[.ca] Modern Gentleman (ISBN 1580084303)

Mostly delightful ... sometimes downright questionable:
I love to acquire useful lifestyle advice and have -until now- bothered only with the kind directed at my gender. Pure curiosity motivated me to glimpse at what "the other team" was getting. Hence the purchase of this not-so-little book. I had expected the authors to stick to the obvious tenets of Gentlemen's Finishing School 101: regularly trim burgeoning nasal (and other personal) topiary, attend to itches IN PRIVATE, maintain eye contact with a lady's face, etc. I was fascinated and charmed to see the authors swashbuckle their way across a much wider swath of territory. The thoughtful advice proffered includes not pressuring a pregnant girlfriend for intimacy (or to take a particular course of action regarding the pregnancy) and refraining from ogling a dancer performing at an adjacent table in a "gentleman's club" without making a payment. (Truth be told, I had never, ever, realized that this type of establishment called for such enlightened etiquette. Then again, my venues of entertainment happen to be concert halls, but more of that later on in this review.) The authors also advise a best man to calm down the groom beset by pre-wedding jitters and to handle the latter's wallet for gratuities and checks. A truly considerate touch! A part of a lifestyle guide is to navigate the delicate balance between honoring one's authentic self while developing grace and savoir-faire. In this regard, I was really irked to see the readers being advised to fake an interest in classical music. To quote directly from the source; "Below are eight must -haves that, like answers to $800 and $1000 Jeopardy questions will show off your musical breadth." Investigating new cultural avenues is laudable. However, faking an interest to impress others is deplorably sophomoric. In the same vein, cutting through the thicket of excessive verbiage in the book is exhausting. Isn't clobberring others with one's erudition at odds with projecting a subtly sophisticated aura of "to the manner born"? I always had the impression that trying too hard was the most distinctive mark of the poseur. Now for the downright questionable advice. The authors devote far too much space to the topic of alcoholic libations. The sub topics covered on this matter even include the machinations of transporting it in a flask (to be secretly sipped, for instance, at the house of a girlfriend's stuffy parents). The authors also blithely encourage lying to a lover about the number of previous sexual partners. The book has potential to be a great graduation gift to a young man ... once the authors and their editors take some quiet hours (minus their flasks) to re-think their ideals and to rewrite the book in a more accessible lingo.

Viva Le Gent Moderne!:
This is the nightstand tome of choice for me. I read the reviews below and bought it because I'm a modern gent, not a perfect gent. Sure, the vice and prose might be a bit too advanced for most readers, but isn't that the idea...to stand out from the unremarkable masses? It's very funny--I mean laugh out loud funny--and yet there are also insights you'll not find anywhere else. Notes on jukeboxes, entrances & exits, condom etiquette, and ethically dating two women at once are indespensible. The lists of seminal jazz albums and first rate modern fiction are worth the price alone. I dog-earred my own paperback, but prefer the hardcover when gifting to pals...especially clever ladies. Unequivocally recommended.

Rollicking Reading:
I bought this book for my engaged grandson and ended up flipping through it first. It's racy for an 18-yr-old, but college grads will have little problem digesting the vocabulary or the vice. The writing is excellent and the information is very entertaining. The ladies will appreciate the chapter on Wooing. Definitely a winner...especially for single lads and grooms-to-be.

Pomp and Circumstance:
The writing of this book is analogous to its value. It seems as though a thesaurous and a rhyming dictionary were always at hand in an attempt to bluff one's way into dispensing advice. Although the authors seem to have found a demand for said advice, the soundness of that advice is questionable. As others have said, this book might provide some entertainment, perhaps as bathroom reading material. In essence, however, "The Modern Gentleman" is a misnomer. The authors do not lead others on the path to gentlemanliness. They simply encourage others to follow in their often eccentric, sometimes immature, and usually pretentious footsteps.

A fairly helpful but off-base guide to the Modern Gentleman.:
As a tongue-in-cheek guide to the modern man, Mollod and Tesauro make a light hearted attempt to guide the reader to higher social levels. However, this book falls short of the "quintessential how-to-be-a-gentleman guide." In truth, many aspects of the book were well written. The tipping section was enlightening (although I usually tip more than what is suggested) and the chapters on group dynamics actually work! The wine and book lists look intriguing and may prove to be worth the text's full retail price. However, there are other aspects of Modern Gentleman that are off-base, unrealistic, or simply "ungentlemanly-like." Take, for example, the authors' suggestion to have an impromptu food fight in the local late-night diner. Suggestions resembling these are childish at best; grotesquely improper in the worst. Furthermore, there are whole chapters devoted to deviant sexual practices, etiquette on drug paraphernalia and a gambler's guide seemingly written by one who has never gambled. In addition, mottled throughout the text are sadomasochistic dribble, sexual and homosexual innuendo, and vocabulary that you need The Unabridged Oxford Dictionary to decipher. The authors attempt to transform the average Joe, having him don the transparent guise of Modern Gentleman. Unfortunately, the Modern Gentleman portrayed is the fraternity lad who will not give up his college days for the sophistication of mature adulthood. In conclusion, the authors describe the modern gentleman as someone who has the base attributes of a James Bond or a Fred Astaire, with plentiful helpings of Oscar Wilde, John Belushi, and the Marquis de Sade. If this is your idea of the modern gentleman, this book is your bible! Otherwise, still an entertaining read obtained from the discount rack or local library.