Town & country's modern Manners by Thomas Farley
The Thinking Person's Guide to Social Graces

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.

 

Reviews:

Library Journal

Does the world need yet another book on contemporary etiquette? If it's this classy volume of engaging essays edited by Farley, Town & Country senior editor and overseer of the magazine's "Social Graces" column, the answer is a resounding Yes! Not your standard etiquette manual, this anthology collects thoughtful, charming, and witty views penned by keen social observers like Miss Manners, television host Hugh Downs, memoirist Frank McCourt, and columnist and television commentator Peggy Noonan. In addition to addressing de rigueur issues such as cell phone usage and wedding etiquette, the book encompasses rarely addressed issues, e.g., dealing with social insincerity, coping with pregnant "Momzillas," preparing a eulogy, negotiating turf with a child's nanny, and respecting one's spouse. Contributor Martha Woodham (The Bride Did What?!: Etiquette for the Wedding Impaired) sums it up succinctly: "Perhaps the best commandment is the simplest: life's short; play sweet."

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