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A Virgin's Guide to Everything    by Lauren McCutcheon Amazon.com order for
Virgin's Guide to Everything
by Lauren McCutcheon
Order:  USA  Can
5 Spot, 2005 (2005)
Softcover

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* * *   Reviewed by Melissa Parcel

McCutcheon tells us 'You can admit it - you're a virgin. Everyone was at one point. And no, we're not talking about sex.' She focuses on things we haven't done before - whether eating sushi, going camping, or a night at the opera, there is unfamiliar territory for each of us. A Virgin's Guide to Everything offers a fun, hip introduction for readers to things they might not try without a little instruction.

Chapters are divided into categories, including: Entertaining (e.g. hosting a cocktail party, dinner party, or a romantic dinner for two), Health and Fitness (first massage, first spa trip), Spirits and Sustenance (first wine tasting, first lobster), Dating (first blind date, first weekend getaway), Travel (first business trip, first trip abroad), Work (first request for a raise, first business lunch), The Great Outdoors (first golf outing, first horseback ride), Art and Culture (first art purchase, first gallery opening), Fashion (first black tie, first precious jewels), and Money (first credit card debt, first charitable donation). You might look at these examples and think it's only for young people starting out in the world. In some instances, that's correct. However, many of the topics apply to all ages. Personally, I'm closer to forty than twenty, but I found helpful information about choosing wines and how to be more adventurous in my wine choices to please a wider crowd.

Each section also has a Go-To Girl - an interview with an expert on that topic. A Virgin's Guide to Everything is both enlightening and intriguing - you can read it all in one gulp or pull it out as the need strikes, but it's a not-to-be-missed handbook that would make a fantastic gift for a new college graduate, a newly-wed, or anyone who would benefit from a little instruction in life.

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