What to Do When No One Has a Clue: Advice for the Brave New World [Hardcover]

Stephanie Pierson (Author), Barbara Harrison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 11, 2010

Is it okay to text bad news? What do you do if you and your intended already have  hyphenated last names? Is it gauche to take home leftovers from a four-star restaurant? Should you admit you are getting your MBA online? Is it okay to ask a lesbian how she got pregnant? Who gets the dog in the divorce? Is an anti-wrinkle cream that is made of pig collagen kosher?


You will always have a clue with expert advice from:


Badgley Mischka, designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka
Rick Bayless, chef
Colin Cowie, event producer
Bethenny Frankel, author and star of The Real Housewives of New York City
Arianna Huffington, editor in chief of The Huffington Post
Daniel Jones, editor of the New York Times “Modern Love” column
Louis Licari, hairstylist
Danny Meyer, restaurateur
Marion Nestle, nutritionist
Carley Roney, cofounder of TheKnot.com
Paul Saffo, technology forecaster and futurist
Pepper Schwartz, Ph.D., sociologist and relationship expert
Deborah Tannen, language expert
Erik Torkells, editor for TripAdvisor.com


Plus a dean of admissions, a leading dermatologist, a dog trainer, a founder of an online dating site, and other experts on what to do when no one has a clue.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter (May 11, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307463206
• ISBN-13: 978-0307463203
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,146,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born and raised in Baltimore, went to college in Connecticut, worked in advertising in New York since the day I graduated from college. I have always written - advertising copy (I am a creative director at a small NY agency) and books. I like to write about lifestyle, food, entertaining, and issues that are relevant to women. I am a contributing editor to Metropolitan Home Magazine. I have written profound books about body image issues of teenage girls and I have ghost-written cookbooks. My new book lets me use my life experience to help other women shortcut their own experiences. I think of myself at the moment as a Life Sherpa. Or as Oprah would probably say, "as a life sherpa in progress." I feel like I have done pretty much everything, at least once. I have had one marriage, one husband, one divorce, two daughters, many Bearded Collies, countless cats, zillions of great friends, endless life experiences, one perfect macaroni and cheese recipe.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seinfeldian, May 18, 2010

By 

Scott Sanders "consumer goods marketer" (Cambridge, MA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: What to Do When No One Has a Clue: Advice for the Brave New World (Hardcover)

Seinfeldian is the best way I can describe this book. Any of the questions posed in this book could be made into a Seinfeld episode. Seinfeld never addressed any of these (that I can think of) simply because Pierson and Harrison have focused on fun questions that are almost unique to the world we live in today -- and not the 1990s.

I love that this book doesn't try to offer authoritative answers to hard questions but rather gives us some quasi-experts' views.

It's a fun, light read that made me think harder about funny topics that I had in a long time.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now I'll know what to do, June 1, 2010

By 

Hayden Bedford (New York) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: What to Do When No One Has a Clue: Advice for the Brave New World (Hardcover)

I have often found myself wondering whether it's okay to ask a lesbian how she got pregnant and now I know. "What To Do When No One Has a Clue" is a hilarious and easily accessible read. The further I got into the book, the more I came up with ridiculous situations from my own life...hopefully Pierson and Harrison are hard at work on volume II. This is a perfect graduation or wedding/baby shower gift.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Avoiding social gaffes and faux pas in awkward situations you never imagined, May 31, 2010

By 

D. Reverand "Stumbling but trying" (NEW YORK, NY, US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What to Do When No One Has a Clue: Advice for the Brave New World (Hardcover)

If you remember the certainty of your mother's Emily Post advice with
fondness, you will love this hilarious guide to living with grace and fun
in our anything goes world.

The book is chock-full of situations and dilemmas that were not part of
our social lexicon even ten years ago--and the authors' offer a fresh take
on gliding through quickly changing modern times with a minimal number of faux pas.