October 11, 2010
Thirty years after The Official Preppy Handbook was published comes this new how-to, updated to incorporate such 21st-century givens as gay marriage, dad's new wife, and rehab, all while underscoring the importance of tradition, which ought to be as reliable as those monogrammed L.L. Bean canvas totes. From what to keep in the pantry (box of raisins, food dye for Easter eggs, etc.) to how to not talk about money, the terse advice and blue-blood humor throughout make this a good stocking stuffer for all those 20-somethings who may have no idea what they've inherited with their Sperry top-siders. And tried-and-true Izod fans, who were around the first time, will appreciate the novelty that much more. Especially worthwhile are Edmund White's contribution on "Where do gay preppies go," a "real" prep's response to Gossip Girl, the spot-on Edith Wharton quotes throughout, and the drawings of Randy Glass. Illus.