Queer Eye for the Straight Guy : The Fab 5's Guide to Looking Better, Cooking Better, Dressing Better, Behaving Better, and Living Better [Hardcover]

Ted Allen (Author), Kyan Douglas (Author), Thom Filicia (Author), Carson Kressley (Author), Jai Rodriguez (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 10, 2004

Imagine this: Five eminently stylish and hilariously witty gay men -- authoritative experts in food and wine, grooming, decorating, fashion, and culture -- invade your life, assess your strengths and weaknesses, and, in the course of a day, make you better dressed, better groomed, better mannered, and a better cook, living in a better home. All of this is painless (unless you have a really egregious body-hair situation), liberating, and downright fun.

This is what Queer Eye for the Straight Guy does each week on one of the hottest TV shows in memory, as the Fab 5 -- Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia, Carson Kressley, and Jai Rodriguez -- turn an everyman frog into an every-girl's-dream prince. And this is what the book offers: the essential "make better" advice from each of the Fab 5. Just like the show, the book focuses on easy but lasting lifestyle transformation -- the tasks, the projects, the modest purchases, and, most important, the new attitudes that immediately make a noticeable difference.

From Kyan's instructions on how often to wash your hair to Carson's explanation of why shirts are the new ties, from Ted's strategies for ordering wine and Thom's suggestions on a better bathroom to Jai's hints on shaking hands, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy is filled with clear, direct advice on the issues that confront every man. But Queer Eye doesn't try to make you dress like Carson or dance like Jai; it's about teaching you how to refine your own personal style, without throwing away your entire closet and buying a whole new everything. It's about helping you realize the best expression of yourself -- the real you.

Queer Eye introduces men to the rewards that women -- and a lot of gay men -- have long reaped by thinking about the day-to-day details that make them look better, feel better, and get more out of life. Many straight men have long felt that these subjects are not for them. Nothing could be sillier. In this book, the Fab 5 sets them straight (so to speak).

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Complete with sound effects, techno music and an amusing glossary-which defines the Fab Five as "stylish and savvy saviors of straightness"-this audio package possesses all the vibrancy and humor of an episode, as well as some sound advice. In the longest but most useful section, Allen covers everything from the "10 culinary weapons every man should own" (eight-inch chef's knife, 12-inch tongs, etc.) to simple cocktail recipes and dinner menus that are sure to make a date swoon. Listeners should keep a notepad and pen handy for this section, as well as for Kressley's contribution on the dos and don'ts of couture: "Pleated pants are never the answer," but cowboy boots are a closet essential. Douglas's section feels thin at times, but listeners will perk up when he stops talking about unsightly "nose-bush" and moves on to skin care. Filicia, meanwhile, tells people how to spruce up a space by applying "paint-on architecture," and Rodriguez reveals where all the women are hiding and how to impress them ("make it cultural" by going to a play, museum or lecture). The Fab Five succeed in keeping the tone of their readings conversational, and "hip tips" and "straightguy" questions, which are posed in comically exaggerated straight guy voices, lend the audiobook an interactive feel. With its lively dance pace, light humor and bonus q&a, this audiobook is certain to snare fans of the show.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–A witty, yet sound manual based on the hit television show. A chapter is devoted to each star's area of expertise–Ted on food and wine, Kyan on grooming, Thom on decorating, Carson on fashion, and Jai on "culture." Some of the information, such as Ted's mixed-drinks recipes and recommended bar essentials, or Thom's advice on how to redo bathrooms and dining rooms, will be more than teens are currently interested in, but the general recommendations (Ted: "let that anxiety go"; Thom: "understand your space") should at least provoke thinking out of the box. More germane to YAs is Kyan's chapter on hygiene and Carson's smart couture pointers, while Jai's advice on "interacting with humans" is so felicitous that it could be adopted by both sexes. The pages are chock-full of color, including quality photos; "hiptips" and "straightguyFAQ" boxes appear on almost every other page. Each chapter contains one or more lists of five items, such as classics every man should own, elements of a perfect shave, and dishes not to order on a date. A glossary helps the uninitiated understand the meaning of terms from astringent to julienne to the Five's ubiquitous "tszujing." Underneath the humor and the occasional sexual innuendo are the book's strength and appeal: sincere, commonsense advice on how to be "you–only better."–Dori DeSpain, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1 edition (February 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140005446X
• ISBN-13: 978-1400054466
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,246,386 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Beauty, Grooming, & Style > Men's Grooming & Style

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

159 of 165 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning How To Live Better February 12, 2004

By Cuzzin Todd

Format:Hardcover

By now everyone knows the premise of the show: five gay men (aka The Fab Five) bust into some poorly dressed, hygienically clueless and culturally unaware straight guy's messy home (a guy, for instance, like me or probably you if you're reading this) and set him... well... straight on a few things. The book, like the show, is divided up into five areas.

Ted/Food: Definitely the meatiest section of the book (pun intended). I got more useable info out of Ted's few page crash-course in wine than I did out of complete wine books I've read. And the list of kitchen essentials is great. Also included are some not-to-complicated looking recipes, lists of bar essentials, directions on mixing various cocktails, Steak 101 and a brief guide to fresh produce. With Ted as my witness, I'll never eat Hot Pockets again! (Well, maybe not `never,' but less often.)

Kyan/Grooming: I thought this section of the book was a bit lacking. Don't get me wrong - there's plenty of great information here. I just wanted more at the end. After all, I think this is the area that most guys are perhaps the most clueless. The essentials are covered, from what hair product does what and proper moisturizing through shaving and hair removal. And, of course, BUY A NOSE HAIR TRIMMER!!!

Thom/Decorating: This section wasn't quite what I expected. I expected more specifics. And I'm glad I didn't get them. Thom can't tell me how to decorate my place to make it my own. But what he did do was give me an idea how/where to start and got me thinking in terms of color palettes. Again, I got more out of a few pages here than entire decorating books.

Carson/Fashion: Some great dos and don'ts in this section, as well as lists of fashion `essentials' each guy should have in his closet. Great tips on creating different looks with the same items too and info on selecting a suit that's right for you. One thing missing though: direction on the proper way to tie a tie, something I definitely need help with.

Jai/Culture: This section was a surprise. Too often in the show I think the culture aspect doesn't come through clearly. It's easier to see the dramatic results of a haircut or redecorating. But in the book, there's plenty of great info on culture and etiquette. Tips on hosting a party or being a gracious guest, encouragement to try new things and the tips on dating section had some great ideas as well. I may start handing out copies of Jai's `Cell-Phone Etiquette' to people everywhere.

Overall, the layout of the book is entertaining and contains easy to read short-topics. Just like on the show, Hip-tips pop-up in the corners every few pages. And the mantra of the show comes through loud in clear in the book: don't be afraid to try new things. I'd say a must-have for fans of the shows or guys looking to improve themselves a bit. As Carson said in one of the early episodes, "We're not here to change you; we're here to make you better."

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Who doesn't need a little "tszujing" in his life? March 25, 2004

By K. Bourn

Format:Hardcover

Every woman who has wished that she could get a gay man to take her guy shopping--and every hetero man who would like to figure out how to unstick himself from the tarpit of cultural ignorance--has managed to make "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" a major hit. Absorbing all that information in a fast-paced TV show, however, can become challenging. The Fab 5's book retains the same breezy, frank, gay-joking tone of the show while providing an easy-to-use reference that guys can come back to--or gals can use to drop a subtle hint to their favorite caveman.

Sure, guys could probably get the same information by reading cooking and decorating magazines, subscribing to GQ, calling the local Mary Kay rep, and (gasp) listening to women, but the Fab 5's guide does a great job putting together key information on food, grooming, decorating, fashion and culture in a fun and focused way.

"Right now, in cities and towns across this great land, there are men eating pork-n-beans out of the can, grooming like Neanderthals, and dressing themselves in the darkness of utter couture-ignorance. (The tragedy!) You needed us, and we were there."

The chatty format and clean layout makes the information accessible and quick to find. Each section contains helpful 5-point lists. Short straight-guy FAQs, Q&As and "hiptips" sprinkle the chapters with easily digested ideas. The writing style is a crack-up, filled with the gay-straight double entendres that make the show fun to watch.

The guide is divided into the same five areas that the Fab 5 address in their make-over show:

* Food & wine, by Ted Allen of Esquire, contains enough cocktail recipes to get you through all seasons, suggests a few easy ways to prepare bar snacks, reviews some basic wine information, provides recipes for several simple but elegant meals, and (perhaps most helpful of all) tells guys how to "fake it" with no-cook dinners. The chapter concludes with five tips for dressing a dinner plate--something few guys know unless they've worked in restaurants.

* Grooming, by stylist Kyan Douglas, covers hair styling products, nose-hair trimmers ("Dude, it's power tools for your nostrils!"), skin care and shaving. I found the skin-care section particularly helpful since I've been trying to get my boyfriend to pay attention to this topic, but haven't been able to explain to him why he needed to do certain things. Kyan does a good job explaining why guys should pay attention to these topics, and manages to do it in amusing "guy talk."

* Decorating, written by interior designer Thom Filicia. While key points about grooming can be covered well in brief, an overview of decorating in the same amount of space is bound to leave a lot out. Fortunately, Thom doesn't attempt to be all-encompassing. He emphasizes thinking about how you use your space, and points you in directions for learning more about styles you find appealing. Creating architectural details, particularly in bland apartments, has been a strength of Thom's designs on "Queer Eye," and he does a good job in the guide explaining how to do this. His "5 Quick Cleanup Tasks Before Company Comes Over" hilariously ends with a reminder that "porn, of any sort, no matter how soft, should be hard to bump into."

* Fashion, by stylist Carson Kressley (easily the most outrageous of the five), could be subtitled "how to look good without looking like your mommy dressed you." He covers wardrobe basics, ways to dress up and dress down shirts, 5 ways to wear blazers, what tie knots go best with different collar styles (but not how to tie them), and cuts of jeans. His suit-buying information is fabulous. I especially loved his "evolution of the suited man," featuring a pyramid of swatches, starting at the top with the basic navy blue for the guy who only wears a suit when pressed into service as a pallbearer, and extending, eventually, to "sponsoring your tailor's green card" (a dozen swatches for the extreme dandy).

* Culture, by actor/singer/dancer Jai Rodriguez, contains a lot of great "5 thing" lists: public speaking, straight-guy faux pas, hosting tips, working a cocktail party, alternatives to dinner-and-a-movie dates, places to pick up women (more classily titled "look for love"), birthday gifts, and tszujing a date. Cell phone and e-mail do's and don'ts are tips that almost everyone, male and female, could use. While Jai's cultural tips on the show tend to be very specific to the guy/couple involved--and that's one of his points, *make it personal*--his cultural guide contains some more general ways that guys can become more cultured, like websites for finding good books and movies.

The Fab 5's approach works because they affirm who the individual is and make over wardrobes and homes based on what the guy likes, not on some one-size-fits-all approach. "Our goal isn't to turn you into someone else," they note in their introduction. They also stress, in very funny ways, that adopting their ideas is not going to turn heterosexual men into effete things who will attract gays.

And what's "tszujing," you want to know? The guide ends with a glossary that explains this "Queer Eye" term, and contains other amusing definitions. My favorites: "Mise-en-place: Culinary term, from the French for having your **** together." "Empathy: Listening your way to getting lucky."

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars How to tszuj... February 20, 2004

By JR Pinto

Format:Hardcover

Reading this book confirmed what watching the TV show made me suspect - I have no idea how to run my own life. This is the book every mother should give her son before he moves away to college or gets an apartment of his own. Life is full of stuff we all are SUPPOSED to know but nobody ever tells us about. Why was there never a guidebook before? As soon as the show started, I wondered when the Fab Five were going to write down their accumulated wisdom.

The book itself is kind of a coffee table book - expensive and heavily illustrated. Each of the five writes his own section which covers the basics in every area of expertise.

TED: What tools you need in your kitchen. When to buy produce. How to make cocktails. He tells you to NEVER smell the cork. There are a whole bunch of recipes in this section as well.

KYAN: I never had that "how to shave" talk with my dad - probably because he doesn't know how himself. Kyan tells you how. He also tells you how to properly wash and care for your face and hair. You'll find out the difference between styling gel and pomade.

THOM: You know more about decorating than you think you do. You'll find out how to paint those rectangles on your walls.

CARSON: Fashion - this is the most indispensable part of the book for me as I have no fashion sense whatsoever. You'll find out what to look for in a suit, what kind of clothes you should own, how to buy jeans, and the all-important pocket-square.

JAI: He has the hardest job on the show because he has the most nebulous job description. Yet, he does come up with a lot of useful tips for his section - how to shake hands properly, how to be the perfect party host/guest, and how to go on a date.

Every section is pretty funny and it makes a good reference book to keep coming back to.