What Would Mary Ann Do?

Dawn Wells, best known as Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island, played the archetypal good girl and eternal sitcom sweetheart, becoming a television icon in the process. But let’s face it, that was decades ago. Can such old-fashioned values still hold water in the increasingly complicated lifestyle of a denizen of 2014?

Dawn certainly thinks so, and What Would Mary Ann Do? is her handbook for getting the most out of life, solving problems, and letting the Mary Anns (and not the Gingers) inherit the Earth. Replete with anecdotes, examples from her life, and hard-won advice for overcoming obstacles and wringing every ounce of joy from every moment, the book toes the line between buoyant self-help guide and autobiography.

Although her “those were the days” throwback style can be a little grating and judgmental at times, Dawn’s heart is certainly in the right place, and the book is a fun read, even if you have no intention of embracing your inner Mary Ann. (I’ve always been more a Professor/Gilligan mix, myself.)

What Would Mary Ann Do? will probably never be a bracelet slogan by which people live their lives, but it’s a worthwhile mix of classic values and sincerity.