Synopses & Reviews
Banish awkward silences, boring weather talk, or (worst of all) the embarrassing conversation gaff with this pithy, hilarious guide to effortless party banter.Weve all been there. Youre at a party, surrounded by the most important people in your life. Youre cool. Youre casual. Youre witty and urbane. Until suddenly, quite unexpectedly, things take a turn for the worse when a subject thought to be common knowledge is lobbed your way. A hush falls over the room and every head seems to swivel expectantly in your direction.
[ART: SET THESE OFF IN A DIFFERENT COLOR?]
“Rasputin. Sure, Rasputin. The Russian guy, right? Who . . . who . . . whooooo was Russian.”
“Che Guevara? You mean the dancer?”
“Oh my God! Mao Tse-tung? They have the best chicken with cashews!”
The Concise Guide to Sounding Smart at Parties was written with just this moment in mind. In fourteen pain-free, laughter-filled chapters, authors David Matalon and Chris Woolsey brush away years of cobwebs on subjects as wide-ranging as the typical round of Jeopardy: war, science, politics, philosophy, the arts, business, literature, music, religion, and more.
Armed with The Concise Guide to Sounding Smart at Parties, youll know that Chicago Seven wasnt a boy band, Martin Luther never fought for civil rights, and Franz Kafka isnt German for “I have a bad cold.” Youll be the smart one whos the center of conversation—and nothing beats that feeling.
Review
"[T]his little gem is packed with information on a variety of topics....Whether one reads this book for help or for fun, it's a great way to get a whirlwind cultural education." Library Journal
Synopsis
Banish awkward silences, boring weather talk, or (worst of all) the embarrassing conversation gaff with this pithy, hilarious guide to effortless party banter.
We've all been there. You're at a party, surrounded by the most important people in your life. You're cool. You're casual. You're witty and urbane. Until suddenly, quite unexpectedly, things take a turn for the worse when a subject thought to be common knowledge is lobbed your way. A hush falls over the room and every head seems to swivel expectantly in your direction.
"Rasputin. Sure, Rasputin. The Russian guy, right? Who...who...whooooo was Russian."
"Che Guevara? You mean the dancer?"
"Oh my God! Mao Tse-tung? They have the best chicken with cashews!"
The Concise Guide to Sounding Smart at Parties was written with just this moment in mind. In fourteen pain-free, laughter-filled chapters, authors David Matalon and Chris Woolsey brush away years of cobwebs on subjects as wide-ranging as the typical round of
Jeopardy: war, science, politics, philosophy, the arts, business, literature, music, religion, and more.
Armed with The Concise Guide to Sounding Smart at Parties, you'll know that Chicago Seven wasn't a boy band, Martin Luther never fought for civil rights, and Franz Kafka isn't German for "I have a bad cold." You'll be the smart one who's the center of conversation and nothing beats that feeling.
Synopsis
An entertaining and informative guide to effortless cocktail party banter explains how to avoid embarrassing conversation gaffs as it presents a host of useful trivia from such fields as science, politics, war, philosophy, the arts, music, business, literature, religion, and more. Original. 20,000 first printing.
About the Author
DAVID MATALON is a film and TV screenwriter and is directing his first feature film in Los Angeles. CHRIS WOOLSEY is a freelance writer who has worked for Sony Pictures and Columbia Tri-Star. Chris also tours the country as a youth speaker.