Dating? Here’s some advice from the book “How to Survive Dating” (Hundreds of Heads Books, $13.95), straight from people who’ve done it:

“For a first date, get a drink in a comfortable hotel bar or something with couches or big comfy chairs and mood lighting. Bars and barstools are so un-sexy and very ‘stiff.’ People feel more at ease in the comfy setting.”

—Anonymous, New York, N.Y.

 “On my first date with one woman, I wanted to stand out in the crowd. So I took her to salsa dancing lessons. I was a bit uncomfortable with that kind of dancing, but she was pretty good at it, and I just tried to have fun. It must have impressed her because she went out with me again.”

—Tony T., San Francisco, Calif.

“On a first date, make it a double date and go some place public. It takes the pressure off so you don’t feel like you always have to break those awkward silences. It also helps when something goes wrong. For example, my first date with my future wife was a double date with a couple I had known for some time. We went to a restaurant for dinner. Halfway through the dinner, I started feeling sick. Because it was a double date, the other couple covered for me, keeping my date entertained, while I was hurling in the restroom.”

—David, Syracuse, N.Y.

“My favorite dates are simple ones that let us get out in nature. My idea of heaven: Two people in a hammock in Maui.”

—Tami W., San Francisco, Calif.

“Invest in the first date. Before you meet the woman, go down every side street of your neighborhood and try cheap, random restaurants no one else would know. You’ll look like a culinary expert who’s plugged into the city and knows about interesting places.”

—Jeff Wilder, Washington, D.C.

Hundreds of Heads Books’ survival guides offer the wisdom of the masses by assembling the experiences and advice of hundreds of people who have gone through life’s biggest challenges and have insight to share.