The Official Preppy Handbook (1980) is a tongue-in-cheek

Tongue-in-cheek

Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...

 humor reference guide written by Jonathan Roberts

Jonathan Roberts (writer)

Jonathan Roberts is an American screenwriter, television producer and author. He is best known for co-writing Disney's The Lion King.-Life and career:...

, Carol McD. Wallace, Mason Wiley, and Lisa Birnbach

Lisa Birnbach

Lisa R. Birnbach is an author best known for co-authoring The Official Preppy Handbook, which spent 38 weeks at number one on the New York Times bestseller list in 1980.-Career:...

. It discusses an aspect of North American culture described as prepdom

Preppy

Preppy, preppie, or prep refers to a modern, widespread United States clique, often considered a subculture...

. In addition to insights on prep school

University-preparatory school

A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...

 and university life at socially acceptable schools, it illuminates many aspects of upper-class, old money

Old Money

Old money is "the inherited wealth of established upper-class families " or "a person, family, or lineage possessing inherited wealth." The term typically describes a class of the super-rich, who have been able to maintain their wealth across multiple generations.- United States :American locations...

 WASP

White Anglo-Saxon Protestant

White Anglo-Saxon Protestant or WASP is an informal term, often derogatory or disparaging, for a closed group of high-status Americans mostly of British Protestant ancestry. The group supposedly wields disproportionate financial and social power. When it appears in writing, it is usually used to...

 society. Topics range from appropriate clothing for social events to choosing the correct college and major.

The book addresses "preppy" life from birth to old age, lending understanding to the cultural aspects of "preppy" life. In general, elementary and secondary school, college, and the young adult years receive the most attention. Coverage lessens during the book's latter chapters.

Effect

The book's reflections on young urban professional culture inspired the founder of the J. Crew clothing line, Arthur Cinader. Cinader hoped to capitalize on the book's success.

The book also represented a resurgence of interest in 'preppy' culture that aided the growth of retailer L.L. Bean.

The book's exposé of university life and the drug and sex culture at various schools had a significant impact on public thought about those schools.

Publishing

The book was first published in 1980 by Workman Publishing. It contains 224 pages. It was printed 41 times.

External links

• Review of The Official Preppy Handbook on CollegeConfidential.com
• Speaking Profile Lisa Birnbach's profile and lecture topics on the Random House Speakers Bureau
• Excerpts of The Official Preppy Handbook