Miss Manners' Basic Training: Communication

by Judith Martin

With the failure of schools, families, and other traditional social institutions to teach the basic rules of comportment, "Miss Manners" steps into the breach with this essential new series of "Basic Training" manuals. In this volume, she explores communications, answering all the vexing questions of what to do, when, and how to do it correctly. 192 pp. Author interviews. National radio publicity. National on-line publicity. National print ads. 50,000 print.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Humor

179 pages, Hardcover

First published December 24, 1996

About the author

Judith Martin (née Perlman), better known by the pen name Miss Manners, is an American journalist, author, and etiquette authority.

Since 1978 she has written an advice column, which is distributed three times a week by United Features Syndicate and carried in more than 200 newspapers worldwide. In the column, she answers etiquette questions contributed by her readers and writes short essays on problems of manners, or clarifies the essential qualities of politeness.

Reviews

[Dogsandbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a period piece. Finally reading after sitting on shelf for a long time. The intricacies of handwritten letters--does anyone do that anymore? Such an upper crusty thing--engraved note cards--that I tried so hard to emulate at past eras of my life. And how my mother used writing thank you as the total sum of all social contact--valuing the form and not the content. Hard to read, lots of feelings about this.
But still interested in what she would say about this now.
Donated to DPL

[HeavyReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book Miss Manners tells us what information can be conveyed by telephone, when it's ok to send an email or fax (fax? do people still send faxes?), and when only the written word (preferably the handwritten word) will do. Miss Manners despises greeting cards, but I wonder if my habit of writing a whole letter on a greeting card would grant me an exemption from her (oh so polite) wrath.

My favorite part of any Miss Manners book is the letters from her Gentle Readers. The letters are so funny! Sometimes I have to sit a few moments with my mouth hanging open when I am in such shock over something a human person has said or done. Wow!

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Manners wrote this book to her 'Gentle Readers' in 1998 to give guidelines on communication in the e-mail age. She would have lots more to say today about text messages. Most helpful to me were her guides for writing a letter (not email or even a card): love letter, condolence, thanks, apology, get well). She did cut a bit of slack for get well cards. "One should try to please people who mean well." "Don't analyze for insults." Best of all: "Rudeness is behavior that offends others." Lots of great information presented in a categorical, thoughtful way.

[Sophiebird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny and pertinent. Good laugh for those with "manners". Good tips for those without. Unfortunately those without are not likely to pick up such a book, but there is something even for those with the most perfect of behaviors.

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was funny and amusing. I didn't read this in one sitting but picked it up and put it down over the past year. I enjoyed it but feel a bit guilty at how terrible I am with pretty much all the parts of communication that Miss Manners recommends.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether you buy the advice she give or not, she is one funny lady.