How to Be Not Too Bad

Albert Stray is librarian and manager of the Streetsville Public
Library.

Charles Gordon of The Ottawa Citizen and illustrator Graham Pilsworth
have teamed up for another satirical look at Canadian society. Their
first book was the successful At the Cottage (1989). This is a
tongue-in-cheek, insightful etiquette book designed for our high-tech
world of VCRs, cellular phones, bank machines, voice mail, and laptops.
Gordon’s philosophy is that we don’t have to be perfect or first in
what we do, we just have to be not too bad (“an achievable and
entirely Canadian goal”).

In 18 short, punchy chapters, Gordon entertains the reader as he
tackles the changes in everything from religion to education. Each
chapter talks about something those who grew up in the 1960s didn’t
have to worry about. Remember when ministers wore a clerical collar?
When you got together at lunch to boost morale instead of attending a
sensitivity workshop? When Catcher in the Rye was still controversial?

Twenty cartoonlike caricatures add to the reader’s enjoyment. The
author has a knack for creating amusing word pictures that will make you
laugh out loud. His advice is a hoot: if you are at a dinner party and
never want to be invited back, ask “Do you have any ketchup?” Gordon
not only chronicles common frustrations most of us can identify with,
but also provides tips on how to cope. In the stressful 1990s, we all
need a good therapeutic laugh. This book is just what the doctor
ordered. Recommended for all public library collections.