Rating: 
Summary: Butterfly rising
Review: What's not to love...I laughed out loud reading this book. Spellcheck and investing aside, the authors give you an insight into the BAP's life from a satirical point of view. Every black woman sees herself in one of these roles: Betty has it all, Boho is the free spirit, Butterfly transforms herself into Betty, and Bogus need I say more. Trying to figure out which BAP you are is half the fun and the quizes...tell the truth how many did you get correct. Don't cheat! You read the book remembering when your boyfriend spent the night in your dorm room at college, spooning. Outlet shopping, summer camp, and the parties for any and all events.Spellchecks, editors and investment advice aside, (if you want investment advice get Black Enterprise). The BAP Handbook is a fun and easy read. Take it along on your summer vacation its great beach reading, in Martha's Vinyard, Sag Harbor or the Carribean. Great book to give to your best friend or your sister. Trust me they will all enjoy it
Rating:
Summary: IT'S ABOUT TIME...........
Review: that a humorous yet insightful book was written about growing up in the Black middle class from a middle class Black female perspective. From parentage (both my parents were professionals)to the choice of first names (mine was on the BAP "acceptable" list) and schools (I went to private grade and high schools and graduated from one of the top HBCU's in the country which has been outranking Howard, Hampton and Spelman for many years......I'm surprised it was not on your list)I was like dang......not only does this described me and my experiences coming along, but also how my family programmed me into this lifestyle. Of the 4 types of BAP's listed, I would consider myself 75% Boho (with my twists, love of African culture, clothing and accessories, type of career and community involvement) and 25% Betty(love of shopping and MAC, well-dressed, and quest for perfection......hey, Betty and I are both Virgos!). My friends and social circles are Bettys, Bohos, and Butterflies. As for Bogus, she is just that.......bogus. She reminds me of the chicks who attended the local public schools that mocked the other three for attending private schools, getting good grades, talking "proper," and not being "down." The Boguses I have known may have attended college but seldom actually graduate. Now they desperately want to be like Betty and the others but cannot pull it off. Or they are intensely jealous of them and their lifestyles and go into their high-school mode of calling them "not Black enough" while tending to 5 children and unemployed, live-in boyfriends. I consider Bogus more of Ghetto princess........the woman who want so-called status items without earning them just to impress. Bogus just doesn't fit in........she does not have the breeding and didn't have the proper guidance like Betty, Boho and Butterfly(look at how I am sounding). To me, that is the major flaw of the book.......Bogus immediatley goes into the ghetto mode and disrupts the theme of the book. No offense, but she would best shine in "Sckraight From the Ghetto" and other like books. As a bonafide BAP, I thank my parents for providing me with the best they can possibly offer (which was A LOT in terms of love, support, encouragement, guidance, and material thingies too). I also thank the authors for telling the story of Black women from a perspective other than the hoochie mama or welfare recipient. Next up, I'd like to see a similar book on the brothers (Black American Princes).
Rating: 
Summary: Once a boho, always a boho
Review: Ever since I slid my frame into my very faded overalls, and my size 8 and 1/2B's into my first pair of Birkenstocks to go hiking through Mexico, I have been a BAP. Having read this wonderful book about our lives, I now know that it's okay to be Black and like tofu, soy products, wheat grass, joni mitchell and educational t.v.! Thank you for giving the rest of the world this humorous insight into our lives. My favorite part were the lists of acceptable and unacceptable BAP names. I have known too many women with some of those unacceptable ones!
Rating:
Summary: An Absolute Must For Every Black Princess!
Review: I swear on every Kate Spade bag that I own - this is a fantastic book! I read it in one night, thinking the whole time, "this sounds just like me!" It was funny, familiar, and so true. I am a 20 year-old Northwestern University student, and this book hit home like none other. If you're bougie and you know it (or even if you aren't, and just want to find out), read this book. You'll love it . . . I promise.
Rating: 
Summary: I liked it but....
Review: I'm a little suprised that real BAPs don't invest more. With all the talk about Kate Spade and Prada, what's gonna happen to the BAP if she gets a divorce or her Prince Charming screws up the money? What if she loses her job? I guess Daddy will take care of all of that, right????
Rating:
Summary: Uh, don't real BAPs have spell check?
Review: I can't believe that it took four women (only one is a writer) to write a book about San Pellegrino-drinking, Prada bag having BAPs --- that has so many typos! Beonyce? (It's Beyonce) Holly Robinson-Peet? (It's Holly Robinson-Peete) Phillis Wheatley? (It's Phyllis Wheatley) Tamla Edwards? (It's Tamala Edwards, a journalist) Even Halloween is spelled wrong on a calendar included in the book. If you are going to clown ghetto folks about Ebonics and drone on and on about the Camp Atwaters and Jack and Jill's of the world -- make sure your publisher hires a decent copy editor for BAPs sake! There are four types of BAPs according to the four authors: Betty BAP -- a daughter of priviledge -- raised on a diet of the aforementioned Camp Atwater, Jack and Jill and other bougie trappings. If a man doesn't come with an MBA and a little blue box (you know where it's from), he can step! Celebrity type: Think Susan Fales-Hill (if you have to ask who she is, then you are certainly NOT a BAP!) BoHo BAP -- You guessed it, the "free-spirited" BAP. The kind of chick that wears her hair natural of course, would get married on a beach without inviting her family and a Town & Country (not Ebony, thank you) photographer and wears belly rings. Celebrity type: Think Cree Summer (then again, don't think Cree Summer.) Butterfly BAP -- She's the bootstrapping BAP. She's really supposed to be Betty BAP, but she was born in the wrong family. She had to learn the hard way in college (no doubt from the snotty glances of Betty BAP and her sorority sisters) that press on nails and hair gel were no-no's. But she learns quick -- after years of the "right" schools, the "right" contacts and the "right" exposure, she is ready to conquer the world! Celebrity type: Think Vanessa L. Williams in that ridiculous purple poof gown the night she won the Miss America title. She is now firmly in Betty BAP territory, no? Finally, you know there had to be a ghetto chick --- Bogus BAP: She wants to rise from the 'hood, even if it means wearing Prada, Gucci, Fendi AND Chanel -- at the same time -- instead of paying her light bill and fixing that damned clogged bathroom sink. She'll lie about her credentials and pedigree to move ahead in the world. Or just be ghetto-fabulous to the max and spend all of her ball-playin' future baby daddy's money --- while she laughs at Betty BAP burning off frustration on the treadmill as she watches Dr. Phil on "Oprah", reads "The Rules" and holds out for that little blue box. Celebrity type: Think 'Lil Kim. Or, if you want to be mean, Beyonce of Destiny's Child. I was really looking forward to this book, but overall, it was a let down -- even for a humor book. Even overlooking the typos. Maybe they should pack a dictionary in those Prada's.
Rating:
Summary: Loved It!!
Review: This book was absolutely delightful and refreshing and validating. I laughed out loud when I realized I am clearly not the only one who cherishes her MAC, Manolos and the finer things in life. Why apologize, when you are changing the world, one outlet at a time? I highly recommend this book to anyone who considers themselves a BAP or who wants to better understand the BAP experience (which incidentally has more to do with excellence and achievement than doing brunch and shopping).
Rating:
Summary: This Handbook Opened My White Male Eyes
Review: I am taking a "multi-cultural awareness" class and was assigned to read something from a cultural perspective different from my own. I'm glad I stumbled across BAP Handbook because it gave me a profile of a demographic that I rarely, if ever, think about. The illustrations were particularly engaging and added to my enjoyment of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Will the Real BAPs please Stand Up?
Review: I love this handbook, from the quizzes to the acceptable and unacceptable BAP names!! I could not stop laughing at the descriptions of the over extended credit limit of Bogus BAP or the checklist for potential dates. I tried to fight my strong BAP tendencies- but after reading the diverse list of famous BAP sisters (from Star Jones to Ananda Lewis) and rationalizing my desire for the best and nothing less, I decided to take the official BAP oath- and hold my MAC lipstick up with pride!
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Summary: The BAP Handbook- The Official Guide to The Black American P
Review: I absolutely loved this book! It's funny, insightful and a delight to read. From the BAP quiz, to the acceptable BAP names and beyond, I giggled and thought about my own BAP experiences. I am going to buy one for each of the Black American Princesses in my life.
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