so i got this idea to make a book called the Bro-Bible so that i can show other people who want to become a Bro what it takes and pass it down to bro's at my school through the years. I don't know if any other people...  Keep Reading »

Ever notice how much of design is based on a woman's curves? Take a look a Coca-Cola bottle, a sleek car, or even an iPod -- if you're not turned on in at least some subconscious way, you're not breathing.

Design aficionado Stephen Bayley's new book, "Woman as Design: Before, Behind, Between, Above, Below" (Conran Octopus, buy now on Amazon!) -- is, in the words of one critic, a love letter turned novel turned "newest coffee-table playground for perverts." Sounds like the perfect holiday present to us.  Keep Reading »

We've been a fan of The Philadelphia Lawyer blog for a while now, and when we heard that the author's debut book, "Happy Hour is for Amateurs: Work Sucks. Life Doesn't Have to," was coming out in paperback, we just had to talk to the guy. Or, at least email him, since he's still anonymous and we weren't looking to blow his cover. If you've never read the blog (or didn't pick up the book in hardcover), it's a no-holds-bar peek behind the scenes of the booze-filled, back-stabbing legal world in the birthplace of the Constitution: Philadelphia. Buy the book on Amazon here, read the full interview below, and check back tomorrow for a BroBible exclusive story by The Philadelphia Lawyer. The topic: "You're Not Getting Laid Because..."

BroBible: What possessed you to start writing the tales of your life? Did you find the experience therapeutic?

The Philadelphia Lawyer: Combination of things. The material was there, I knew I could write, and the scene around me was so absurd I figured, "Somebody has to deconstruct this shit -- show it for what it is. Mine out the funny angles of this shit to show what an absurd, wasteful McProfession practicing law in this city is."

What was it like to go from strictly blogging to writing an entire book?

The Philadelphia Lawyer: A bitch. But before I get to that, let me clarify -- you and me? We're not "bloggers." We write "content." And I'm not being snotty there. That distinction needs to be repeated. "Blogs" are basically link dumps, or pedestals for people to pimp short opinions.

All that said, the content I wrote was still abbreviated, and it needed that closer punchline, even for the serial pieces. Taking the stories we used in the book apart and arcing them into a broader narrative was difficult as hell. Reminds you how much more of a skill writing a full-length book is than writing a website piece. And how important editors are in the process.

Do you still practice law or have you decided to write/booze/party full time? No doubt an absolute joy for your liver.  Keep Reading »

We've got a great new book to recommend, and, for those of you in New York, a book party that you can stop by tonight. Jeffrey Stephens' "Targets of Deception" (Variance Publishing, buy it here on Amazon) is a thriller that any fan of Jason Bourne, Jack Bauer, or Jack Ryan will love. It follows ex-CIA agent Jordan Sandor (yes, every hero's name these days starts with the letter J) as he's lured back into action when his former mentor becomes a rogue agent and helps plot a massive terrorist attack involving VX gas (it's legit, look it up) against the United States. Admit it: This is exactly the type of fun, fast-paced read that you need right now.

For those of you in New York, Stephens is hosting a book-signing party tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Public House Restaurant (140 East 41st Street, at Lex). Stop by anytime to meet the author, buy the book, enjoy some good drink specials, and watch the Yankees-Angels ALCS Game 4 on the big screens.

You guys probably have bad memories of novels. If they weren't the rigidly written important books that you were assigned in school (I still want to throttle the teacher who deemed it essential I read Tess of the d'Urbervilles), they're easily digestible crapola (e.g., Grisham, Crichton, etc.) that leave no lasting impression and make you feel slightly confused. After all, reading should be more fulfilling than watching a three-hour marathon of "Parental Control."

The good news for bros worldwide is that there's a load of good novels that don't feel like completing a homework assignment. These books are funny, sharp, and resonant. Most importantly, they don't drag. To me, the master of this genre is Tom Perrotta, who wrote "Little Children." Nick Hornby ("High Fidelity"), Junot Diaz ("The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao"), and William Goldman ("The Princess Bride," "Marathon Man") all reside in that category.

You should check out books from these gentlemen, but they don't need my props. I mean, Diaz won the friggin' Pulitzer Prize. Goldman has won two Oscars. Perrotta co-wrote the script for "Little Children," so there's a good chance he got within touching distance of Kate Winslet and Jennifer Connelly.

Jonathan Tropper, on the other hand, doesn't get such attention. So, allow me to provide some.  Keep Reading »

Reading crime/suspense novels can be a double-edged sword. Yes, they're quick to read and action-packed, and no you won't need to read about emotionally wounded heroines or uncommunicative fathers. The only problem is that most of these books are, for lack of a better word, dumb.

Cliched dialogue. Lame plots. Super-heroic leading men with indestructible bodies and boring personalities. Every woman is super-hot, every bad guy a mustache-twirler. (Plus, it's hard to find a writing genre that has worse author photos.) There's something to be said for a book you can read in an afternoon, but is it worth the lack of stimulation?

It doesn't have to be that way. There are good writers out there. Of course, Richard Price and Elmore Leonard immediately come to mind. But there's someone else I'm going to recommend. I hadn't heard of veteran author Adrian McKinty until recently, when I picked up his latest, "Fifty Grand" (Henry Holt, $16.50, buy from Amazon).

Now I want to read anything the man has written, including grocery lists and RSVPs to Evite.  Keep Reading »

Drugs and music go together like Bob Marley and a blunt, and a new book, "Everybody Must Get Stoned" (Citadel), chronicles the good stuff's long, strange trip into the annals of rock history. BroBible caught up with the book's author, R.U. Sirius, to talk about The Beatles, Deadheads, and the five best drug-induced songs of all time.

BroBible: We think of "Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'N' Roll" as a line right out of the '60s, but isn't it a sentiment that's been around in some form or other, in most cultures, for a very long time? How and when did drugs become a prominent part of American rock music?

R.U. Sirius: Sure. The obvious one is "wine, women, and song" which has been a hedonistic slogan in many cultures going back many centuries, particularly (but not exclusively) European cultures. The variations on that slogan are sort of fun. The Danes celebrated "beer, cunt, and horn music" and they also got cannabis into the mix at some point. There's also some discussion in the book about the links between music and psychedelic drugs and shamanism in some primitive cultures.

Rock culture really became drug culture during the psychedelic era. I'm sure some musicians used drugs like LSD and mescaline (and, of course, pot) really early (there's a song called "LSD-25" from 1962 that's discussed in the book), but it really went wide in 1966. Of course, during the so-called "summer of love" in 1967, rock was drenched in acid.

Stimulant pills... speed pills like Dexedrine and so forth got around some in the 1950s, particularly for people who had to spend a lot of time on the road touring. Jerry Lee Lewis was absolutely the most crazy-ass speed-psychosis driven motherfucker in rock history. The Jerry Lee stories are some of my favorites.  Keep Reading »