"The purpose of this book is to extract useful nuggets and nuances from my gay life and hurl them in your direction, often with tremendous force and gusto." English-born Doonan (Wacky Chicks) does just that in this hilarious and sometimes smarmy account of the social mores of the gay community. Having spent more than two decades dressing windows at Barneys New York before taking up writing, Doonan has had plenty of experience with "the gay canon.[,] a broad cultural smorgasbord which provides a quirky, thought-provoking linchpin or reference point for every creative moment." He goes on to discuss his favorite films, books, fashionistas, and "momentous movements" (Art Nouveau, Rustic Modern, and Skank Molecular (?) among them). There are chapters on face lifts and liposuction (generally to be avoided), gay subcultures, and a glossary of "a secret gay lingua"-Palare. In addition to educating those not-in-the-know, Doonan regales readers with tongue-in-cheek commentary and witchy barbs that bespeak a more militant Joan Rivers. The title refers to Doonan's theory that gay men are too meticulous about their appearance to get fat and he follows many tangents of that theory. The veracity of the title may be questionable, but while reading Doonan, men and women-straight or gay-definitely don't get bored. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.