Michael Powell - The Guide for Guys: An Extremely Useful Manual for Old Boys and Young Men

THE
GUIDE
FOR
GUYS

AN EXTREMELY USEFUL
MANUAL FOR OLD BOYS
AND YOUNG MEN

MICHAEL POWELL

Copyright 2007 by Fall River Press / Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher.

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Designed by Allen Boe

Fall River Press
122 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10011

ISBN: 978-1-4351-0392-4

Sterling eBook ISBN: 978-1-4351-3735-6

10 9 8 7 6 5 4

Publishers Note: This book is for entertainment purposes only. Some of the activities discussed should not be attempted without professional supervision, or unless the reader has been properly trained or instructed in their technique.

CONTENTS

G one are the days when a guy could get by on a firm handshake, good aim, and a high tolerance for whiskey. Today you have to be able to make clever small talk, throw a curveball, or even garnish a cocktail with a sprig of mint. In an age when men are practicing yoga and getting manicures, but are still expected to open jars and change flat tires, its no wonder you may feel like youve lost your bearings.

When attacked in the wild, should you play dead, fight back, or run? What is the proper etiquette when hosting a barbecue? Is there an elegant way to carve a pumpkin? A surefire way to impress your boss? From changing directions gracefully on the dance floor to wielding a circular saw, for burly guys guys to borderline metrosexuals and everything in between, The Guide for Guys will make you cultured, efficient, and polite. But never fear, while youre learning to order sushi, avoid jet lag, and write thank-you notes, youll still spend the bulk of your time beefing up on such traditional manly skills as swinging a hammer and building a shelter in the wild.

So come on fellasits time to tie your own ties, ask for a raise, get the best table in the restaurant, shave without nicking yourself, and train your dog better than your last girlfriend trained you.

USE A COMPASS
PROPERLY

A compass is a simple yet very powerful piece of equipment that everyone should learn how to operate. Whether you are up a mountain, or in the middle of the ocean, if you use your compass correctly it will never let you down.

COMPASS ANATOMY

Inside every compass is a red-and-black arrow called the compass needle. The red part of the needle always points to magnetic north (the earths magnetic north pole). The turntable around the compass is called the compass housing. The edge of the housing is numbered from 0 to 360 as well as N, E, S, and W (North, East, South, and West).

FIND YOUR BEARINGS

While you are traveling, pay attention to your surroundings and make a mental note of important features and their direction relative to you. For example if there is a line of trees, make a note of the direction in which they are pointing and use these visual clues to help you navigate.

STANDARD COMPASS If you are using a standard compass and you want to head north, just walk in the direction that the red arrow is pointing; otherwise, you first need to set up your compass to find your bearings. Turn the compass so that the red arrow lines up with the N for north, then find your direction on the compass face and start walking.

ORIENTEERING COMPASS The more adventurous, or those interested in the sport of orienteering, will want to try an orienteering compass which includes a see-through base plate, orienting lines and direction of travel arrow. Say you want to travel Northeast. Turn the dial so that the direction of the travel arrow is lined up halfway between North and East. Next, keeping the compass flat and making sure that the compass housing doesnt move, turn your body until the red arrow points to N on the compass housing. Now the direction of travel arrow will be pointing Northeast. Pick out a feature in the distance to which the direction of travel arrow is pointing, and start walking towards it. You are now walking in a Northeast direction. Stop and check your bearings every few hundred yards to stay on course.

USING A COMPASS AND MAP

With a little practice, it is easy to navigate in unfamiliar territory using a map and an orienteering compass together.

Suppose you are at A and you want to get to B. Line up points A and B along the edge of the compass, making sure that the direction of travel arrow is pointing away from A. Keeping the compass fixed in this position on the map, carefully twist the compass housing until the orienting lines on the compass housing line up with the vertical meridian lines on the map. The meridian lines run north-south, and on most maps north is at the top.

Now remove the compass from the map and hold it flat in your hand so that the needle can move freely. Turn your body until the red arrow (which will be pointing north) lines up with N on the compass housing. The direction of travel arrow will now be pointing in the correct direction. Fix your eye on a distinctive feature to which the direction of travel arrow is pointing and walk towards it.

If you are lost and you dont have a compass, see , which explains how nature can guide you home.

BALLROOM
DANCE LIKE
A PRO

I t is fun, sophisticated, sexy, and it keeps you fit, so it is no surprise that ballroom dancing is making such a sparkling comeback. Dance aficionados generally attribute the end of social partner dancing to the early 1960s, when the Twist appeared. This was the first major rock-and-roll dance in which men and women didnt have to touch each other! Shame. Fortunately, ballroom dancing is timeless, and women still love to be romanced by an elegant guy. Before you put on your dancing shoes, however, here are ten tips to help you to exude smooth confidence:

Looking the part actually helps you to adopt the correct posture and poise, so ditch those jeans and slip into something more sophisticated, even if it is just a form-fitting black shirt and pants.

Develop good footwork and good style will follow. Make your steps definite (dont drag your feet), and carry more of your weight on the ball of your foot than your heel.

Either dance well or leave the ballroom.

Greek proverb