HOW TO SURVIVE A ROOMMATE

by James Comer ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1980

A wisecracking question-and-answer format on the subject of picking a roommate, a route strongly recommended as an antidote to both limited financial means and loneliness. The author's chief credentials are his 14 previous roommates (two of whom still send Christmas cards), so we know we're not in for an academic thesis; still, it's disconcerting to find the flippant shenanigans hiding such a shallow approach. Comer deals with such mainstays as interviewing and choosing the prospective roomie; handling money, eccentricities, and sex (or ""how to ignore lust ten feet away""); and settling disputes. But his advice either masquerades as humor (to prospective roommate: ""Oh, no, that isn't a clogged sink. It's a wading pool""), or drowns in banalities (setting aside ""honesty hours"" to discuss bothersome issues). Anyone who needs to be told not to lend money to a roommate unless the party is ""honest and responsible"" needs more than a book as a back-up; and exercising the proposed ""veto power"" over the roomie's pets may prove easier on paper. A potpourri of largely useless tips and witticisms.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1980

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Watts

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1980

Categories: NONFICTION