Would it kill you to stop doing that? a modern guide to manners

"We all know bad manners when we see them," author Henry Alford observes. But what do good manners look like in our day and age? When someone answers their cell phone in the middle of dining with you, or you enter a post-apocalyptic public restroom, the long-revered wisdom of Emily Post ca...

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Main Author: Alford, Henry, 1962-
Format: Books Print Book
Language: English
Published: New York : Twelve, 2012.
Edition: 1st ed.
Subjects:
Summary: "We all know bad manners when we see them," author Henry Alford observes. But what do good manners look like in our day and age? When someone answers their cell phone in the middle of dining with you, or you enter a post-apocalyptic public restroom, the long-revered wisdom of Emily Post can seem downright prehistoric. So Alford studies how things might look if people were on their best behavior more often. He travels to Japan to observe its collective politesse. He interviews etiquette experts likely (Judith Martin, Tim Gunn) and unlikely (a former prisoner, an army sergeant). He volunteers as a tour guide to foreigners visiting New York City in order to study cultural divides. He also finds time to teach Miss Manners how to steal a cab, and designates the World's Most Annoying Bride. Ultimately, by tackling etiquette questions of our age, he presents a seriously entertaining book about grace, civility, and how we can simply treat each other better.--From publisher description.
Item Description: Includes index.
Physical Description: 242 p. ; 22 cm.
ISBN: 9780446557665
0446557668
Author Notes: Henry Alford is the author of three acclaimed works of investigative humor: How To Live: A Seach for Wisdom from Old People (While They are Still on this Earth) ; Big Kiss: One Actor's Desperate Attempt to Claw His Way to the Top ; and Municipal Bondage: One Man's Anxiety-Producing Adventures in the Big City . He has been a regular contributor to the New York Times and Vanity Fair , and a staff writer at Spy . He has also written for the New Yorker , GQ , New York , Details , Harper's Bazaar , Travel & Leisure , the Village Voice , and the Paris Review . He lives in Manhattan.