The Hookup Handbook: A Single Girl's Guide to Living It Up

Savvy singles Lavinthal and Rozler have come of age in an era when decorous dating has ceded to the ""hookup"": an impulsive sexual encounter often fueled by alcohol, executed after midnight and not necessarily pursued any further the day after. Their droll primer to the new era, which turns The Rules on its head, addresses the experiences of 20-something singles charting the murky territory of the hookup-with older guys, younger guys, metrosexuals, co-workers, old friends and anyone else in their social orbit or local bar. After pinpointing the cultural enablers of hooking up-including the cell phone, a logistic essential for on-the-fly encounters, and the Too-Busy-to-Have-a-Boyfriend Syndrome common among ambitious working girls-the authors proffer wry advice on the subtext of booty calls and the hookup-friendly pad (e.g., no framed photos of your cat). They also help singletons allay their ""Are-you-my-boyfriend?"" angst by providing helpful markers of men's intentions (if he asks to see a wine list, it's a date; if he asks which shot you want, it's a hookup). Written with a breezy bluntness, this handbook seems to be of two minds about the volatile and drama-heavy hookup: ticking off its baggage-free perks while sardonically cautioning against the ""obsessive agony"" and drunken desolation it may wreak. The frothy layout and fun pop quizzes (""How shameful was your walk of shame?"") may not tackle the hookup's long-term impact on romance, but Lavinthal and Rozler's knowing allusions will have readers squealing in delighted recognition.