Book excerpt: In the world of "How to" books, there has been a curious void on the subject of entertaining and managing house guest visits. Finally, here is a book that fills that vacuum. Host or Hostage? A Guide for Surviving House Guests, defines the idiosyncratic world of entertaining house guests from beginning to end. It is the first practical hands-on guide dealing with specific types of house guests - how to invite or avoid them, how to make guests comfortable, and then how to manage their timely departure. Here is the necessary nitty-gritty advice for those of us who have difficulty inviting and entertaining visitors for overnight or longer. This guide also provides hints for guests who may need help with accepted practices while visiting and strategies for maneuvering if they find themselves in an uncomfortable situation during a visit. For thousands of years, People around the globe have entertained house guests and dealt with similar difficulties of sharing time, territory, privacy and provisions. While the problem of overstepping house guests is prevalent world-wide, it is especially notable in the United States. This no-nonsense manual uses appropriate, humorous anecdotal material to help us learn to deal with all types of house guests. The author, Darlene Dennis, has had abundant experience with all types of house guests and gifts the reader with many of her own "trials by fire." Enjoy - and learn.