What Would Jackie Do?: An Inspired Guide to Distinctive Living [Bargain Price] [Paperback]

Shelly Branch (Author), Sue Callaway (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 28, 2006

We can’t help but want to be like her: Exuding unmatched poise and style, Jackie O continues to fascinate women and men of all ages. But how would Jackie have handled the twenty-first century? What would she have thought of a society defined by casual rules of conduct? Gathering intriguing research, commentary from today’s experts, and fond reminiscences about the first lady of perfection’s day-to-day decisions, journalists Shelly Branch and Sue Callaway offer a sparkling answer to the question: What Would Jackie Do?

Applying Jackie’s philosophies to every aspect of contemporary life, including relationships, office politics, family matters, household bills, and entertaining, What Would Jackie Do? is a trove of advice, featuring:
• Noblesse oblige for beginners
• How not to be an interchangeable woman
• Mastering the effortless rich look
• The art of attachment: lessons on sex, marriage, and men of consequence
• Career whirls: pearls for getting ahead

What Would Jackie Do? portrays the practical wisdom behind an icon. The next best thing to having Jackie O as a personal adviser, What Would Jackie Do? gives readers a piece of the Jackie mystique.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Never mind what Jackie would do. The bigger question is, what would she think about having her name attached to this chatty, gossipy manual that covers everything from how to gracefully decline a date ("Oh, you're so thoughtful but I'm terribly busy these days") to how to avoid a "customs confrontation" regarding your overseas spending ("book your flight through an airport where the agents are apt to be less savvy" about recognizing Prada). Journalists Branch and Callaway have mined every detail of Jackie's life to generate such advice as "Do suck up to people with private craft" and interviewed a variety of incongruous experts like designer Oleg Cassini and Thom Filicia of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, who observes, "So many clients want to create a facade.... Jackie would never do that." Branch and Callaway deem Jackie "the model for how to do practically everything right," but leave wiggle room to point out her shortcomings, among them smoking, skipping meals and using appetite-suppressing medications. As a guide to the social niceties (and sometimes not-so-niceties) this should be taken with a pile of salt; gossip hounds may take a look just to feed their appetite for all things Jackie. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

Fresh anecdotes and insights from friends and fans . . . an entertaining trifle of a self- help book. (New York Post)

Reveals the art of living, Jackie O-style. (Boston Herald)

A style tome that answers scorching etiquette what-ifs. . . . [The authors] whimsically apply the most fabulous former First Lady’s philosophies to every aspect of contemporary life. (Daily News, New York)

This delicious, witty book shows that her life lessons are as timeless as the woman herself. (Charlotte Ford , author of 21st-Century Etiquette)

A funny, fact-rich, and surprisingly motivating manual about how to move through life with Jackie Kennedy Onassis–like smarts and grace. . . . What would Jackie do with this witty little book? She’d read it. (More magazine)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Gotham (December 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592402712
• ASIN: B0019I2TH4
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #210,416 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Impractical, does not capture the richness of Jackie's life or style, low on wisdom November 6, 2009

By Habibi

Format:Paperback

I had many problems with the book. Aside from its bad, frivolous writing with little content, the advice given in the book is very impractical- although the authors acknowledge that Jackie was rich and we cannot imitate her life style and say that they try to make it suitable for less bourgeois women, the book does nothing but celebrate and encourage the shallow, high maintenance lifestyle. For example, the book says it's ok to be paranoid about your hair- Jackie would send a personal assistant to wherever city Jackie's going so she can find a good hair dresser there. When you can't do that, fly in your favorite hair dresser. If you can't even do that, then get the hair done before your travel and sleep upright when you travel (so your hair remains intact)- how ridiculous is that. I found other advice that isn't impractical is either common sense (e.g. "writing thank you cards is good")or dated (e.g. "don't outshine your men," "don't show your intelligence right away because guys will be intimidated").

More importantly, I found the book to be pretty superficial- it's literally only about what the title indicates: "what would Jackie DO"- nothing more than that. It fails to address Jackie's philosophies, feelings, and compassion behind her actions, diminishing her life to trivial and superficial obsessions over appearance, fancy lifestyle, etc. In other words, you don't really get to see the holistic picture of who she is - just unflattering, random fragments of what Jackie might do if she was living today (as guessed by the authors). Another problematic side of this is that the authors do not give good reasons "why" we should follow their advice other than simply that "because Jackie would do/did it" (or so they think).... I learned nothing useful from this book - practically or philosophically.

Maybe the book is good for someone who is very young (so they have something new to learn from this book- I just hope they won't take the glamor of high maintenance life literally) or a huge fan of Jackie, who wouldn't need reasons to be follow the advice given in the book. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars This book is a joke. November 25, 2007

By Jane Taylor Jacobs

Format:Paperback

This book is nothing but gossip-fueled speculation and is insulting not only to Jackie but to anyone who truly admired her. The, ahem, "authors," claiming to know what her modis operandi would have been in any given situation, are sadly mistaken and deserve to be right where they are in life - writing about other peoples' greatness, although not very well.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Enjoyable Read February 24, 2010

By Dottie Randazzo

Format:Paperback

Length: 0:47 Mins

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars disgusting June 5, 2007

By jmblanch

Format:Paperback

I'll flat-out say it. This book is a waste of paper and ink. It makes me cringe.

Now, I certainly wasn't expecting a Pulitzer Prize effort or anything, but I thought, maybe, it would be cute. I came by the book for free, and figured I could browse through it after a long day at work when I didn't want to have to think about anything important for the rest of the day. You know, like "What Not to Wear" or "Mean Girls" in book form. Cheesy, but cute, and relaxing.

Instead of being called "What Would Jackie Do," this book could have been titled, "How to Be a High-Maintenance Rich Brat (I could probably find a more suitable word here, but I'll keep it PG)." It spouts out many oh so helpful tips, like - make sure the designer logo "H" on your belt stands for Hermes, not Hilfiger. After all, Jackie would never be caught dead in such low-end fashion. It even gives priceless insight to the kind of life Jackie led. Apparently she would have a maid drive around the block in a convertible and report back on what type of "hair weather" it was. Hmm.

The real gems of the book, however, are the namesake of the book - What would Jackie do? Each chapter has a set of questions, to which the authors provide their expert opinion on how Jackie would respond. For example, would Jackie shop at Target? Gasp - of course she would never wear anything with Target logo on it, but since she did like a bargain, she would probably get her yoga gear there. And my personal favorite - Would Jackie ever pick up the tab on a date? Oh dahling, of course not! Isn't the price of a hairstyle and manicure and new outfit enough to make the man pick up the check? Oh alright then, you are allowed to pay for a few drinks if you are past the dating phase and think the guy might be real marriage material.... Seriously. The book even suggests giving Botox a whirl before committing to a facelift. Duh - it's what Jackie would do. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVES It! July 3, 2007

By Leah Elizabeth

Format:Paperback

This book was amazing, and everything I expected it to be. If anybody wants to be like Jackie, or just plain proper, they should definitely read this book. It wasn't bratty or over the top at all. :]

4.0 out of 5 stars Silly but fun April 2, 2013

By Kelly Knowles

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a silly but creative look at Jackie O. A great gift for Jackie fans and some interesting historical perspectives on her style and way of life.

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book! December 13, 2012

By AlisonKathleen

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is great... I read What Would Audrey do first, and I fell in love. It was only right that I read about my other celebrity idol... And I think this book did a terrific job of capturing who Jackie is and what SHE would do.

5.0 out of 5 stars WHat a buy! December 11, 2012

By nichole

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Ok this has been a family fun reading! My mom, daughter and I have read and have learned, had many laughs as well!