I recently had the chance to chat with Chris and Stuart, two enterprising twenty-somethings who founded Gradspot, which they hope will become the premiere online destination for life after college.  They are super-impressive young professionals, having graduated from Harvard and Emory respectively and boasting work experience in the finance, technology, and publishing industries.  The backbone of Gradspot is made up of Survival Guides organized into five categories: Apartment, Career, Lifestyle, Money, and Health.  Chris and Stuart have also just published The Gradspot.com Guide to Life after College, and they were kind enough to send me a copy.

There are lots of books out there for new college graduates who have just crash-landed in the real world, but Chris and Stuart’s book is a refreshing addition to the genre, mainly because it’s clever without being silly or snarky.  Peek inside the book and you’ll find: 

• Tips and tricks culled for everything from handling an office romance to finding compatible roommates and switching your cell phone plan.
• Thoroughly researched solutions for the most common recent grad issues, developed not only from the experiences of Gradspot writers, but also from the opinions of topic experts and other recent grads.
• Fun, easy-to-navigate chapters that are perfect for flipping through when you, um, need to entertain/edify yourself for five minutes or so.
• “Confessions of a Match.com User,” “Confessions of a Nomad,” and other hilarious anecdotes from post-college life.
• Interviews (with rappers and Ph.D.s alike), exhibits, and top ten lists

The Gradspot.com Guide may be amusing, but it’s pretty serious in its mission to educate new grads.  And best of all, if you’re a cash-strapped twenty-something in need of the personal finance tips offered in Chapter 5, you can get the book FOR FREE!