Customer Reviews

How Do You Work This Life Thing?: Advice for the Newly Independent on Roommates, Jobs, Sex, and Everything That Counts

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Although the adolescent years are often considered to be the hardest in terms of life transition, moving from teen-living-at-home to out-on-your-own has to rank right up there. For those who are struggling on how life's supposed to happen in the real world, there's How Do You Work This Life Thing?: Advice for the Newly Independent on Roommates, Jobs, Sex, and Everything That Counts by Lizzie Post. I'm sure my 18 and 20 year olds could learn much from this book, and I know a number of others (unfortunately much older) who would also benefit from a refresher course or two...

Contents:
Introduction: Why This Book?
Part 1 - How to Avoid Killing Your Roommate (and Others) - The "Three C's" Approach to Building Better Relationships; Your New Place; Top Five Potential War Zones at Home; Hello, Neighbor; Welcome to My Home - Hanging Out, the Etiquette of Couch Crashing, and How to Be the Ideal Houseguest; Significant Others, One-Night Stands, and Things That Go Bump in the Night - Romance, Dating, and Sex at Your Place; Entertaining - From Wine Tasting to Beer Pong, and Everything In Between
Part 2 - The Rest of the World and You: Steppin' Out - What You're Telling the World; Errands; The Cell Phone; Dining - A Night Out With Friends; Dining - The Mechanics of it All; Socializing - From Etiquette With Friends to Meeting New People; Dating - For Real; Let the Games Begin! - The Etiquette of Sports and Fitness; Driver's Ed-iquette; Four Times When You've Got to Get It Right
Part 3 - Work, Paid and Unpaid: Landing the Perfect Job; On the Job; When School is Your Job
Index

It's tempting to think that moving out and getting a roommate will be cool, easy, and nonstop fun. The reality of it is that within the first week, your cool roommate will start to transform into the "roommate from hell" before your very eyes. Don't laugh... They're thinking the same thing about you. Your assumption that everyone thinks and acts like you do is incorrect, and clashes are inevitable. Lizzie Post has taken many of the common points of contention in a roommate situation and gives great advice on how to avoid the conflict before it happens. Hashing out issues like the kitchen (clean vs. messy, what food is communal, etc.), the bathroom (clean vs. messy), and the living room (same issues!) before they become flashpoints is a great way to enjoy your new-found freedom and still continue to like the person you're living with.

Parts 2 and 3 are extremely useful, in that she covers the face and persona that you show to the public. There's great advice on how dating should work, the unwritten rules of dining, and what to do (and not do!) with your cell phone. This is the part of the book that I'd like to see be required reading for a number of people who shouldn't need to be reminded of stuff like this. Like the cell phone chapter... ESPECIALLY the cell phone chapter...

The writing style is definitely appropriate for the young adult reader. It's accurate and complete, without being "stuffy." Although it's lighter in tone than you would find in a typical "etiquette" book, I think I would have tried for even more humor just to keep the typical "do I have to read this" person engaged a bit more. But still, I'll be tossing this in the mail to my older son, with hopes that it will make his transition to self-sufficient (and enjoyable-to-be-around) adult a bit easier...

When I think of Emily Post I automatically think stuffy, prim, and proper. Not so this book by her great-great-granddaughter, Lizzie. An updated and fairly hip book of advice for the newly independent, it approaches issues in a straightforward manner, using a variety of formats with tips, Q&A, and checklists addressing roommate dilemmas, and classroom, dining, and office etiquette. As further evidence that this is not your grandmother's Emily Post, subjects such as one-night stands, "things that go bump in the night," (Use your imagination.) and couch-crashers are discussed. The book will also advise you on the appropriate clothing for a variety of occasions, when it's probably not okay to swear, and a great shrimp primavera recipe for your next party.

This book is not a perfect fit for each and every grown kid who moves out of the house, and certainly not for most 18-year-olds. It is well-suited for a slightly older, more sophisticated crowd of say, 20-somethings, who are more likely to WANT to make shrimp primavera and really care about wearing the right clothes for each occasion. Personally, I am thrilled with this book and plan on having a couple of copies on hand for college graduations and 21st birthday gifts. 50 Ways to Leave Your Mother

I bought this book because I was interested in a hipster take on manners for the post grad crowd. I was a little disapponted at the lack of wit in the book, but it contains info that all people need to know...and a great majority never learn.
It's a perfect go-to-guide for the serially clueless graduate in your life

Everyone I know would be able to take something away from this extremely well-written book. Too many young adults these days seem to have somehow missed out on learning how to conduct themselves in a way that does not hassle the people they interact with on a daily basis. It is refreshing to see a young author with such a thorough understanding of these issues.

The book itself is entertaining and an excellent read regardless of how it is read (I enjoyed picking it up and reading chapters at random). I highly recommend it.

I'm going to enjoy this book very much. It's well written and it's easy to read.
I love it.