An essential guide to modern etiquette--now in paperback Life is full of awkward social situations; we forget someone's name while making introductions, we're stuck on the elevator with our boss, we run into our ex on a first date. While these dilemmas might feel trivial, they tap into some of the deepest themes of our social existence: how to pursue our own agenda while honoring the happiness and needs of others? How to go beyond the surface level when relating to another person? Featuring twenty case studies from our modern world, this book puts good manners back at the center of our lives. Far from being old fashioned or stuffy, The School of Life argues, etiquette provides a framework through which to create a kinder and more considerate world. THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO ETIQUETTE IN THE 21ST CENTURY NAVIGATING OUR MOST AWKWARD SOCIAL SITUATIONS this practical and relevant guide offers tips and scripts. TWENTY CASE STUDIES AND ACTIONABLE ADVICE for dealing with common social dilemmas. HOW TO WIN PEOPLE OVER, how to approach strangers at a party, and how to write an effective thank you note - the chapters in this book address common perplexing social situations head on. BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY THROUGHOUT

Modern life is full of minor but acute dilemmas: we get stuck at a gathering with someone unusually boring and wonder how to move on without causing offence; in the course of introducing one friend to another, we realise that we have forgotten one of the party's names; we run into an ex while on an early date with a new partner; we spill red wine across a host's sofa... Such dilemmas might - at one level - seem desperately insignificant. But they actually belong to some of the largest and most serious themes in social existence: how can you pursue our own agenda for happiness while at the same time honouring the sensitivities and wishes of others; how can you convey goodwill with sincerity; how can you be kind without being supine or sentimental? These dilemmas were once covered by books on etiquette or manners. The modern age often doesn't seem to value manners, equating them with an old fashioned stuffiness, instead we are advised to communicate our feelings and tell it the way it really is. But the result, in practice, is that we are often confused as to how to act around others and discharge our obligations to them. This book puts good manners back at the centre our lives. It features twenty case-studies on common social dilemmas and our possible responses to them, contributing to a new and original philosophy of graceful conduct. Manners are far from negligible fancies; they stand at the day-to-day end of a hugely grand and dignified mission which The School of Life is committed to: the creation of a kinder and more considerate world.

Let How to Behave teach you the intricacies of • Road Rage Survival • Airplane Seating Etiquette • Facebook Manners • Shopping Cart Navigation • Polite E-mail Practices • Crowded Elevator Propriety • Office Cubicle Courtesy • Online Dating Decorum From the grocery store to the workplace, from standing in line to friending online, How to Behave gives you step-by-step instructions and multiple strategies for navigating the social situations of modern life.

An “extremely funny” take on the decline of civility, from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of How the Hell Did This Happen? (The Plain Dealer). In Modern Manners, cultural guru P. J. O’Rourke provides the essential accessory for the truly contemporary man or woman—a rulebook for living in a world without rules. Traditionally, good manners were a means of becoming as bland and invisible as everyone else, thus avoiding calling attention to one’s own awkwardness and stupidity. Today, with everyone wanting to appear special, stupidity is at a premium, and manners—as outrageous and bizarre as possible—are a wonderful way to distinguish ourselves, or at least have a fine time trying. This irreverent and hilarious guide to anti-etiquette offers pointed advice on topics from sex and entertaining to reading habits and death. With the most up-to-date forms of vulgarity, churlishness, and presumption, the latest fashions in discourtesy and barbarous display, O’Rourke is our guide to the art of incivility. “Modern Manners is O’Rourke doing what he has always done: making hilarious, insightful, often vicious fun of the world and all its inhabitants.” —People “A reader who rushes through [Modern Manners] from cover to cover—like I did—will feel like a child who has gorged on chocolate cake: happy, but a bit disappointed that it’s all gone. The reason O’Rourke’s book is so successful, however, is not just his great sense of humor. O’Rourke’s writing has a cutting edge behind it, which makes a reader’s laughter just a bit thought-provoking, and just a bit rueful . . . Very funny.” —Chicago Tribune

A comprehensive field guide to modern manners, including social skills, phones & social media, the workplace, dining, weddings, and more. Good manners are the hallmark of a well-rounded person, and are a character trait that can benefit one socially and professionally. However, a lot has changed since the first etiquette guides were published almost a century ago, with modern etiquette encompassing so much more than simply being able to identify between a chowder and consommé spoon. To step in and guide readers is Nancy R. Mitchell, who, for more than thirty-five years, has been an etiquette consultant and trainer for numerous institutions and corporations. From revealing the secrets behind successful networking and job interviews, to decoding proper dining habits, to wedding decorum, Etiquette Rules! succinctly gives readers everything they need to successfully maneuver with manners in today’s world. Praise for Etiquette Rules! “An excellent general primer for a young woman entering the workplace.” —The New York Times “In a world where reading news headlines would have you believe it has gone to hell in a hand-basket, it is nice to see someone making the effort to uphold some common civility and manners which, though they might be updated now for same-sex weddings, work cubicles or food trucks, are never out of style.” —DearAuthor.com

The Easy and Smart Way to Mind Your Manners in the Boardroom and Beyond Diane Gottsman is here to make minding your manners more practical, relatable and modern. In today’s busy world, there are too many instances when proper social behavior can go awry, holding us back or making us nervous. Knowing what to say, wear and how to conduct ourselves not only opens many doors, but also puts us at ease and brings out the best in us. Without being rigid or stuffy, Diane’s simple and easy tips show readers how to feel comfortable in any situation and how to elegantly become their best, most confident selves. Readers will no longer worry about what to wear to work; how to shake hands with a higher-level executive; how to travel with the boss and deal with office cliques; how to conduct oneself on social media and the do’s and don’ts of everything in between, from table manners to baby showers.

Mindful Manners succinctly explains everything you need to know to successfully maneuver the world today, from proper networking to giving the perfectly tasteful toast. We need only to look around our communities or visit social media to know there is an etiquette crisis. With rudeness rampant and civility on life support, it’s time for us to take a hard look at ourselves to determine if we are contributing to the problem or combating it. Enter: Mindful Manners: Modern Etiquette for a Better Life, a common-sense examination of etiquette as an operating system for living life with kindness and courtesy while we work, play, drive, dine, and shop in our physical and virtual communities. Arranged by events and settings, you'll learn how to decode proper dining habits, wedding decorum, the secrets behind successful job interviews, and much more. Mindful Manners jettisons the old-school notion that etiquette is nothing but stuffy rules on how to properly hold a teacup. Modern etiquette is a powerful tool that can help everyone feel comfortable and confident in a variety of situations, whether you're building personal and business relationships, demonstrating respect for others, or trying to live a life that flows more smoothly.