Manā

by Kate Spade

Back in 1993, the editor-turned-designer Kate Spade made a splash in the fashion world by turning out a small collection of boxy, utilitarian handbags, each elegantly accented with her name stitched in discreet, lowercase letters. As a result, the simplicity and unabashed refinement of the Spade moniker on those Lilliputian labels has come to define the very foundation on which the designer has since built a fashion empire, one that now, in addition to handbags, includes shoes, clothing, and smart home things, all of which embody the Spade formula of timeless style--a seamless merging of cheerful colors, clean shapes, and well-chosen embellishments. Not bad for a Kansas City-born girl who used to comb vintage stores for fun. Having perfected and expertly marketed her own brand of personal style (one that has famously been counterfeited throughout the world), the designer has emerged with an equally elegant trio of books whose topics Spade has become a virtual authority: Style, Occasions, and Manners.

Spade overhauls and replenishes our wardrobes in and celebrations in Occasions. With Manners, the designer steers us through the more sensitive arena of etiquette, showing us how to pull it all together with grace and style. Common conundrums like tipping, thank-you notes, and maneuvering embarrassing moments like "toothsome tidbits" (spinach between your teeth) are all succinctly addressed. But Spade picks up where Emily Post left off by dealing with more modern mysteries like "Cell Hell" and sample sales with wit and wisdom. Best of all the approach is decidedly un-preachy, which makes this new twist on the manners mix a fun read. --Christene Barberich

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Lifestyle, Coffee Table Books, Design, Reference

Tankobon Hardcover

First published March 30, 2004

Reviews

[Audrey Selene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the recommendations count more as pleasing people than showing consideration. Most of the recommendations around what to do in different situations make sense.

[Sharon Huether · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely illustrated book on all the manners of manners; from thing in everyday life that you have wondered about to the correct letters and envelopes to send.
Some reminders of etiquette, please and thank you, being considerate, showing respect and the
tone of your voice.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Spade's etiquette trilogy is light hearted, modern, and fun. Manners is both right on the mark with its advice as well as with its random and silly miscellaneous information. The illustrations complement the mood and tone of the book.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if I can give this book more or less stars. I borrowed this from the school library with the intention to use this for a term paper. However, I was not able to get any input.

This book has cute illustrations and simple descriptions on manners, and I guess it succeeded in that sense.

[Tayler Ganem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I often find myself completely disappointed in others lack of social etiquette and have thought that perhaps it is up to me to create my own finishing school of sorts. I’ve put a pin in that for now and read this book today instead. I love Kate and I love manners so I totally loved this.

[Amanda up North · Rating 3 out of 5]

Customs, manners, and etiquette fascinate me, and this looked like a neatly designed little book by Kate Spade.
Written lightly, it doesn't delve deeply into any area of manners, but jumps around quickly and with wit. There's a bit of high-society, world-traveler feel to much of the content, but there are also entertaining scenarios and every-day bits of wisdom.
My reading experience was made less pleasant by the tiny print.
Reading such tiny type late at night will surely be the demise of my healthy vision. This short book might be double the pages if printed in a more substantial, standard font size. The footnotes are so miniature, I didn't notice them until 2/3 through the book. (They are not necessarily having to do with manners, but random and entertaining.)
If I had been on the editing team -which I wasn't, I understand- I might have formatted the book with more of a rhythmic, organized structure. It's very random and hodgepodge.
I love letter writing, and found that section interesting, but it veers off track, having little/nothing to do with manners for a while. (pp. 67-71, "Letters I Love, and Letter Trivia") This is more attention and page space than other actual, important manners are given. I feel such a small book would pack more power by staying focused, on point.
I must get my hands on Emily Post's book of manners.
This was an "OK" read.. but kindness is always good manners, so I'm rounding up to 3 stars.
It's full of stylish illustrations, and the trivia facts were fun, even if they had nothing to do with manners.

[Jenn "JR" · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute book - not sure I would have paid $24 for it, however. It's got great illustrations but after the first half of this tiny tome, things start to thin out and there is more padding - such as two pages describing the sizes of standard business & personal letterhead papers (seriously??).

The book makes some nice points about etiquette, it also offers rhetorical questions on situations that aren't ever answered providing interesting points of discussion. I appreciate the emphasis on the importance of personal correspondence on paper and thank you notes. This would be a great book to pass along to teenagers who might not think they need an etiquette book. It might just pique interest in pursuing the matter further!

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book with some good information on manners, but the format of this (and most of the other books on etiquette that I found at the library) is such that this wouldn't be the book to choose to look for answers to specific questions on etiquette. There is no index and, although each section contains an assortment of good advice, it is by no means complete or comprehensive. A good book to browse through when trying to learn more about manners, but definitely not a comprehensive reference book on manners or etiquette. (I didn't read this book cover to cover, just skimmed through it as I prepared to teach a group of teens a class on etiquette.)

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Call me silly, but I found certain bits of information in this book to be useful.

For instance....I had been enjoying oysters on a half shell by simply lifting the shell to my mouth and swallowing. Well, I learned that unless you are enjoying oysters at a very casual place, such as a beachfront bar, oysters should be eaten with a shellfish fork....I've since changed my ways, but prefer them right out of the shell. It's the only way to get all the lemon, cocktail sauce, & horseradish that I painstakingly took the time to apply just right :-)

[Taryn Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was adorable but filled with (what I thought was) common sense. Many of the passages were simple, like always be a good sport while playing games and don't do your nails at the office. However, some people definitely stand to gain from more common sense! She referenced Emily Post's book Etiquette a lot so that is going on the list. This is a good read for anyone who just wants to be a little bit more classy!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate Spades' tiny drawings keep me interested in this series. Her advice on manners is good, but not so practical. Yes, writing thank you notes and keeping your weekend guests in mind is always good, but I don't have a doorman to tip during the holidays, and I'll be damned if I never eat a peach in public again because it's messy. Love those drawings though...

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Because nice really DOES matter. Do we try to be sincerely nice to people we are not fond of? I think, we think we do,but, really don't... we end up looking pathetically sad and sour grapes. This is a fun read... Although I don't have a doorman and I am not currently even close to her income level. So far I shouldn't eat certain things in a public setting. I can only take that so far...

[e.c.h.a · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nah..kalo seri yang ini...rada masuk nih ke gw....

Buku ini menginformasikan mengenai etiket dalam berbisnis dan pergaulan....gw selalu suka buku-buku yang membahas Manner alias etiket. Apalagi kalo buku ini memberikan informasi tata krama di setiap negara.

Intinya di mana-mana etika itu mengajarkan kesopanan.

[Jewelianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Manners is a quick read about some, but certainly not all, of the basics of etiquette. Although the book does seem to get off topic in some instances (I'm not sure that including several pages of telegrams written by famous people throughout history is really necessary to show the proper way to write a polite letter), it is a useful guide to general social niceties.

[Davina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful little book. It's very simple and elegant in design and presentation. The subject is handled with grace and delicacy. While there are plenty of books on the subject, this is a worthy addition to the genre, without being redundant. The illustrations are lovely, and add much to the charm of this book.

[Christine (Tina) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, the least intriguing of the three, in my estimation, this work is basically a very pretty, illustrated representation of Emily Post. Of course, manners are always in style and should be strived for in interactions with others. I guess this one is a bit more digestible as a resource because of the friendly manner in which it is portrayed.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cute book but screams of snobbery. Manners are important but some of these passages have very little impact on day to day life. Then again, I'm the type who can't throw rocks about which knife or fork to use at a hoity-toity dinner, so perhaps it's simply a matter of taste.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written for a couple of generations below mine who obviously have NOT been taught manners and decorum. Additionally it addresses technological manners which is greatly needed. I loved the quotes on the bottom of the right hand pages.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Etiquette means behaving yourself a little better than is absolutely necessary." -Will Cuppy
Love the little quotes or factoids on the bottom of the odd numbered pages.
My name was one listed as a common/uncommon spelling! Yeah! (page 43)

[Kim Forsythe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Manners.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute little book about manners -- from the point of view of Kate Spade--I think I'd like to be her friend. hehe

[Yasmin]

This book applied more to wealthy people in NYC than it did to me. It was very interesting, though.

[Carie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is fantastic. I am planning on buying a copy and reading it page by page with my older children.

[Think&Pink 2CleverBlog]

This is a must read! Especially the cell phone part.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful book with really cute drawings! I'd like to eventually use this as a reference in the etiquette class I want to teach!

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I though this was a darling, fun to read book on etiquette! Great find--I recommend it as a refresher course for anyone--quick read!

[Relyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Kate Spade. I just do. I like her. And I loved all the little watercolor illustrations that filled the book. Very nice. Very, very nice.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful and extremely helpful series, with a focus on making life pleasant for others rather than standing by rules for their own sake.

[Angtburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting perspective on what is modern day decorum

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delight to read. The illustrations were just charming. Very stylish. What else would you expect from Kate Spade?