When I first saw this, I totally thought it was a joke:


But no, it's apparently a real how-to guide... but if you need someplace sneaky to stash your "How to Take Over the World" schematics, may I put this forward as a solid bet?

Labels: How-to

The fine people at AbeBooks have put together a list entitled "Courting to Dueling: Antiquated Etiquette Guides". The books are worth checking out for the covers alone, but some of the titles are pretty amazing, too. My favorite is Let's Make Mary: Being a Gentleman's Guide to Scientific Seduction in Eight Easy Steps, but Hold 'Em, Girls!: The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Men and Football runs a close second.

Labels: How-to, Vintage Books

Lifehacker has put together a helpful guide for How to Create an Awesome Summer Reading List. They offer everything from basic tips ("First, tackle your reading backlog") to DIY-instructions for building a bookstand for your exercise bike (for all those summer multi-taskers out there), so it's well worth checking out!

Labels: Beach reading, How-to, other websites

I don't care about knitting or England's royal family, but Fiona Goble's new how-to book Knit Your Own Royal Wedding is undeniably adorable:


How's that for a wedding souvenir? She even got the princes' perma-flush right!

Labels: Events, How-to, Nonfiction

Christopher Hart's Superheroes and Beyond: How to Draw The Leading and Supporting Characters of Today's Comics promises to provide "the knowledge necessary to create great comic book characters... for beginners as well as more experienced artists". The book covers topics ranging from superheroes and heroines to action poses to light and shadow effects, with stops along the way to discuss specific comic "types" like the Female Reporter (props include microphone and briefcase!), the Mecha Bad Guy (typically a bearded dude, the opposite of the clean-cut superhero), or the super-sexy Evil Warrior Queen (think extra-long, extra-muscular legs... but lady muscles, not, like, gross bodybuilder muscles).

Hart's instructions are clear, detailed, and surprisingly funny—Superheroes and Beyond is full of affectionate little digs at comic book clichés, including characters like the Tabloid Publisher and his tips for drawing female characters ("for women, more, well, more of everything"). Sadly, there is always a difference between theoretical and practical knowledge when it comes to how-to books, so this title might not actually have you churning out professional-quality comic book illustrations at the drop of a hat—but, hey, at least you'll have plenty of fun trying!

[Review based on publisher-provided copy.]

Labels: Book Reviews, Comics, How-to, Nonfiction