Paul Burston - Author of "The Closer I Get"

When a book comes lavished with praise from Elton John, Tori Spelling and Vanessa Williams, you know you’re in celebrity love-in territory. The twist is that the author of this ‘Guide To Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Style’ is no ordinary celebrity but the special creation that is RuPaul – the self-professed ‘world’s most famous drag queen’, host of Drag Race and singer of the ’90s dance-floor hit ‘Supermodel (You Better Work)’

I interviewed Ru for Time Out way back in ’92, when ‘Supermodel’ was first released. When the accompanying press photos were sent down to the art department, several of the layout guys were troubled by how much they fancied her.

Still working it, and looking as fabulous as ever, Ru’s book offers tips on everything from how to achieve happiness (‘don’t take life too seriously’) to how to avoid toxic relationships (‘know that energy attracts like energy’). Along with ‘the drag queen diet’ (‘don’t eat anything after the sun goes down’) and advice on how to fix your wig, there are words of wisdom which can be applied to almost everyone, from the importance of posture to the benefits of a drug and alcohol-free lifestyle.

Some might sound a little kooky (‘maintain clarity so that you can hear stage cues from the universe’) but others are eminently sensible (‘if people are saying nasty, hurtful things about you... what they’re saying has nothing to do with you. It’s them projecting their own self-loathing and fear.’)

Fully illustrated with photos of Ru in all her glory, there’s even a cover quote from Debbie Harry which says: ‘If Ru says it AND it’s in print, it must be true.’

If it’s good enough for her...