How to Live with a Man... and Love It!: The Gentle Art of Catching and Keeping Your Man

Though Worick (The Worst Case Survival Handbook: Dating and Sex) makes an attempt at campy humor in her guide to living happily with a boyfriend or husband by styling it after 1950s manuals for model wives, her suggestions (""wear colors that complement his complexion"" and ""during a backyard barbeque, pull out a shimmery lipgloss from the windowbox and discreetly swipe some on"") are neither funny nor useful. Worick claims the advice in her manual does not violate feminist sensibilities and reminds readers that ""if you want particular results, you have to be willing to think outside of the feminist box,"" but a chart outlining how household expenses should be divided (his: vehicles and dining out; hers: groceries, insurance and clothing/toiletries/grooming) seems to belie these claims. Recommended solutions to problems and disagreements are simple and idealistic, and while lists detailing the pros and cons of such major decisions as whether to live in the city or suburbs might be a helpful launching point for serious discussion, they certainly are not sufficient to resolve debate. Worick also covers practical aspects of living with a man, offering recipes for homey classics like Fail-Safe Lasagna and Perfect Pot Roast and providing party planning help. The idea of having an idyllic marriage like those ostensibly everywhere during the 1950s is compelling, but this guide doesn't offer the kind of practical advice that would help people achieve such a relationship. The book's small size, sepia-toned photos and fun, list-heavy format, however, do lend it gift-book appeal.