Introduction: A celebrity once said that a good party begins in the kitchen and ends in the medicine cabinet. I don't agree with that one bit; neither food, alcohol, accidents, nor drugs should be the prime directive or result of any party?including needing aspirin. But I do believe the familiar is wholly unsatisfying. And this book means to stir up the familiar.

The best resource for any party is the people. If people weren't your prinicipal concern, this book would be a primer on games for one (or games for two if your spouse refers to others as "those people.") And there are games in here for everyone: the bold and the timid, the energetic and the laid back, the wicked and the merely mischievous. Most rely on the competitive element, a characteristic of child's play that is often bred out of adults, at least at parties.

If you are not an aficianado of game-playing, don't worry. You will catch on and catch up to those of us who occupy the captain's seat—a most engaging place to be, and I wouldn't trade it for any other. Since you may not know me personally, I will tell you there are two things I hate: running late, and not having control. If you are like me, you will be pleased to have purchased this book, because it is constructed with those two elements in mind.

Also, if in the past you have felt much overwhelmed and trampled by party preparation, if after all the cooking and carrying and the creating and arranging of sumptuous displays, you feel you have lost the enthusiasm for tackling games, this book is doubly for you, because all that work is really secondary to having a good time. Of course, I'm not telling you not to clean the house—go ahead and do that and break out your best recipes—but just know that guests will not remember the cream-filled crusts as much as they will the rousing good time that was "had by all."

Illustrated by: Sandy Hoffman
ISBN: 0-8069-2799-2
Sterling Publishing, Co., Inc. New York
Retail price: $12.95 Limited quantity.