Town Country Social Graces

For more than 150 years, Town & Country has stood for quality and refinement. So who better to offer sound guidance on leading a civilized life in a world of eroding social graces? Here, some of the keenest and wittiest observers of our changing culture put forward their incisive—and thoroughly modern—views on sidestepping today’s most prevalent, perilous social landmines. From such topics as cell phone and E-mail etiquette to guilt-free apologies, these timely essays offer astuteness without stuffiness.

As a follow up to the extremely successful Town & Country's Social Graces comes this new collection of essays by some of our most celebrated writers, exploring the need for manners in today's hectic world. Such keen observers as David Brown, Hugh Downs, Frank McCourt, and Peggy Noonan offer their witty and incisive views on how to avoid offending others. Town & Country magazine has been synonymous with good taste and refinement for more than a century. So who better to comment on the need for manners in a time of constant cell phone chatter, non-step competition, hair-trigger-tempers, and fast-paced lifestyles? Both humorous and insightful, this sparkling collection of essays reflects on the pressing need for kindness, consideration, and civilized behavior. And the list of contributors is stellar: David Brown makes a persuasive plea for civility; Jamie Lee Curtis talks about "Having Dinner with the Family"; Sonya Friedman reflects on motherhood; Charles Osgood comments on everyday courtesies; and Ted Sorenson discusses "Patriotic Pride." With topics that range from the art of listening to good elevator etiquette, these eloquent pieces offer advice worth following.

A guide to everything you need to know about writing thank-you notes—even in today’s electronic society. We all have something to give thanks for, but we’re not always sure of the best way to convey our appreciation. This elegant volume in Town & Country’s popular etiquette line will help. It gathers the magazine’s time-tested wisdom on the subject, and offers the last, best word on the how and why of thank-you notes—when to write them and what to say, including examples readers can adapt for personal use. The Art of Gratitude explains why the hand-written note is still relevant in today’s electronic society, discusses the basic stationery suite, and answers the pressing question: is it ever acceptable to send a thank-you note via e-mail? Find out about the correct language and structure to use; appropriate forms of address; ways of varying the tone for different occasions; and how to create wedding-related notes, including advice on designing your monogram as a couple. All situations receive careful attention, from the personal to the professional: letters for gifts, social occasions, in response to a kindness, condolences, and to follow up on a job interview. And, because no one is ever too young to learn good manners, the book includes guidelines for thank-you notes from children and teenagers, too.

No one understands etiquette better than "Town & Country." This all-new collection of essays explores the challenges of navigating a fast-changing society when the old rules are unenforceable and new ones have yet to be proposed. It includes 25 notable writers and celebrities.

As times change, so do norms of behavior in the office. 301 Smart Answers to Tough Business Etiquette Questions has the answers you need to survive daily life in the professional environment. Following the same popular Q&A format of her bestselling 301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions, Oliver will tell you how to get the job and how to keep it by navigating all the intricacies of the modern workplace. Where other etiquette guides evoke images of a stilted and stuffy Victorian tea party, Oliver’s witty answers to common questions are both engaging and accessible. She believes that etiquette is not a throwback to some bygone age, but has a direct and tangible impact on your career right here and now. Off come the white gloves as she tears away the corporate veil to reveal things they still don’t teach at Harvard Business School, such as: Making a good first impression (and how to fix a bad one!) How to behave in elevators, airplanes, and supply closets Surviving cabs, commutes, and coffee shops Why time is not necessarily money everywhere on the planet Pre-approved conversational topics from A to Z Dining rules and regulations for the twenty-first century What to do when you are suddenly unemployed Electronic communication And much more! 301 Smart Answers to Tough Business Etiquette Questions will ensure that you know how to conduct yourself in every conceivable professional interaction.

Etiquette and protocol are ways of showing Christian love and kindness in small ways. With an easy, engaging style and lots of helpful details, Sandra Boswell outlines the meaning and purpose of protocol education, and describes ways of practicing it in the home and at school. She draws on her experience from the successful Logos School protocol program to guide the reader through all the basic protocol topics - table settings and foods, social skills, personal grooming, appropriate dress, and more. This book is a must-read for parents who wish to recover the "social graces" for the next generation of believers.

Eighteenth-Century Characters offers a concise introduction to the eighteenth century, using characters as its starting point. Elaine M. McGirr presents contextualized readings of stock characters from canonical and popular literature, such as: - The rake and the fop - The country gentleman - The good woman - The coquette and the prude - The country maid and the town lady - The Catholic, the Protestant and the British Other. Each chapter explores how a character's significance and role changes over the century, illustrating and explaining radical shifts in taste, ideology and style. Also featuring illustrations, a Chronology and a helpful Bibliography and Further Reading section, this essential guide will provide students with the necessary background to understand the period's literature and to embark on further study.