The Field Guide To North American Males

The Field Guide to North American Males  

This was a little 1997 book shaped like a birding guide, with the following promo copy: 

Wouldn’t it be lovely if the world of men were as neatly classifiable as that of the animal kingdom? If there were some means of imposing order on the random, unruly boy universe? The Field Guide To North American Males is the answer. It offers handy descriptions of over 50 species of boys, along with descriptions of their plumage, mating calls, sexual and agonistic displays, courtship rituals and habitats. 

The brilliant full-page illustrations were by cartoonist Ellen Forney, who is a genius. 

Marjorie recently found the website for the book mentioned in an article on LifeHacker.com about “primitive ‘90s web sites that still exist,” so she emerged from her crypt to read, with her own wizened, elderly eyes, what journalist Steven Johnson had to say. “Inexplicably, the site for Marjorie Ingall’s “just barely-a-book” is still live, and it’s a testament to good design,” Johnson wrote. “It’s dated, sure, but its clearly presented information, minimalist look, and actually funny text makes me want to buy this book—available used for like $0.50 on Amazon.”  

You should totally buy it, Steven, to fund my supply of denture cleaner.