Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought this book as a gift for my daughter who has moved out on her own, but I read it first to make sure the advice was good. I won't be giving this book. The author's cavalier and flippant approach to illegal activity is dead wrong because if my daughter follows this advice she'll end up in an early grave. The laundry list of material things people "need" to furnish a home and a kitchen are far beyond the dreams of most Americans, as are the clothing, shoes, restaurant meals, and other luxuries the author pretends she can get away with having without paying for them. In the real world, where most people live, there are major consequences to illegal drug use. The advice to "go smoke some weed" as a recreational drug (page 280) fails to take into account that such activities still violate federal law and most state laws. Recreational drug use, such as the cocaine use and binge drinking the author mentions throughout the book, lead to addiction and work problems. Most people live in a world where you can't get a job without passing a drug test, and where random drug tests are just part of life. Internships are rare in the real world, and the author also speaks of college as though it's something everyone can afford to do. She pays no attention whatsoever to student loan debt, focusing instead on how much fun it is to spend, spend, spend and what a hardship it is to save. Privileged people, who are above the law, can also get away with "strategically" bouncing checks (page 153) or keeping the Diet Coke served after one's debit card is declined at a drive-through restaurant (page 152). In the real world, if there's not enough in the account to pay for a restaurant meal, the solution is to NOT go to the drive-through restaurant. That's how you live an honest life. Likewise, an honest person is aware of his or her duties to other humans. If you're going to participate in the adult world by, say, owning and driving a car you are also legally and morally required to carry liability insurance to protect other human beings from the consequences of your mistakes. Only an extremely privileged person ignores his or her responsibilities to others. A privileged person can afford to travel to other cities for conferences. For most people just starting out, the jobs that are available are more likely to be dirty, dangerous, and monotonous. In real life, there are three ways out of money problems: find a way to earn more (such as by taking a second or third job), find a way to consume less (such as by eating at home instead of at restaurants), and some combination of both. Continuing to go to restaurants or shopping when you have credit card debt, or finding ways to live it up on other people's expense, is not "adult" behavior. Nor is it honest. A privileged person can "hook up" with as many people as they like because they can afford health insurance and the services of the gynecologist the author references so frequently. She may be able to afford round after round of Pap smears and co-pays for the various bouts of venereal disease that are the natural consequences of bed-hopping, but most people can't. For most people, there are serious medical and social consequences to casual sex. An unplanned pregnancy, for example, is life-changing to most people who live in the real world. Giving up a child for adoption, or having an abortion, is something that creates life-long social consequences for the people who do it because it's incredibly stigmatizing. Part of being an adult involves managing your sex life, if you have one, and having a plan in case you're faced with an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. In the real world, if you surround yourself with people who are using illegal drugs, playing financial games, and otherwise winking and nodding at the law, eventually you're going to either start doing the same things yourself or be on the receiving end for people who need someone to steal from. There's an entire chapter on friends, but nothing about making sure the people you hang out with aren't bringing you down or limiting your options long-term. There are some things a young person simply can't be afford to be involved with. I understand that it's fashionable in the United States to give people under the age of 30 a pass for doing stupid and dishonorable things, yet people engaged in stupid and dishonorable activity probably shouldn't be writing books about how to be an adult.