profundity and, as a novelty gift, it could make a charming nudge to one's partner in crime.