How to Iron Your Own Damn Shirt: The Perfect Husband Handbook Featuring Over 50 Foolproof Ways to Win, Woo & Wow Your Wife (Paperback)

~ (Author) "All right, guys, settle down..." (more)
Key Phrases: Cook's Illustrated, Michael Gurian, Win Over Her Parents

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

PERFECT HUSBANDS ARE MADE, NOT BORN

LADIES: At long last, a practical guide to help your man become the perfect husband. How to Iron Your Own Damn Shirt is your salvation, with simple, easy-for-a-guy-to-follow instructions on those little things you can never get him to do, such as:

• How to Put the Toilet Seat Down
• How to Stop Snoring
• How to Ask for Directions
• Plus, more than 50 other essential topics (even How to Dance at a Wedding)

It’s a must-have guide that will finally convince him it’s in his best interest to make you happy, no matter what it takes.

GUYS: Don’t panic. It’s not how perfect you are, it’s how perfect she thinks you are. How to Iron Your Own Damn Shirt is your key to the castle. Imagine what she’ll let you get away with if you master a few skills, such as:

• How to Appear Calm While She’s Driving
• How to Apologize Convincingly
• How to Enjoy a Chick Flick
• Plus, more than 50 other essential topics (even How to Hide Your Porn)

How to Iron Your Own Damn Shirt includes countless tips and tricks for keeping you sane, keeping her happy, and keeping you both laughing.

About the Author

Craig Boreth is a perfect-husband-in-training who lives in Santa Monica, California, with his perfect wife.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (April 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400053625
• ISBN-13: 978-1400053629
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #204,300 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Man With A Plan, May 6, 2005

By	Hamilton Hamilton "hamimono" (Yokohama, Japan) - See all my reviews

Craig Boreth has done it yet again. First there was that other thing and now . . . this. Wow! What next? But, let's focus on this right now . . .

I must admit that I was immediately drawn to the hilariously strident tone of the title when I included the book in my Amazon guide "So You Want To Be Your Own Wife." But that is part of the brilliance of " . . . Damn Shirt . . ."'s concept: looks like a feminist screed, actually is a cleverly disguised spy manual for men to the secret and mysterious world of connubial bliss, nay, even concupiscience.

Ok, yes, my wife and I blithely disregarded the rules for reading (See "For Men Only" and "For Women Only") and read it selectively aloud together. We hooted again and again and agreed that it was not only funny but spot-on. Although we are surely not the target audience (my wife thinks farts are quite amusing and I find ironing meditative . . . go figure!), we loved the book and ordered a few more copies as gifts for friends.

On one level, the book's short chapter bites and Jay Mazhar's great illustrations make for the quintessential "coffee table/bathroom book." But it is much more. Each chapter---with great titles like "How To Eliminate Gas" and "How To Walk Slowly Through a Museum"---has a witty and humorous lead-in that then manages to segue into very real useful and well-researched information for, not just wife-pleasing and appearance-of-sophistication, but things that all self-respecting, socially-mobile adult males should take personal pride in doing. Things like being considerate of others in one's environment, listening to others (or at least appearing to), tying a bow tie, keeping your body fit, and, my personal favorite, "How To Have a Reasonable Midlife Crisis". The best thing is that Boreth slips all these important things in while you are chuckling over his humorous presentation so nothing has any kind of a preachy feel ("I'm happy, fabulous, hunky, sensitive, and evolved and here's how you can be, too!").

This book is many things for most people. Would-be metrosexuals will eat it up as a starter guide. Young married (and impending matrimony) couples will benefit mightily. I predict, in fact, that this will become the hot shower gift of the next generation. Older couples may pick up pointers. The clueless will find clues and the clued will become yet more clueful. Skunkish boors will be predictably unchanged and unchangable but their wives will get some brownie points with friends and family for having tried something, anything. As well, we showed it to our gay friends (in fact, one couple just got married) and they loved it for the kitsch factor, the studly voice, and the retro illustrations. The general gay literary critique: "Craig Boreth is hot."

All said and done, "winning, wooing, and wowing" is, as the author so succinctly put it, "a journey, not a destination." "How to Iron Your Own Damn Shirt . . ." is one hilarious and well-written roadmap to the ultimate satisfaction, seemingly scarce in today's world, of happily bonding with your life partner, and to that most enigmatic of human institutions, marriage. Buy copies for your friends and laugh and learn together!

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasing Your Woman, August 8, 2005

By	Rebecca Johnson "SeasonedwithLove.com" (Washington State) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

Since my husband irons his own shirt every morning, the title caught my attention. I've always been impressed by his ironing abilities especially if it allows me to sleep a little longer. I loved the chapter on finding the perfect gift, breakfast in bed and grocery shopping, not to mention the recipes for Crème Brûlée and making Stir-Fry.

I'll agree that men who can cook and clean are very sexy. Just tell a woman you do these things and she will probably forget all other men exist. Imagine how she will be bragging about you to her friends and relatives. There is also a chapter on how to Win Over Her Parents, Enjoy a Chick Flick and Grow the Perfect Lawn. Each task has a difficulty rating and a reward rating.

The main concept in this book seems to be about showing a woman you care about making her life a little less stressful and much more romantic. Even the smallest effort will not go unnoticed and I can almost guarantee a woman will be most appreciative and plan romantic situations to reward such kindness. Plus, with all the time she saves not having to iron shirts, imagine the possibilities.

Craig Boreth is a truly talented writer who has written for major publications. He also has quite the varied life experience as a landscape architect, chef, electrician and carpenter. He joins the ranks of authors like W. Bruce Cameron, Steven Andrew Guerrero and Mike Dugan who provide humorous insight into the male psyche and also love women and take pride in making a woman's life more enjoyable.

I look forward to reading any book Craig Boreth writes because he also completely understands the female psyche and his wit and comedic timing is perfect.

~The Rebecca Review

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Passport to the Male Mindset!, April 25, 2005

By	J. M. Connor "Perfect-Husband Seeker" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read How to Iron Your Own Damn Shirt: The Perfect Husband Handbook from cover to cover in almost a single sitting. I couldn't put it down! Mr. Boreth's prose is so engaging and giggle producing that I felt as if he were having a conversation with me--I laughed with every turn of the page. His instructions are easy to follow and seem to make the evolution toward perfect husbandhood painless, and even fun.

It's true that for eons women have thought they had men figured out (I mean, come on, there's a reason why their buttons are on the OTHER side, right?), but How to Iron Your Own Damn Shirt fills in those few remaining blanks for the ladies, and reveals a thing or two that THEY need to know about US (sweet!). As Mr. Boreth so eloquently points out, it's not that we women want the PERFECT husband, we want our friends and family to THINK he's perfect, thereby making the in-laws happy and the world a more harmonious place for us all in the bargain.

I would recommend this book to everyone, male or female--whether you're single and hoping to find that perfect mate, preparing to celebrate your 25th wedding anniversary, young or old, gay or straight--this book has it all!