Husband Hunting Made Easy—And Other Miricles for the Modern Gay Man, by Patrick Price, New York: St. Martin's Griffin, paperback, 187 pages, $12.95

Good advice gets heard best if its delivered with good humor. Patrick Price, a whole-witted author-and-a- half and a Good Humor man par excellence, knows this. His new book, a smorgasbord of queer wisdom, captures pertinent points about relationships and makes common sense suggestions for their proper maintenance.

Husband Hunting Made Easy, therefore, is a godsend for romantics who might otherwise overcomplicate their own lives and those of others. Easy thus becomes the operative word in this book's title. It can smooth the way for those legions of the lovelorn traveling amid clutter toward connubial bliss.

Including a list of bad come-on lines--bloopers like "You know, you could be a porn star," or "I hope you're legal," Price, who calls himself "a successful veteran of the quest for the modern gay husband" regards his book as a necessity now that male couples may soon be winging their way over the Pacific, tying nuptial knots as soon as gay marriage gets legalized in Hawaii.

Husband Hunting Made Easy refers to what happens in the wake of any husband hunt as "snagging"—and though "easy" may be the operative word is his book's title, he admits that the step after snagging –keeping—is easier said than done.

"Even the most intelligent guys make ill-conceived, moronic choices when it comes to love," Price admits. "We sabotage ourselves at every turn, always picking Mr. Wrong out of the crowd." Young women who are avid readers of Cosmopolitan will understand exactly what he means.

The comic photos in Husband Hunting Made Easy reflect a wide range of behaviors common to that species of gay males who nest in urban apartments. Guppies galore, therefore, bring each other gifts, hold tight to TV remotes and host silly suave parties for inebriated acquaintances who hang out in their kitchens.

But the real value of this book is that it turns a spotlight of reason onto same-sex mate searches. Even more importantly, perhaps, it warns against a host of the common man's errors. "Don't tell your life story in one sitting," it says, and "You don't have to spend every available second with him." Amen.

On the positive side author Price recommends the value of learning to give a good backrub and how to cook at least one good meal. And be sure to "like his friends," Price recommends, "even if you don't." "Compliment his good taste." Surprising a prospective spouse with your insight into his worth pays off with the rewards of invigorated company.

Where to find Mr. Right? Price, oddly, recommends—in this consumer's country-- the mall: "Where else can you meet a guy and find an outfit to go out in at the same time."

Don't let your quarry know you're husband hunting, says the author. Why? "Few things scare a prospect faster than an open casting call."

And once you and your intended settle into hoped-for domestic tranquility, Price gives sound advice about meeting his relatives. There's "nothing more shocking than discovering a family life that's crazier than your own," he observes.

All too many lovers, Price knows, stop courting once they've grown accustomed to their domestic rounds. If one is to move beyond "snagging" to "keeping" the secret of permanency lies in knowing that "once you are defined as a couple, it's even more essential to respond to your partner. Courtship never really ends."

Yassir.