Men'sHealth Real Life Survival Guide [Paperback]

Larry Keller (Author), Christian Millman (Author), Steve Salerno (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2001

Arranged alphabetically by subject, this fun and lively guide teaches readers how to mix drinks like a pro, how to break at pool, even whom to tip and how much. Complete with unexpected bits of trivia and surprising facts, The Mens Health Real Life Survival Guide is a training manual for achieving real-life confidence, stature, and prestige. Interviews with celebrities such as famed boxing trainer Angelo Dundee, Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, and even the Fonz, Henry Winkler, provide insight to handling everyday situations with confidence and style.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Spoofing the current craze for books on what to do "if you just crawled out of the flaming wreckage of a 747 that crashed in the Everglades and you're now being attacked by a 'gator,' " the Men's Health Real Life Survival Guide aims to help readers survive "situations that actually happen." Larry Keller, Christian Millman and, as the book's cover credit line satirically observes, "the other guys in the trenches at Men's Health," explain how a guy can lose 10 pounds fast, clean a carpet stain, unhook a woman's bra with one hand, propose marriage, evade a speeding ticket, mix drinks and win at poker. This book offers little relief to those anticipating encounters with Congo ants or a disgruntled anaconda. But men destined for more prosaic face-offs whether with highway patrol officers, tax collectors or women may find it handy. 48 b&w illus.; 6 b&w photos.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 215 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Press (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579545009
• ISBN-13: 978-1579545000
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,880,656 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A solid, practical book for "these times", September 26, 2001

By 

tony bragdon (Brielle, New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Men'sHealth Real Life Survival Guide (Paperback)

Just got a copy over this past weekend, and already I've put it to practical use twice. The thing about this book is, though it has a certain facetious aspect to it, the info is really useful and hands-on. And it's very guy-oriented (which I guess you'd expect from Men's Health, duh). I had earlier bought the other book, the worst-case scenario guide, and although it was fun reading, I never considered it a book that offered useful advice--until the World Trade Center disaster, but that's another story. On a day in, day out basis, the "real life survival guide" will come in handy for the average guy, I bet, dozens of times the first year you have it. Now more than ever a guy wants to feel in control of the things he can still control, and this book should help. Well worth the price, especially if you can beat that traffic ticket, like it claims!

3.0 out of 5 stars I no longer regard self-help with loathing. That mean I'm getting old?, February 27, 2009

By 

1 Ice - See all my reviews

This review is from: Men'sHealth Real Life Survival Guide (Paperback)

From the back:
"Every man wants to make good when the boss calls upon him to give a speech. Every man hopes to make his lover gush about him to her friends. And every man wants other men to say, "Hey, he's a good guy." The Men's Health Real-Life Survival Guide will give you the training to make those moments happen.
Every guy also wants to have some fun in addition to performing his manly duties. That's in here too--we'll show you how to do everything from pitching like a major leaguer to hosting the ultimate Super Bowl bash to taking down all challengers at arm wrestling.
Because surviving--and thriving--in real life requires a formidable arsenal of tricks, tips, and techniques to help you make it coolly through the day.
Here it is, with all the with and wisdom you've come to expect from the guys at Men's Health."

I don't read the magazine, and unfortunately, I no longer regard self-help with loathing. Despite this book being quite western in its context, the principles--which are applicable anywhere--are there. The tips range from the practical (How to Change Your Oil, Talk Your Way Out of a Traffic Ticket), to the invaluable (How to Get Ahead Without Being a Suck-Up, Answer a Child's Questions), to the fun (How to Unhook a Bra With One Hand, Become a Swimsuit Photographer). This is the how-to (fyi: it's listed under 'how-to,' not 'self-help') book for men reaching the age where they have nephews and nieces who ask for advice, and they start downing pints with their dads and their uncles and aunts. Exhaustively researched, it can't replace the wisdom of experience, but if a man's to settle for something less, this is as close to it as you can get in this medium.