The Frat House Fire Escape Plan: Sigma Nu, Tulane and the 1970s,

Charles McCain has created a funny, deeply revealing and satirical account of college life in New Orleans in the 70's. This is a story told on three levels. First, it is the personal story of Charles dealing with the loss of his parents in his teenage years and his growing up at Tulane. It is a moving and revealing self-reflection on his own foibles and angst. Second, it is story about the high pranks of college life in New Orleans in the 70s and the resulting strong lifetime bonds formed by young men of very different backgrounds. Finally, it is a hilarious account of life in the 70s. Charles has a real knack for storytelling and capturing life as it was with a witty and satirical spin. His chapter on the Golden Age of Cigarette Smoking is terrific as are many of the other stories which capture the cultural norms and the context of the times. His accounts do not glow with the sheen of political correctness, which may make you wince at some passages, but at the same time highlights how much things have really changed in the past 40 years.