The Official Preppy Handbook

The Official Preppy Handbook is a tongue-in-cheek humor reference guide written by Jonathan Roberts, Carol McD. Wallace, Mason Wiley, and Lisa Birnbach. It discusses an aspect of North American culture described as prepdom. In addition to insights on prep school and university life at socially acceptable schools it illuminates many aspects of upper-class, old money WASP society. Topics range from appropriate clothing for social events to choosing the correct college and major. The book's reflections on young urban professional culture inspired the founder of the J. Crew clothing line, Arthur Cinader. Cinader hoped to capitalize on the book's success. The book also represented a resurgence of interest in 'preppy' culture that aided the growth of retailer L.L. Bean. The book's exposé of university life and the drug and sex culture at various schools had a significant impact on public thought about those schools.