<p>Anyone know what to expect from this revised rendition of Lisa Birnbach’s Official Preppy Handbook from 1980? I’d like to preorder from Amazon for my son entering prep school in the Fall, and my daughter warming up in the bull pen, but am a little reticent without knowing anything of the content.</p>
<p>What damage or benefit did the first official preppy handbook provide? Any truths? Any one school standout, good or bad? My copy is somewhere in the basement and don’t want to dig it out…</p>
<p>You’re the first person I’ve ever “met” who actually takes that book and its content seriously. It’s better than Ipecac.</p>
<p>I remember that book being a total satire…</p>
<p>It was a satire. The new one might be worth a laugh. The old one was.</p>
<p>It was a parody, but if you read the reviews on Amazon, the critics all talked about the “truths” it revealed and how some people actually came to depend on it to understand people who matriculated from BSs.</p>
<p>BTW, I went to my library tonight and you can’t find a copy anywhere. Most have been “lost” from libraries i.e. poached and if you want to buy a used copy on Amazon, it’s listed for around $95 when the original was about $3.95</p>
<p>I found a used copy of the original at a thrift store for two dollars. I sent it to my daughter and her roomies so they could have a chuckle.</p>
<p>I loved that book when I was in middle school!
I took the clothing suggestions very seriously.
Hmmm…maybe that explains all of those Bernardo sandals in my closet now!</p>
<p>Ditto silicon—lol</p>
<p>I saved my copy for my d when it came out…way back in my college days. Of course I did such a great job keeping it…now I can’t find it—</p>
<p>Go figure.</p>
<p>hah I tore my parents house apart looking for it to show my kids - missing!</p>
<p>Found it! In satire, there is truth.</p>
<p>We LOVED the preppy handbook! Bean boots, topsiders, and fair isle sweaters, for the win! My freshman college roommate and I started calling each other Bitsy and Muffy! Pink and green DO go together. Madras plaids ARE hot! Ha ha ha, I still shop at LLBeans! I think half my graduating class of high school in my very preppy hometown went off to colleges on the list in that book. </p>
<p>Whew, thanks for that blast from the past.</p>
<p>Of all the prep satires, this is my favorite: [YouTube</a> - Smirnoff: Teapartay](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y4-5Zouvjs]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y4-5Zouvjs)</p>
<p>The pearls crack me up, but the best part is that I have that EXACT car…must be pre-GM for a “true prep.”</p>
<p>^Freshman year at BS we constantly listened to that song on repeat…</p>
<p>^^I just watched that. They can’t dance or rap. It’s funny though…</p>
<p>I just reread the Official Preppy Handbook from thirty years ago. Paid a lot more from a used book dealer from Amazon than the original $3.95, but I have to say both my son and I enjoyed it immensely.</p>
<p>It actually gave some good info (demographics etc. including # of students, rural vs. suburban setting, history and known strengths) about each of the top HADES prep schools and some second and third tier schools as well.</p>
<p>The clothing section was still pretty much right on, and gave some tips for those schools with dress codes as well as listed the quintessential preppie stores that still exist.</p>
<p>All in all, it may be a parody/satire, but it had lots of useful information on the schools themselves. Can’t wait for the updated version due out in a couple weeks!</p>
<p>Didn’t realize there are also some corresponding “IVY” books.</p>
<p>
Hey, we saw adult males from Deerfield wearing pink/green combos at a lacrosse game this past Spring. And who said Deerfield is not preppy? :D</p>
<p>Vanity fair with lady gaga on the cover has some excerpts from the book</p>
<p>Book arrived from Amazon today!
I started reading it in the carpool line…prep school section “That’s where my brother went” starts on page 60.
I still think Lisa Birnbach is funny after all these years.</p>
<p>I grew up in Greenwich, CT and was a hs jr, when the book came out. I remember going to Connecticut College for an interview and the interviewer had a copy of the book on his desk. He asked me if I was just like the descriptions in the book. I was so offended that I didn’t apply to that school.</p>