Letitia Baldrige's New Manners for New Times : A Complete Guide to Etiquette

by Letitia Baldrige

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO MANNERS, REVISED AND UPDATED TO ACCOMODATE TODAY'S HIGH-SPEED LIFESTYLES, SHIFTING VALUES, AND EVER-EVOLVING DEFINITION OF FAMILY.

Letitia Baldrige is universally recognized as the country's leading authority on executive, domestic, and social manners. She began writing on manners and protocol during her diplomatic service in 1949, and she has been hailed on the cover of Time magazine as "America's leading arbiter of manners." Originally published in 1989, her Complete Guide to New Manners has now been thoroughly revised and updated to incorporate the changing social conventions and enormous technological advances of the past fifteen years.

Baldrige was the first etiquette writer to advise extensively on the subject of manners in the workplace. With her legendary background in both the government and business worlds, she remains the prime authority on the integration of goals that often seem at odds with one another -- namely, family, work, and pleasure. Baldrige provides fresh guidelines on etiquette at work and in every form of communication, from letters to emails to cell phone calls.

She also updates the way we approach the traditional rites of passage -- weddings, funerals, religious ceremonies, gatherings large and small. Here are authoritative answers to the etiquette questions and issues involved in nontraditional family relationships -- stepfamilies, adult children returning home, elderly parents moving in, gays and lesbians in the family, dating for the newly single, and the myriad complications that spring from divorce.

Through it all, Baldrige does not forget the essence of manners: they are an expression of love and care, and they are under our control. New Manners for New Times is a comprehensive encyclopedia that will lead readers confidently and correctly through the maze of lifestyles, customs, business, and ways of relating to others in this new, complex millennium. But it is, above all, a very personal statement.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference

709 pages, Hardcover

First published November 4, 2003

Reviews

[Bethany Gaddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS MY BIBLE! I LOVE TO SIT IN THE TUB AND READ THIS, MAKING NOTES IN THE PAGES.

this book goes over the common sense to the profound matters of etiquette in this modern age. This is a book that I also LOVE to give as gifts to others.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good guide book to general manners, but can probably skip the sections related to White House invitation :). Don't need to treat as the bible, but good to remain conscious of generally acceptable good manners.

[Jordyne · Rating 2 out of 5]

too meandering story-telling to be a good guide. expected much more the reasoning behind manners, etc. Her "A Lady, First" was not about manners but picked up much more manner and life lessons in that one-- and was a great read.

[Private Account · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knowing the social customs of where you live is good. But it also makes you aware of how silly so many things we waste our time doing are.

But as far as manners books go I thought this one had some sound common sense. No philosophy or reflection to history but useful!

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and the was she writes is entertaining and funny. I laughed out loud. It also had good little reminders good menu ideas and was just a fun read...I skipped most the wedding section tho. Which was almost 1/4 the book.

[Jezzeri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even if you don't like your partner's parents be a good actor. Be punctual for the engagements your significant other deems important

[Nathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The entries range from pleasantries to pedantries, from the essential to the esoteric. I read this more as a sociological study than a how-to guide, because, in my opinion, manners are far more organic than they're made out to be. No one needs to fuss over the right-shaped wine glass who doesn't know how to handle themselves civilly (I include myself here), so "manners" as a word is, I feel, slightly outdated. These are customs and rituals, for the most part, not specifically elements of good behaviour, per se. Still, the entire thing is interesting, in a trivial way, even if Baldrige's fussy opinions get a little tiresome.

[Eva · Rating 1 out of 5]

No need to treat it as a manner bible, many things in the book are more like a common sense for general people in daily life (except someone who's really rude and crass, but I highly doubt that he/she will actually read this book.)