Issue date: 3/27/03 Section: E-Zone

By definition a Hipster is one who possesses tastes, social attitudes and opinions deemed cool by the cool. The Hipster walks among the masses in daily life but is not a part of them and shuns or reduces to kitsch anything held dear by the mainstream. A Hipster ideally possesses no more than 2 percent body fat.

That being said, never in my lifetime have I picked up anything as riotous as the Hipster Handbook. The sheer idea that there would be enough content to publish such a book has left me startled.

The Hipster Handbook is a 169-page romp through the life and style of the Hipster.

The text looks at different styles of the hipster. This ranges from the artsy-fartsy waitress all the way down to the Seth Green type clubber character from “Can’t Hardly Wait.” The handbook not only looks at the styles but also vividly defines them down to the button fly on their ripped denim Calvin Klein jeans.

Interesting categories the book covers were lists of different Hipster colleges, types of different Hipster music (categorized by decade), hairstyles for men and women, Hipster literature, Hipster movies and different Hipster greetings.

My favorite part of the Handbook covers the dating rituals for Hipsters. It gives an in-depth look at Hipsters trying to date other Hipsters. It also gives us hints and clues to if the relationship will pan out and be successful.

The handbook also gives us a glimpse at Hipster relationships with non-Hipster types. According to the handbook, it can be accomplished.

The book also comes with a number of fantastic and great detailed illustrations created by Jeff Bechtel, whose work has appeared in Maxim International and “Family Circus.” Bechtel’s attention to detail shows. It really allows “fin” (Hipster slang for lame) types of people have the opportunity to understand more about the Hipster world.

Thanks to the handbook I was able to determine that although I may not have everything it takes to be a Hipster I still retained some hipster qualities. Old age hasn’t completely seized my mind and body yet.

The Hipster Handbook is a great read to throw in the bathroom or on the old coffee table. It is guaranteed to spark a great deal of conversation and keep people entertained for hours. If it can keep me from studying, doing homework, or even writing this very review of the book then it’s doing its job.

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