With menus, game plans, and 150 recipes, O'Neill charts the waters of a new era in American home entertaining, with style, substance, and wit.She distills the fears and aspirations of anyone who would entertain into five characters who reconcile their trepidations and their grand desires with the realities of modern life. Meet Mr. D., the Manhattan caterer, mourning the demise of baby vegetables and high profits; Johanna, a recovering hostess with the mostest; and Nan, so daunted by recipes and health concerns that she has developed acute cook's block.This romp through changing social mores is a guide to everything from backyard barbecues to orchestrating a sit-down meal, from engineering brilliant conversation to accommodating the dietary constraints of modern guests.Part novel, part cookbook, part self-help, part social satire, The Pleasure of Your Company is the rare book about home entertaining that manages to be both amusing and a practical guide for the novice as well as the experienced hostess. Read Less