Product Description

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).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #180314 in Books
• Published on: 2004-02-10
• Released on: 2004-02-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

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.

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.

From AudioFile
Listeners who have watched "Queer Eye's" whirlwind makeovers on TV will recognize the familiar straight-shooting style of advice giving on everything from wardrobe to home decorating to how to become more wine savvy. The Fab 5 read their own sections, and while they're obviously not professional narrators, they are comfortable enough and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. The audiobook itself has some cheeky touches: In the section on "manscaping"--dealing with unwanted body hair--the sound of a lawnmower plays in the background. There's a brief glossary that defines essential terms like "tjuzs" (that final tweak of shirt sleeve or primp of hairstyle) and some funny, off-the-cuff interviews at the end. When the whole point is to become a better you, it's hard not to listen. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

Quite useful for the straight (or gay) man
Now first off, I have to get something off my chest. I am not a homophobe - I had a homosexual roommate sophomore year of college and we got along fine - but I get tired of people (most commonly women) who either drool at anything or anyone homosexual or having this belief that homosexuals are inherently good at anything involving home decor or style. I hate to break it to you, but homosexuals are like you and me, and not all are like the Fab Five. Remember my homosexual roommate? His side of the room was the messiest I have ever seen a human being make. The Fab Five would have had collective heart attacks upon seeing the state of it. By the logic of the homofangirls, I was the homosexual. Not to mention that half the things said in this book I have also read in "straight" men's magazines including "Men's Health" or the alternate "Men's Fitness." I'm sorry folks, but there's no Cult of Gays out there in brown robes meeting in caves and passing down tablets written by God that tell you what brand of shaving cream to use. The reason the Fab Five are so good at what they do is because they have had the training or education and DO know what they are talking about. For example, Thom Filicia founded an interior design company, and Kyan Douglas has had experience in professional and commercial salons.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, let me talk about the book itself. Like the show, it offers some great insight into better living and hygiene. A lot of it is just resourceful, showing you different types of styles or ideas to open up what you might be comfortable with. There's also some pretty decent advice here, from what grooming products to use and not use, how to treat your hosts at a party, (and more importantly, what to bring as a gift) some all-important social tips, (and boy do I know a few people who need some of those) right down to what to think about arranging your furniture and eating out. It's entertaining and well written, making it at easy read that's good if you want something to just sit down with and glance through for a few minutes or so.

Well worth the money. I wish I could have given it to my sophomore roommate, maybe then I could have gotten from my bed to the door.

Excellent
Fun format, visually appealing (of course!), useful information in all subjects, even some really delicious, simple-to-cook but impressive-to-serve recipes, and take it from a girl: what these guys say about what appeals to women (or turns us off) is absolutely true. Best of all, it's never about changing who or what the reader is, but about bringing out the best that's already in him.

Plenty of useful advise here!
Heard the taped version of QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY by Ted Allen et al. . . . I must admit to not being a big favorite of the TV show (of the same name); however, that said,
this was an engaging program with lots of useful advice about food and wine, grooming, decorating, fashion, and culture.

For example, I liked the suggestion to have two bottle openers in case one disappears at a party--as it usually does.

Also, I took note of such other ideas as:
* On how to button jackets, remember: sometimes, always, never. If a three button jacket, that's how to button it; if a two button jacket, skip the first word (sometimes).

* Jeans should fit you as you leave the store. Don't buy them too short or long, as they are now most often preshrunk.

* Give more compliments. They strengthen relationships and show you care.

* At a party, hire somebody to help.

* If you get a cellphone call, say, "Hi, I'm with someone. Can I call you back later?"

* Don't take a call while dining!

* Read COSMOPOLITAN to learn about relationships.