A Practical Handbook for the Boyfriend    by Felicity Huffman & Patricia Wolff Order:  USA  Can Hyperion, 2007 (2007) Hardcover, CD     Reviewed by Anise Hollingshead A couple of girlfriends have gotten together and written a guide to the boyfriend wannabe in someone's life, the result being an amusing book about understanding the female mind. Not meant to be taken too seriously, it nevertheless hides nuggets of truth inside the exaggerations and jokes. Huffman and Wolff both live in Los Angeles and work in the entertainment industry. They have used their own learning experiences, plus what they've gleaned from other women, and produced a purported handbook for any man who wants to be more than a player, and to move up and become a boyfriend. The book is split into chapters that each deal with a specific subject, such as Your Call is Important to Us, The First Date, and Do I Look Fat? Chapters begin with an explanation of their main theme, then present his viewpoint vs. her viewpoint on various sub-themes, offer advice on how to act or not in certain situations, and detail specific things to do and say to the prospective or current girlfriend. Advice ranges from subjects like online dating and first dates to phone etiquette and gift ideas. The book is stereotypical and sexist, true, but it is funny! It is funniest when there is a bit of truth inside the joke, and most women will find themselves laughing and nodding their head at many of the comments about certain situations, especially the chapter on Do I Look Fat? However, this is not a serious How To book, and has no pretensions to be based on scientific research. And what guy would buy this book, anyway, especially with the jacket displaying a 40s style couple kissing on the front cover? Nah, this book, while it says for the Boyfriend, is really for the girlfriend, so she can have a good laugh. It's not for teens, either, as the authors assume that the romantic relationships being discussed will involve sex as a matter of course. A Practical Handbook for the Boyfriend is a good, lighthearted read for grownup girlfriends - and even their boyfriends, if they can con them into reading it. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews