Mark Twain's Guide to Diet, Exercise, Beauty, Fashion, Investment, Romance, Health and Happiness

The television critic at the Cleveland Plain Dealer since 1999, Mark Dawidziak is the author of many books, including the 1994 horror novel Grave Secrets and two histories of landmark TV series: The Columbo Phile: A Casebook (1989) and The Night Stalker Companion (1997). A recognized Mark Twain scholar, his acclaimed books on the author include Mark My Words: Mark Twain on Writing (1996) and Horton Foote’s The Shape of the River: The Lost Teleplay About Mark Twain (2003). He is also a playwright, director and actor in northeast Ohio, where he lives with his wife and daughter, as well as an adjunct professor of journalism at Kent State University.

"Nobody gets Mark Twain the way Mark Dawidziak does. Here is the master in all of his certainty, humor, and undertow. This book wonderfully underscores how contemporary Mark Twain is and always will be."— Ken Burns, award-winning documentary filmmaker"Mark has got mighty dedicated to the restoration of Twain into our thinking and has pursued a trail of scholarship which led him to deeply research the man we so admire. We became friends early on when he covered theatre and television for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and have a mutual reverence and love for Mark Twain’s teeming, explosive mind. This is a collection of these explosions. I think you will enjoy them. I have enjoyed them for 60 years."— Hal Holbrook, actor"Mark Dawidziak is as comfy and entertaining a tour guide through the world of Mark Twain as Twain himself was a tour guide through the world. In other words, Mark Twain’s Guide is such a fun read that the only thing dry about it is the ink.”— David Bianculli, television critic and guest host for NPR’s Fresh Air"With this wink to his readers, Dawidziak sets up a humorous collection of Mark Twain's advice, quotes, and maxims on various topics that provide the basis for twenty short chapters...This current book, with its eye-catching cover featuring an embossed cameo of Mark Twain by Albert Levering from 1905, will likely be another popular volume for both the collector and gift-giver. "— Twain Forum- Briefly Noted

• Introduction: The Comfortable Road1.) Exercise2.) Diet3.) Sleep & Rest4) Smoking5.) Drinking6.) Curing a Cold7.) Stress Management8.) Anger Management9.) Maintaining a Positive Outlook10.) Beauty Tips11.) Fashion12.) Finance & Investment13.) Experience & Education14.) Political Philosophy15.) Religious Matters16.) Surviving Childhood 17.) Romance & Marriage18.) Parenthood19.) Reaching Old Age20.) The End of the Road? Notes, Sources, Acknowledgments