Synopses & Reviews
The rules of engagement for adolescents change rapidly from year to year and from school to school - but that there are some things that pretty much everyone needs to know: how to behave at a party, for instance, or how to engage with someone of a different background, or how to ("pardon me") pass gas in a dignified manner, as the occasion demands. Done in the retro style of the perennially popular 1940's "Dick and Jane" series, How Not to Be a DICK offers practical and helpful tips for navigating difficult social situations, and conveys its message with comedy and ease, using the tone and illustration style of the same period. The contrast between the innocent-looking characters and the real-talk advice on offer here allows the book to address difficult and complex situations without being overbearing or preachy. With illustrations throughout that enable easy navigation—especially for those with short attention spans (Thank you, Twitter)—this book is sure to be a modern classic.
Review
andquot;Really? An etiquette book for teens? Yes, really, you butt-faced jerk! See, that right there is andquot;dickish behavior,andquot; a timeless plague for which Doherty has a cabinet full of cures. The atmosphere is pure Dick-and-Jane: fussy early-reader prose married to bland clip-art-style illustrations starring a deadpan boy and girl. Through these oldfangled characters, Doherty fires absurd twenty-first century zingers that happen to be really, really, really funny. (When was the last time you LOLand#39;d at a nonfiction book?) Droll humor is one thing, but does Doherty deliver substance? Shockingly, she does, offering teens blunt, no-nonsense advice on the adult world that awaits them. Examples: dont stare at a femaleand#39;s boobs during conversation, avoid passive-aggressive Post-its, try to smell like andquot;nothing in particularandquot; if you work in the service industry, donand#39;t recline your airplane chair all the way, and on and on. She even drops some mega-wisdom bombs; regarding faith, she writes, andquot;Believing in an idea is kind of like falling in love with a personandmdash;it just seems right, even if we canand#39;t explain it. Given the emphasis on roommates, office parties, and alcohol, this is clearly the gift book for next yearand#39;s high-school and college grads. After all, we all need the occasional reminder that peeing in the shower is wrong.andquot; andmdash;
Booklist, Starred Review
*IPPYand#160;(Independent Publisher Book Award)and#160;Gold Medal, Humor 2014*
Synopsis
Essential (and emotionally intelligent) etiquette tips are packaged here alongside hilarious "Dick and Jane"-style illustrations. Laugh and learn.
Synopsis
Essential (and emotionally intelligent) etiquette tips are packaged here alongside hilarious "Dick and Jane"-style illustrations. Laugh and learn.
On the one hand, nobody wants to be a dick. On the other hand, dicks are everywhere They cut in line, talk behind our backs, recline into our seats, and even have the power to morph into trolls online. Their powers are impressive, but with a little foresight and thoughtfulness, we can take a stand against dickishness today.
How Not to Be a Dick is packed with honest and straightforward advice, divided into the categories of relationships, home, school, work, play, in transit, and on the internet. Paired with this essential wisdom are playful illustrations showing two well-meaning (but not always well behaved) young people as they confront moments of potential dickishness in their everyday lives. Sometimes they falter, sometimes they triumph, but they always seek to find a better way. And with their help, you can too.
Synopsis
On the one hand, nobody wants to be a dick. On the other hand, dicks are everywhere! They cut in line, talk behind our backs, recline into our seats, and even have the power to morph into trolls online. Their powers are impressive, but with a little foresight and thoughtfulness, we can take a stand against dickishness today. How Not to Be a Dick is packed with honest and straightforward advice, but it also includes playful illustrations showing two well-meaning (but not always well behaved) young people as they confront moments of potential dickishness in their everyday lives. Sometimes they falter, sometimes they triumph, but they always seek to find a better way. And with their help, you can too.
About the Author
Meghan Doherty is the writer and illustrator of How Not to Be a Dick: An Everyday Etiquette Guide. She has created illustrations for other books, including Super Pop! Pop Culture TopTen Lists to Help You Win at Trivia, Survive in the Wild, and Make it Through the Holidays. She has written for the Brooklyn-based web magazine, Brokelyn.com, illustrated for film, and created websites and posters for a variety of clients. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her boyfriend and her dog, Polly.