Brunch is Hell

Q. What makes you smart, sophisticated, generous, and stylish all at once?

A. Throwing a great dinner party.

Q. What doesn't?

A. Brunch.

Rico Gagliano and Brendan Francis Newnam have written the ultimate guide to hosting a soiree: an easy-to-follow manual for maximizing your party's spectacularness and saying no to brunch plans.

They're just the gentlemen to do it. Each week on their podcast and public radio show, Rico and Brendan share the urbane wit and adult pleasures of a terrific dinner party with nearly a million other listeners as they discuss life, art, culture, news, and what's for dessert.

Dinner parties are the key to a grown-up, civilized, satisfying life--and throwing one is easier than you think. The Dinner Party Manifesto demystifies invitations, food, drink, and decor, and shows how you can uncork memorable conversations and laughter that rolls into the wee hours. It also includes funny--but practical--solutions to common party pitfalls, including a formula to determine who gets the last piece of food on a communal plate, and a guide to making the ultimate dinner party playlist.

In the bestselling tradition of Adulting and I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, this is an entertaining, informative book about how to become the most interesting person you know.

“"Equally informative, impassioned, and hilarious, Gagliano and Newnam rescue the dinner party from the dark forces of brunch with great verve and valor."-- J. Ryan Stradal, New York Times bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest”

"A spirited call to arms against brunch, with unexpected reasons for throwing a dinner party... the humorous guide hand-holds hesitant hosts through every phase."--Furthermore
"Equally informative, impassioned, and hilarious, Gagliano and Newnam rescue the dinner party from the dark forces of brunch with great verve and valor."--J. Ryan Stradal, New York Times bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest
"Fascinating."--Goop
"Our fearless heroes offer a book full of the secret thoughts we all harbor about entertaining. It's social venting with real solutions--read: advice you'd WANT to use--and a heavy helping of humor."--Lizzie Post, author of Emily Post's Etiquette, 19th edition
"The icebreaker that helped public radio loosen up."--Los Angeles Times
"These guys are good."--Dick Cavett
"This podcast has become our secret weapon at parties and events where we know there will be a lot of mingling."--Apartment Therapy

Rico Gagliano has worked in public radio for over a decade. His pieces have been heard on All Things Considered, Weekend America, The Savvy Traveler and other series, but he was best known as a reporter on Marketplace, for which he filed stories from England, Ireland, Sweden, The Netherlands, India, South Korea, and across the USA. Prior to radio, Rico worked as a TV writer on shows for MTV, ABC, Fox Family and The Cartoon Network, and as a freelance print reporter for LA Weekly, the Village Voice, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and others. He continues to contribute pieces to Dwell magazine, and he holds an MFA from the American Film Institute. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.

Brendan Francis Newnam has produced and reported for national public radio shows including Marketplace, Marketplace Money, Fresh Air, and Weekend America, and, in his spare time, created and produced Audiovant,one of the first music interview podcasts. He has written and edited travel guides, music reviews and celebrity profiles for various websites and magazines, including Vice and Blackbook. Brendan continues to freelance for various outlets, including Dwell, Modern Farmer, Saveur, and CNN.com, where, in 2011, he penned a series of travel tales called "The State I'm In." Brendan has a J.D. and is also a past Knight Media Fellow. He lives in New York, NY.

Q. What makes you smart, sophisticated, generous, and stylish all at once? A. Throwing a great dinner party. Q. What doesn't? A. Brunch. Rico Gagliano and Brendan Francis Newnam have written the ultimate guide to hosting a soiree: an easy-to-follow manual for maximizing your party's spectacularness and saying no to brunch plans.They're just the gentlemen to do it. Each week on their podcast and public radio show, Rico and Brendan share the urbane wit and adult pleasures of a terrific dinner party with nearly a million other listeners as they discuss life, art, culture, news, and what's for dessert.Dinner parties are the key to a grown-up, civilized, satisfying life--and throwing one is easier than you think. The Dinner Party Manifesto demystifies invitations, food, drink, and decor, and shows how you can uncork memorable conversations and laughter that rolls into the wee hours. It also includes funny--but practical--solutions to common party pitfalls, including a formula to determine who gets the last piece of food on a communal plate, and a guide to making the ultimate dinner party playlist.In the bestselling tradition of Adulting and I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence , this is an entertaining, informative book about how to become the most interesting person you know.

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