Three Black Skirts : All You Need To Survive

Author: Anna Johnson
List Price: $13.95
Our Price: Click to see the latest and low price
ISBN: 0761119396
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (01 October, 2000)
Sales Rank: 11,297
Average Customer Rating: 3.87 out of 5

Customer Reviews

Rating: 4 out of 5
Smart, funny, usually practical
Let's face it, girls: no amount of book-reading is going to magically transform the person that you naturally are into a cool and collected bombshell who looks like a million dollars in classy heels at all times and says the right thing in every situation, whether she's volunteering at a soup kitchen, breaking up with her partner, or whipping up something truly magnificent for dessert.

That said, it's easy enough to make simple changes to help yourself become more organized, take control of your life, feel more beautiful, improve your skills, and find joy in the simple things.

Anna Johnson's smart and sassy little pink guide is perfect for helping women everywhere do just that. She covers finances, entertaining, spirituality, happiness, tools, wardrobe, friendships, dating, jobs, careers, homes, depression, body image, love, and the responsibility to give back to our world. She's funny, her retro drawings are irresistably cute, and her savvy advice pulls no punches. Read it, think about how it works with who YOU are, and see how much fun you can have.


Rating: 2 out of 5
All you need to survive? I don't think so.
Anna Johnson's style is fun and flamboyant, but you can't expect to get a basic grasp on important life skills from a two-inch-thick book. I'm only 20 and as a college senior, I already know most of this. The book may be helpful for younger readers, but some of her information is misguided, vague, or just plain wrong.

If you really want to give your daughter a grasp on life skills, try one of many books devoted to each important subject. For example, a good basic cookbook such as Joy of Cooking or a Good Housekeeping book is indispensable, and describes how to entertain, set the table, and cook basics (often with pictures). I love Cheryl Mendelson's "Home Comforts" - it covers not just cleaning, but buying items for your home, meal planning, and legalities, and is even well-suited to apartment dwellers. It's not as fun to read as this book, but far more useful. I see many people leave college without any idea how to maintain their home and finances; few people leave without a concept of fashion.

Basic finance books abound, and although I can't think of any fashion books offhand, anyone can pick up a magazine. Without any disrespect to Miss Johnson, her book reads as though she spends more time shopping than maintaining her office or home life.


Rating: 4 out of 5
A Good Guide for Twenty-Somethings
The book itself is adorable. Cute pink cover, fun illustrations.
The writing is well done, clever, engaging. The subject matter is extensive (the author covers quite a few topics).

So...the book is an enjoyable read.

However, if you are out of your twenties, you won't find much here that you don't already know.

I'd suggest this as a nice gift for anyone in the twenty-something age bracket. (Older women looking for fashion advice, well, keep looking!)

Reviewer: Linda Painchaud.

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