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How To Be a Man: A Guide To Style and Behavior For The Modern Gentleman
The ultimate sartorial and etiquette guide, from the ultimate life and style guru. By turns witty, sardonic, and always insightful, Glenn O’Brien’s advice column has been a must-read for several generations of men (and their spouses and girlfriends). Having cut his teeth as a contributor at Andy Warhol’s Interview in its heyday, O’Brien sharpened them as the creative director of advertising at the hip department store Barneys New York for ten years before starting his advice column at Details magazine in 1996. Eventually his column, "The Style Guy," migrated to its permanent home at GQ magazine, where O’Brien dispenses well-honed knowledge on matters ranging from how to throw a cocktail party (a diverse guest list is a must), putting together a wardrobe for a trip to Bermuda (pack more clothes for less dressing), or when it is appropriate to wear flip-flops in public (never). How To Be a Man is the culmination of O’Brien’s thirty years of accumulated style and etiquette wisdom, distilled through his gimlet eye and droll prose. With over forty chapters on style and fashion (and the difference), on dandies and dudes, grooming and decorating, on how to dress age-appropriately and how to age gracefully, this guide is the new essential read for men of all ages.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
75 people are currently reading
595 people want to read
About the author
Glenn O'Brien
103 books23 followersGlenn O'Brien was an American writer who focused largely on the subjects of art, music and fashion. He was featured for many years as "The Style Guy" in GQ magazine, and published a book with that title.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
December 21, 2016
O'Brien is incredibly insightful about the rather unfortunate state of modern masculinity, is well-read (Wyndham Lewis appears to be a constant companion), and manages to give his subject enough gravitas to make it useful, but also enough humour to distinguish it from numerous similar books on the market.
Unfortunately the book desperately needed an decent editor before going to print. Perhaps this is a condition of the digital age which O'Brien certainly bemoans himself. Essays consistently repeat what are otherwise salient points and anecdotes, sometimes verbatim. I imagine this is a condition of the book having collected a number of previously-published essays. In any case it is extremely annoying.
Otherwise, a pleasure to read.
Unfortunately the book desperately needed an decent editor before going to print. Perhaps this is a condition of the digital age which O'Brien certainly bemoans himself. Essays consistently repeat what are otherwise salient points and anecdotes, sometimes verbatim. I imagine this is a condition of the book having collected a number of previously-published essays. In any case it is extremely annoying.
Otherwise, a pleasure to read.
July 1, 2017
I'll read anything by the late and great Glenn O'Brien. He wasn't the easiest writer to follow, since he moved around a lot from one publication to another, and had various positions in the commercial world for the fashion and magazine industry. I discovered him when he wrote his music column in Interview Magazine sometime in the 1970s. His wit and style came out when he wrote brief pieces on the bands that were performing in NYC during the height of the punk era. "How To Be a Man: A Guide To Style and Behavior for The Modern Gentleman" is his masterpiece.
On the surface, this is a guidebook for the guy who is trying to improve himself, but there is something textural in this book that goes very deep into one's consciousness. O'Brien wrote a column for GQ, and I suspect that this book is a collection of his writings from that publication. The interesting thing is that it starts off with the subject matter of what it is like to a male in the 21st century, but then goes off on different tangents regarding class, politics, and how one carries himself in a world that seems pointless at times. O'Brien makes sense of the chaos and gives advice in how one can handle themselves in this world of uncertainty.
O'Brien quotes Oscar Wilde (duh), Boris Vian, and various European and American authors, as well as dipping into the contemporary arts and music. His range of interest is endless, and his love for culture is like a bottomless well. It never ends. The book's format is tight chapters on specific subject matters. "Socks," "Underwear," Shirts, and so forth. It eventually springs to the topic of aging and death. Since O'Brien passed away recently, it is quite moving (and hysterical) to read these later chapters in this book. If one likes the essay writings of John Waters, then for sure, you will love Glenn O'Brien, and especially this book. Lots of good advice, but it is also a great way of spending time with a unique character.
On the surface, this is a guidebook for the guy who is trying to improve himself, but there is something textural in this book that goes very deep into one's consciousness. O'Brien wrote a column for GQ, and I suspect that this book is a collection of his writings from that publication. The interesting thing is that it starts off with the subject matter of what it is like to a male in the 21st century, but then goes off on different tangents regarding class, politics, and how one carries himself in a world that seems pointless at times. O'Brien makes sense of the chaos and gives advice in how one can handle themselves in this world of uncertainty.
O'Brien quotes Oscar Wilde (duh), Boris Vian, and various European and American authors, as well as dipping into the contemporary arts and music. His range of interest is endless, and his love for culture is like a bottomless well. It never ends. The book's format is tight chapters on specific subject matters. "Socks," "Underwear," Shirts, and so forth. It eventually springs to the topic of aging and death. Since O'Brien passed away recently, it is quite moving (and hysterical) to read these later chapters in this book. If one likes the essay writings of John Waters, then for sure, you will love Glenn O'Brien, and especially this book. Lots of good advice, but it is also a great way of spending time with a unique character.
September 19, 2024
A delightful coffee table sort of book. Times change so quickly that it feels like reading a relic from the past but has some bits of wisdom and humor that make it nice to have on the shelf.
March 4, 2013
Another Christmas present, but this one was from 2011. I put off reading it for ages, as I assumed it was one of those tedious "be a man - here's to fight A BEAR" books (the cover features a man standing over a defeated bear). But I was wrong.
I'm not entirely sure who Glenn O'Brien is. He seems to have been friends with Andy Warhol (he only mentions that like fifty times though) and is generally regarded as a cool fashion guy in the US.
In this book he lays out sensible advice not only on how to dress but how to behave to. And it's properly useful stuff like how to be a good host or how to get along with doctors. People would do well to follow the fashion tips especially - when was the last time you saw someone correctly wearing a dinner jacket.
The downside to the book is that you can clearly tell it's just a bunch of fashion columns from magazines pasted together (mostly from GQ). Some of the anecdotes and asides even get repeated a few times - so better editing could have been helpful.
Nonetheless I enjoyed having this book by my bedside. I got a lot out of it.
In all, a fantastic manifesto for the modern dandy.
I'm not entirely sure who Glenn O'Brien is. He seems to have been friends with Andy Warhol (he only mentions that like fifty times though) and is generally regarded as a cool fashion guy in the US.
In this book he lays out sensible advice not only on how to dress but how to behave to. And it's properly useful stuff like how to be a good host or how to get along with doctors. People would do well to follow the fashion tips especially - when was the last time you saw someone correctly wearing a dinner jacket.
The downside to the book is that you can clearly tell it's just a bunch of fashion columns from magazines pasted together (mostly from GQ). Some of the anecdotes and asides even get repeated a few times - so better editing could have been helpful.
Nonetheless I enjoyed having this book by my bedside. I got a lot out of it.
In all, a fantastic manifesto for the modern dandy.
March 13, 2022
A very fun and witty book providing wisdom and insightful tips as to how one should behave in a given situation or how to present oneself.
Personally, this book had peaks and troughs for me as I found the fashion section to drag on and on and felt disconnected due to my lack of understanding of certain vestments.
A book that one should not take insult at personally or to take seriously but rather as a guide as opposed to a rulebook.
I will endeavour to research about the author and the fascinating life he has led and where his future is taking him.
This book was bought by my great-aunt and referred to me as a fun read and "not to take anything personally and to laugh at"
Personally, this book had peaks and troughs for me as I found the fashion section to drag on and on and felt disconnected due to my lack of understanding of certain vestments.
A book that one should not take insult at personally or to take seriously but rather as a guide as opposed to a rulebook.
I will endeavour to research about the author and the fascinating life he has led and where his future is taking him.
This book was bought by my great-aunt and referred to me as a fun read and "not to take anything personally and to laugh at"
November 26, 2019
Very mixed bag-some of this is superb, some is cringeworthy stuff. But the good parts made it a worthwhile read, and generally his satire is spot-on yet humane.
Some of the best sections are "To Be Or Not In Fashion" , "How to Have a Vice" , "On Patriotism", which all have some truly astute insights and make very interesting connections.
Some of the best sections are "To Be Or Not In Fashion" , "How to Have a Vice" , "On Patriotism", which all have some truly astute insights and make very interesting connections.
September 28, 2017
Somewhat old fashioned, at points borderline offensive, still very enjoyable. 3,5 stars
December 9, 2017
God humor. Bra språk. Filosofi av stil. Og en stilig filosofi. Les ikke nødvendigvis, men svært ønskelig!
October 1, 2018
A useless book.
March 1, 2019
👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽 Particularmente se me hizo muy delicioso de leer, muy ameno e ilustrativo.
June 12, 2019
Una guía para todos los aspectos de la vida es incluso la muerte, de un hombre.
August 25, 2020
Glenn O’Brien at his wittiest written, it would seem in places, echoes the sardonic humor of JP Donlevey’s book The Unexpurgated Code: A Complete Manual of Survival & Manners
November 22, 2020
Dated... did not finish
December 8, 2020
A brilliant philosophy book masquerading as a how-to guide.
March 14, 2021
Not very good.
March 29, 2021
If you are anything like me and somehow ended up being a little bit over 30 basic bastard, this book has great advice and overview on how to get out of said basic bastardness.
November 2, 2021
Witty, fun and filled with practical advice. A great read.
Read
December 25, 2023Fine overview of not just menswear but mens-everything, funny but not without a certain pragmatism. However if you don't think O'Brien is funny, probably worthless
June 12, 2011
Bound: How to Be a Man
SunPost Weekly May 5, 2011 | John Hood
http://bit.ly/kKfxF5
Glenn O’Brien Gives Us a Guide
Like Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s infamous crack about obscenity, style is pretty much undefinable, but you know it when you see it. It’s an inner grace, an outward ease and a joie de vivre that sets a man a part from the pack (unless it’s a Rat Pack). It’s the sublime rather than the superficial, the natural verses the synthetic, the snap without the crackle. It’s a bop and a sway and a swing that’s as elusive as true beauty — and just as hard to miss. Style can’t be faked. But it can be learned. (To some degree at least.) And with practice, it can even be perfected.
Of course acquiring said style is not something you do overnight. It takes patience, diligence, and great attention to detail. The trick is that it’s gotta look completely effortless. And unless you’re one of those rare cats to whom the swagger was born, that is some trick indeed.
Fortunately there are swells such as Glenn O’Brien who not only know the tricks, but who are willing to show you how they’re pulled off. Each month the gentleman wordslinger answers the most pressing sartorial questions for GQ as “The Style Guy.” And there’s no telling how many men his all-knowing has helped to saved face. Better yet, O’Brien has taken a lifetime’s worth of exacting experience and put it in a nifty book that shelves perfectly between Alan Flusser’s Style and the Man and James Sherwood’s Bespoke. (Or for the really adventurous, Daniele Tamagni’s Gentleman of Bacongo.) The work is called How to Be a Man (Rizzoli $24.95). And if you heed these how-to’s, you too can be a helluva style guy.
Subtitled A Guide to Style and Behavior for the Modern Gentleman, O’Brien’s handy-dandy guide is for both the budding Beau Brummell, as well as the style war veteran. The former will find in O’Brien a mentor of robust dimension; the latter a like mind who’s ever mindful of what it takes to be a real gentleman. In other words, whether he’s addressing how to dress for various occasions or how to behave once you get there, it works as either an introduction or a reminder. That means it’s for every man who puts on his pants one leg at a time.
As Robert Coover wrote in his post neo-Noir Noir, “it’s not the story you’re trapped in, [it’s] how you play it out. Your style. Class. The moves you make.” And if you wanna make the moves that make the day and the nigh for everybodyt, you’d do well to heed O’Brien’s wily advice. Oh, and by the way, that 1964 obscenity case mentioned above involved Ohio’s attempt to ban Louis Malle’s The Lovers, a film which every man of style should definitely see.
The other day SunPost Weekly shot O’Brien a few quick Qs; here’s what he shot back:
What compelled you to write How to Be a Man?
First of all, you need an excuse for an essay book unless you’re on staff at The New Yorker, and since I have my GQ clientele, who follow the Style Guy, I thought I should write a book they would enjoy.
Could it just as easily be called How to Be a Gentleman?
Yes, but it would seem less cosmically important.
What’s been more detrimental to the fall of Gentlemankind — being neutered or not minding their manners?
These fates are similar. Manners are a basis for style, and style is a potent aspect of self-expression. It’s all about study and expression.
Speaking of manners, what are some of the most egregious lapses that you see these days?
People interrupt one another at an alarming rate. It’s from watching panel shows given to argument like The McLaughlin Report or Bill Maher and just a general increase in insensitivity. I also see a general tendency toward shortness of fuse, maybe caused by endemic bureaucracy, where people lose whatever cool they possess very easily.
How about sartorially? Surely there a more than a few widespread faux pas that get your goat, no?
I just find it dispiriting to see men whose only apparent motivation for getting dressed is to avoid nudity. Clothing is a wonderful and meaningful avenue of self-expression, even self-realization.
Any other don’ts a gentleman needs to know before he makes in polite society?
Don’t lie except when kindness and mercy demand it.
If I just landed on this planet from another world, what basic essentials would I need to be a well-rounded man?
A good start would be reading the classics, watching Turner Classic Movies, listening to jazz and playing golf.
Should I bother looking for the converse in the women I pursue?
The converse will probably wind up with a fight. I’d go for the obverse.
Now that we’ve touched upon the fairer sex, Mother’s Day is upon us. What should a gentleman do to be the proverbial apple in Mom’s eye?
Pretend you listen to her instead of your significant other.
SunPost Weekly May 5, 2011 | John Hood
http://bit.ly/kKfxF5
Glenn O’Brien Gives Us a Guide
Like Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s infamous crack about obscenity, style is pretty much undefinable, but you know it when you see it. It’s an inner grace, an outward ease and a joie de vivre that sets a man a part from the pack (unless it’s a Rat Pack). It’s the sublime rather than the superficial, the natural verses the synthetic, the snap without the crackle. It’s a bop and a sway and a swing that’s as elusive as true beauty — and just as hard to miss. Style can’t be faked. But it can be learned. (To some degree at least.) And with practice, it can even be perfected.
Of course acquiring said style is not something you do overnight. It takes patience, diligence, and great attention to detail. The trick is that it’s gotta look completely effortless. And unless you’re one of those rare cats to whom the swagger was born, that is some trick indeed.
Fortunately there are swells such as Glenn O’Brien who not only know the tricks, but who are willing to show you how they’re pulled off. Each month the gentleman wordslinger answers the most pressing sartorial questions for GQ as “The Style Guy.” And there’s no telling how many men his all-knowing has helped to saved face. Better yet, O’Brien has taken a lifetime’s worth of exacting experience and put it in a nifty book that shelves perfectly between Alan Flusser’s Style and the Man and James Sherwood’s Bespoke. (Or for the really adventurous, Daniele Tamagni’s Gentleman of Bacongo.) The work is called How to Be a Man (Rizzoli $24.95). And if you heed these how-to’s, you too can be a helluva style guy.
Subtitled A Guide to Style and Behavior for the Modern Gentleman, O’Brien’s handy-dandy guide is for both the budding Beau Brummell, as well as the style war veteran. The former will find in O’Brien a mentor of robust dimension; the latter a like mind who’s ever mindful of what it takes to be a real gentleman. In other words, whether he’s addressing how to dress for various occasions or how to behave once you get there, it works as either an introduction or a reminder. That means it’s for every man who puts on his pants one leg at a time.
As Robert Coover wrote in his post neo-Noir Noir, “it’s not the story you’re trapped in, [it’s] how you play it out. Your style. Class. The moves you make.” And if you wanna make the moves that make the day and the nigh for everybodyt, you’d do well to heed O’Brien’s wily advice. Oh, and by the way, that 1964 obscenity case mentioned above involved Ohio’s attempt to ban Louis Malle’s The Lovers, a film which every man of style should definitely see.
The other day SunPost Weekly shot O’Brien a few quick Qs; here’s what he shot back:
What compelled you to write How to Be a Man?
First of all, you need an excuse for an essay book unless you’re on staff at The New Yorker, and since I have my GQ clientele, who follow the Style Guy, I thought I should write a book they would enjoy.
Could it just as easily be called How to Be a Gentleman?
Yes, but it would seem less cosmically important.
What’s been more detrimental to the fall of Gentlemankind — being neutered or not minding their manners?
These fates are similar. Manners are a basis for style, and style is a potent aspect of self-expression. It’s all about study and expression.
Speaking of manners, what are some of the most egregious lapses that you see these days?
People interrupt one another at an alarming rate. It’s from watching panel shows given to argument like The McLaughlin Report or Bill Maher and just a general increase in insensitivity. I also see a general tendency toward shortness of fuse, maybe caused by endemic bureaucracy, where people lose whatever cool they possess very easily.
How about sartorially? Surely there a more than a few widespread faux pas that get your goat, no?
I just find it dispiriting to see men whose only apparent motivation for getting dressed is to avoid nudity. Clothing is a wonderful and meaningful avenue of self-expression, even self-realization.
Any other don’ts a gentleman needs to know before he makes in polite society?
Don’t lie except when kindness and mercy demand it.
If I just landed on this planet from another world, what basic essentials would I need to be a well-rounded man?
A good start would be reading the classics, watching Turner Classic Movies, listening to jazz and playing golf.
Should I bother looking for the converse in the women I pursue?
The converse will probably wind up with a fight. I’d go for the obverse.
Now that we’ve touched upon the fairer sex, Mother’s Day is upon us. What should a gentleman do to be the proverbial apple in Mom’s eye?
Pretend you listen to her instead of your significant other.
May 20, 2011
You remember Glenn O’Brien. As music columnist for Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine, G.O’B. was the periscope on the submarine that was underground, punk rock during its landmark decade in the 80’s. He later expanded his sphere of influence into fashion and art through his “Style Guy” column at GQ magazine and a stint with the publisher of magazines like “Antiques” and “Art in America.”. In fact, when it comes to fashion, style and the arts, the O’Brien arsenal is tough to beat.
It is then with both great anticipation and curiosity that we watch as he turns his gaze to the subject of manhood in the newly released volume “How to Be a Man: A Guide to Style and Behavior for the Modern Gentleman.” (Rizzoli)
So what is a man in the modern day sense and what does it take to become one?
In O’Brien’s view, a man is a person who employs the utmost of style and care when it comes to everything from wardrobe to behavior to the way he exudes his sexuality. O’Brien is a taskmaster when it comes to natty dress, manners and even where a man fits along the hetero, homo and metro-sexual continuum. In fashion, O’Brien’s purview runs head-to-toe covering every detail from haircuts to underwear, collar-stays to ascots. There is even an ample discussion of the so-called ‘dandies.’ (He likes hetros and dandies, though he chastises some gays for not being “gay enough.”)
No one can fault O’Brien for his erudite musings. His range of knowledge is exemplary – covering cultures from the ancient Greeks to the Taliban, philosophers from Socrates to Chuck D. (Only O’Brien would cover the range of beards from ZZ Top to Rutherford B. Hayes.) His writing style is about as punchy as it gets, with each sentence delivering like the cutting remarks of a professorial stand-up comic. One must only question his target.
Has he written the book for people like himself? Is O’Brien merely trying to show off his erudite plumage? (probably) Is he so imbued with the Manhattan lifestyle that he can no longer relate to readers in the flyover states – or they to him? (He basically writes them off towards the end in his chapter on patriotism when he proclaims of the great middle ground, “Wouldn’t they be happier without our smug East Coast attitudes?”)
In all, O’Brien’s book is not a guide for the everyman but rather a dissertation of a certain style designed for the (increasingly) select few for whom such rules still seems to matter. But as a throughly entertaining read on the art, fashion, behaviors and history of the modern gent (dandy or not) it succeeds no matter what code you ascribe to – dress or zip.
It is then with both great anticipation and curiosity that we watch as he turns his gaze to the subject of manhood in the newly released volume “How to Be a Man: A Guide to Style and Behavior for the Modern Gentleman.” (Rizzoli)
So what is a man in the modern day sense and what does it take to become one?
In O’Brien’s view, a man is a person who employs the utmost of style and care when it comes to everything from wardrobe to behavior to the way he exudes his sexuality. O’Brien is a taskmaster when it comes to natty dress, manners and even where a man fits along the hetero, homo and metro-sexual continuum. In fashion, O’Brien’s purview runs head-to-toe covering every detail from haircuts to underwear, collar-stays to ascots. There is even an ample discussion of the so-called ‘dandies.’ (He likes hetros and dandies, though he chastises some gays for not being “gay enough.”)
No one can fault O’Brien for his erudite musings. His range of knowledge is exemplary – covering cultures from the ancient Greeks to the Taliban, philosophers from Socrates to Chuck D. (Only O’Brien would cover the range of beards from ZZ Top to Rutherford B. Hayes.) His writing style is about as punchy as it gets, with each sentence delivering like the cutting remarks of a professorial stand-up comic. One must only question his target.
Has he written the book for people like himself? Is O’Brien merely trying to show off his erudite plumage? (probably) Is he so imbued with the Manhattan lifestyle that he can no longer relate to readers in the flyover states – or they to him? (He basically writes them off towards the end in his chapter on patriotism when he proclaims of the great middle ground, “Wouldn’t they be happier without our smug East Coast attitudes?”)
In all, O’Brien’s book is not a guide for the everyman but rather a dissertation of a certain style designed for the (increasingly) select few for whom such rules still seems to matter. But as a throughly entertaining read on the art, fashion, behaviors and history of the modern gent (dandy or not) it succeeds no matter what code you ascribe to – dress or zip.
August 11, 2011
I know what a number of friends of mine are getting for Christmas!!! What a blessing that someone has finally written a very funny but quite informative style guide for the modern man. The only style tips I ever got -- like don't button the bottom button of a jacket or vest, always were clean underwear in case you in an accident and don't wear socks with holes outside of the house b/c you might have to take your shows off in a guest's--came from my mom. And though I still remember them, they certainly didn't come from a male perspective. This book made me want to not only dress up but dress right. I may not agree with everything he says (i think men should be allowed more jewelry than cufflinks and wristwatches, you should only wear white socks with athletic shoes no matter where you wear them and he does address the cologne issue at all) but it's all set forward with great wisdom wit and, of course, style. His tips on modern life and observations on man's predicament are priceless. His voice is as clear as his opinions, but it's never snooty or condescending (unless he's letting you in on the joke). I may have to buy this as a Christmas present to myself for future reference.
June 2, 2011
I really enjoyed this one. I was familiar with Glenn O'Brien's writing for GQ, which I have always enjoyed, and figured I'd buy his book since he's a fellow Hoya alumnus. I've read several other books of this type of genre, my previous favorite being Gentleman by Bernhard Roetzel, but have to say that How To Be a Man has surpassed it.
My favorite parts of O'Brien's book dealt with style as a personality trait, rather than as a collection of clothes or an interest in fashion. He spends a chapter elaborating on the necessity of proper swearing (the subtle differences between a prick and a cocksucker), how to be a proper friend, and probably my favorite chapter - "How to Have a Vice". And while it has the standard chapters one sees in books of this type (how to tie a tie, how to accessorize a tuxedo, why a man should wear hats, etc.) it was the other, more subtle chapters about behavior and society that I enjoyed most.
My favorite parts of O'Brien's book dealt with style as a personality trait, rather than as a collection of clothes or an interest in fashion. He spends a chapter elaborating on the necessity of proper swearing (the subtle differences between a prick and a cocksucker), how to be a proper friend, and probably my favorite chapter - "How to Have a Vice". And while it has the standard chapters one sees in books of this type (how to tie a tie, how to accessorize a tuxedo, why a man should wear hats, etc.) it was the other, more subtle chapters about behavior and society that I enjoyed most.
August 7, 2011
I would have enjoyed this book much more if the author could have refrained from incessantly expressing his very liberal political views and his hatred of George W. Bush, his desire to have drugs legalized and his atheism. I am always astonished that authors writing books that supposedly have no political or religious bent insist on trying to piss off half their audience. His thoughts on style and general behavior are very well done and if he had limited the book to those subjects I would have given him five stars but, alas, he makes it plain that those of us out here in fly-over country are nothing but bible waving, gun toting, conservative idiots. I am offended by Glenn O'Brein.
March 2, 2012
Glenn O'Brien creates a lifestyle philosophy for the modern day gentleman- a rallying call for men to examine how they present themselves to the world, to bring back a sense of occasion to daily life. Written in a humorously authoritative/humble manner, O'Brien shares his wisdom while urging men to think for themselves, rebelliously pushing them to make their own rules, but to make rules nonetheless.
As a woman I read this book not for style advice, but more for the entertainment of reading a book written by such an iconic dandy. Glenn O'Brien is, to me, a masculine Oscar Wilde of our times and I loved reading his insights on everything from ties to divinity.
As a woman I read this book not for style advice, but more for the entertainment of reading a book written by such an iconic dandy. Glenn O'Brien is, to me, a masculine Oscar Wilde of our times and I loved reading his insights on everything from ties to divinity.
April 17, 2013
I enjoy O'Brien's Q and A's in GQ, but his writing skills--or lake thereof--don't translate well to book form. While the chapters on style are good, it was evident he is out of his realm when writing on other topics. The book could have used a good editor, because I got the impression he just trying to fill space much of the time. On a few occasions he even repeats himself verbatim a page or two later. Also, for someone who claims to be so progressive, it boggles the mind that he doesn't believe in secondhand smoke. He claims that it doesn't exist, because he's not dead yet. Science would disagree.
March 13, 2014
This was slightly off the mark from what I was looking for, but still had some useful information.
Far too many pages were spent discussing mens fashion, and too few on manners and chivalry, which is more of what I was looking for.
It does include many good points of direction though, and I would recommend it if you can "man-up" and get through the dry bits.
I do particularly enjoy the author's command of the English language though, and ended up purchasing all of his recommended English usage guides as a result. I would read the book again strictly on account of the writing style.
Far too many pages were spent discussing mens fashion, and too few on manners and chivalry, which is more of what I was looking for.
It does include many good points of direction though, and I would recommend it if you can "man-up" and get through the dry bits.
I do particularly enjoy the author's command of the English language though, and ended up purchasing all of his recommended English usage guides as a result. I would read the book again strictly on account of the writing style.
August 24, 2011
Yes, I know this is written for men, but it looked interesting, and it was. Although the writer is an elitist snob and he says some pretty mean things about fat people - particularly women - his other observations are pretty funny. A good part is where he is expounding upon the art of cursing, and he explains the difference between s**t and a s**thead. Dick Cheney is a s**t...George Bush is a s**thead. I won't give the difference here, you should read it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2012
Ithought this book as a clssy and fancy book. While reading this book it was interesting to know that there are alot of things a man has to know in order to be a man. like you have to be proper and you have to dress properly. This book is good if you would like to know life tips on how to be a man and this book is ONLY FOR MEN!!!!
August 28, 2014
Всеобъемлющее руководство для мужчин. Начиная от волосяного покрова, заканчивая запонками и м��нерами поведения в отдельных ситуациях.
Не рекомендую читать все подряд, т.к. многие утверждения и советы автора могут не соответствовать вашим культурным особенностям.
Пользуйтесь в качестве руководства и читайте отдельные главы.
Не рекомендую читать все подряд, т.к. многие утверждения и советы автора могут не соответствовать вашим культурным особенностям.
Пользуйтесь в качестве руководства и читайте отдельные главы.
November 10, 2015
This book is hilarious and chock full of satire. Every man should read this. If you have already reached the conclusions he shares, you'll at the very least get a kick out of the information he shares, and maybe a bit of perspective or another way of phrasing something. Women may enjoy this as well.
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