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Gunn's Golden Rules

Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work
adgrace
Nov 07, 2011adgrace rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I picked this book up on a whim (it was next to the book I was actually looking for on the shelf) and ended up reading it all in one sitting. I haven’t seen Project Runway since it’s first season, and I don’t really follow fashion, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that my enjoyment of the book wasn’t contingent upon knowledge of the show or the industry. Tim Gunn started his career as an educator, and this book seems to stem directly from his desire to continue to educate. The book is part memoir and part life philosophy manifesto. It’s full of enough quirky anecdotes to make it interesting without being too preachy, and I think it’s successful at providing some useful tips for navigating your way through social situations with grace and good humor. For example, Gunn emphasizes maintaining honesty and integrity, but when it comes to giving advice or offering criticism, he recognizes that it’s not always appropriate to do so. In these instances: “If you want to stay friends with people who put themselves out in this way, it’s often necessary to deliver vague praise that doesn’t actually address the specifics of the production. Examples include: ‘Congratulations!’ or ‘That was quite a performance!’ or ‘I’ll never forget that!’ or the classic: ‘Oh, you!’” -Gunn’s Golden Rules, p.180 This is sage advice, if you ask me, and it’s refreshing to hear it from someone who makes his living essentially giving advice. Thanks for the honesty, Tim Gunn.