As A Gentleman Would Say

Rating:
Summary: Very good.
Review: I liked this book, just as I like all the other books in this series. Sure the material may be common sense if you are already a gentleman, but how many of us can say that about ourselves? And in that case, don't buy the book for yourself.

The simplicity and directness of the advice is refreshing. I did not find any bad advice in this book. Sometimes I had to pause to consider the wisdom of a particular suggestion, but I always found the authors' advice to ring true.

Thanks for a great book.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, light read + some good advice
Review: If you often say the wrong thing or struggle with awkward moments (I do), this may be a good choice for you. You will find no discussion of table manners, proper attire, or other mannerly concerns. This book is all about conversation. A reasonable person will know most of the material here, but I am very confident that you will find 5 to 10 suggestions that you can use to navigate awkward situations. That makes it worth the price.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, light read + some good advice
Review: If you often say the wrong thing or struggle with awkward moments (I do), this may be a good choice for you. You will find no discussion of table manners, proper attire, or other mannerly concerns. This book is all about conversation. A reasonable person will know most of the material here, but I am very confident that you will find 5 to 10 suggestions that you can use to navigate awkward situations. That makes it worth the price.

Rating:
Summary: Very good.
Review: It's important for people to know how to practice political correctness, and most of the advice in this book is accurate as well as common-sense, but there are a few things in here that aren't gentlemanly, nor are they polite or sincere.

This book covers many different kinds of awkward situations and how to come out of them in a gentlemanly manner. These situations include common occurrences between friends, while on a date, at work, at parties, in times of grief, and affairs of the heart. Most of this advice is common-sense, and only the most uncouth people would find a lesson to be learned from this book. For example, one of the situations covered in this book is what to do when your sports team loses, and your friend's team is the winner. The book claims that the gentlemanly thing to do would be to say "Congratulations. I have to admit it: Your guys really played a great game." Everyone knows that's the right thing to say, but if you were to ever say it, it would be quite obvious that you were being insincere.

There is also advice in this book that is the opposite of gentlemanly. In fact, it's downright rude and offensive. For example, if a friend asks you to borrow your favorite tool or article of clothing and you don't want to lend it out, the book suggests that you reply by saying "I wish I could help you, but I just don't lend my tools. It's one of my private rules." Others may disagree, but I think it's condescending to tell someone that you "wish" you could help them but you can't simply because you don't want to. The book never advocates lying as a possible way out of these types of situations, but I personally believe that it would be more gentlemanly to tell a little white lie to your friend about how your tool is broken instead of giving them such a harsh reply.

This is an entertaining book to read. The most interesting parts of the book are the "what NOT to say" sections. As a learning tool, this book is pretty useless. However, there are a few mild laughs here and there.

Rating:
Summary: Simply Terrible
Review: Nothing more than a collection of common sense. Don't even consider purchasing this tripe. Please save your money. This is advice a reasonably well mannered 9 yr. old knows.

Rating:
Summary: A simple yet useful guide to conversational rough spots
Review: This is truly a great book that has fitting responses for life's most embarrassing moments and at times when you are simply lost for the proper words to say . It also suggests what not to say, providing an excellent guide for those who have a natural ability to put "their foot in their mouth" at the most inappropriate time! Most of us go through that uncomfortable experience at least once or twice during our lifetime. A client of mine had put on several pounds over a very short time, and her friends started asking when her baby was due. Yes, we should be mindful of what we say, but we all know individuals who simply do not think before they speak and seem to go through life making outrageously rude and personal comments. Often, they do not seem to realize what they are saying is completely out of place. If that sounds like someone you know, do them a favour, buy them this book and hope they read it from cover to cover - it makes a perfect all-occasion gift.

There are other times, perhaps when visiting a terminally ill friend that we become lost for words, or under stress, say things without thinking of the end result. For anyone looking for appropriate responses to various situations or ways to polish their own etiquette skills, this book is an excellent resource guide. The only negative aspect of the book is that it is quite short, and there were several situations that came to mind that were not covered here. It is a book worth having in any resource library, and for those individuals lacking proper etiquette skills, it should be considered a necessity.