The Modern Drunkard: A Handbook for Drinking in the 21st Century

Frank Kelly Rich, the insuperable genius behind Modern Drunkard Magazine, has collected and edited his timeless works in a form for their most efficient use in "The Modern Drunkard Handbook." For those unfamiliar with MDM, this is an excellent introduction. But make no mistake: magazine loyalists also will not be disappointed, for the arrangement of previous works alone is worth the price of this book, as Rich has performed a yeoman's task of assembling a full arsenal of weapons to keep us all well-oiled. Chapters include excellent advice on "how to throw the best party you'll never remember," how to "execute a proper bender," how to coax bartenders (all drunks themselves) to be on your side against bar owner's and management's interests, how to fight off teetotalling do-gooders and fight back at "America's joyless obsession with sobriety." His classic piece on "how to ace an intervention" is both laugh out loud funny and helpful at the same time.Rich's self-written publicity flyer describes "The Modern Drunkard Handbook" in contrast: "This is no hoary collection of cocktail recipes or drinking quotes--it is a full-bore, no-holds-barred guide for drinking in the 21st Century." Rich is taking a woozy ham-fisted swipe at the equally good "The Muse in the Bottle: Great Writers on the Joy of Drinking" by Charles A. Coulombe. The books are entirely different, and equally welcome on the same shelf of unapologetic sauce hounds. For where Coulombe invokes memories of drinking in bygone eras where hunting and chivalry were in flower, covering Waugh, Twain, Irving, Belloc and Chesterton in the same collection with Beowulf, Rich invokes memories of drinking in bygone eras in which Stewardesses were deflowered covering Martin, Sinatra, and Gleason. They are all at the Great Wedding Feast at Cana in the sky now, and dickering about the merits of one past boozy era's superiority over another in combating the faux-Puritanism so prevalent now strikes me as simply the source for another jar and a fruitful discussion, not an attack.Frank Kelly Rich has a prose style that both cuts and astounds. Indeed, at his height he is the equal of the great unsurpassed Florence King in making the literate boozehead laugh out loud. And Rich never breaks character, indeed he is the world's most persuasive sauce hound in his chapters on how to deal with an intervention and issues of drinking and health (hint: it is healthier to drink).But as an added bonus, the illustrations are priceless. Art Deco, Arte Modern, Belle Epoche, and glorious 50's American Commercial Art are all combined in a deft hand that strikes just the right visual tone to accompany the text. Your art geek friends will love its timeless and retro-moderne look.This is an excellent book that should have a widespread and proud audience. It is the perfect Chritmas gift for those who drink their Thanksgiving dinner. Get your copy today, and give "The Modern Drunkard Handbook" to all your friends.

This masterpiece has an important subtext: Your time is your own. In an era filled with workaholic boss-kissers toiling 24/7 so some corporation's stock can increase a quarter of a point, it's important for us all to remember that the point of hard work, achievement, fame, and fortune, is the enjoyment of life. Rich's message is the same as the recommendations of the most popular self-help gurus of our era-- be present in the current moment, behave in ways that are consistent with your true values, and all else will fall into place. If alcohol helps you reach these goals, then pursue it with unabashed abandon. Don't harm others and keep the harm to yourself to a minimum, and your joy will increase. The humor improves at blood alcohol concentrations above .04, but the writing is crisp and engaging even for the sober.

This is a fantastic book! It's the perfect bar or bathroom reader - lots of short passages of dry wit and outrageous anecdotes about all things booze. A calendar of holidays worth drinking to for every day of the year, lots of old ads and art illustrations, and quotes from history's greatest barflies are just a few of the delights this book has to offer. Buy one for yourself, one to lend or give a friend (I've given a half dozen copies as gifts), and one to replace your copy when a friend inevitably takes it.

This is an excellent book but I was a little disappointed to see that it was mostly recycled material. I am a subscriber to the Modern Drunkard magazine and it seems this paperback is a collection of their most amusing articles and such.Nevertheless, it's absolutely worth purchasing, especially for those of you whom are not aware of the magazine's existance. It is laugh-out-loud funny, informative (believe-it-or-not) and encouraging for those of us who continue to lead a shameless life of debauchery.

Simple and to the point: What a great book! I rarely have time or energy to read a book after working 1 full-time and 1 part-time job... meshed together with a 1 hour commute to work each way. However, when I started reading this book - I seemed unable to put it down. Very well written satire that made me laugh on a couple of occasions. Even after a long day, I leave the TV off and picked up this book.

This book is full of funny situations and is illustrated with pictures from the 50's that have alcohol consumption themed inscriptions. There are some genius rebuttals for intervention attempts as well as teetotaler opposition. Other than that, there are some funny descriptions of drinking etiquette in a variety of scenarios and what can happen when this etiquette isn't adhered to. It will keep you amused for at least a couple of hours.

This author clearly has put in his time at both sides of the bar. Very funny and entertaining throughout. Definitely NOT just some throw away novelty book with catchy title that people buy as a cheesy present with all it's best material jammed into the first paragraph trying to sucker people into buying it, like it could have been. A must have for every modern drunkard!

I'm far from the level of alcoholic that Rich talks about, but alcohol is incorporated into my lifestyle, and I really enjoyed this book. The chapters are fairly short with short paragraphs, and the book altogether moves rather quickly and stays entertaining. As someone who usually gets bored by the end of a book, this was not a problem for me. I would recommend this to anyone who drinks even casually as a fun read.

While the rest of the world is getting all puritanical read this for inspiration and insight. Funny, well written and most of all spot on, there's good reason to drink and this book will show you why

Absolute quality. Much love from a fellow drunkard in England

not worth the money