We live in a world that’s very different from the one in which Emily Post came of age. Many of us who are nice (but who also sometimes say f*ck ) are frequently at a loss for guidelines about how to be a good person who deals effectively with rudeness. To lead us out of the miasma of modern mannerlessness, science-based, bitingly funny syndicated advice columnist Amy Alkon rips the doily off the manners genre and gives us a new set of rules for our 21st century lives. With wit, style, and a dash of snark, Alkon explains that we now live in societies too big for our brains, lacking the constraints on bad behavior that we had in the small bands we evolved in. She shows us how to reimpose those constraints, avoid being one of the rude, and stand up to those who are. Foregoing prissy advice, Alkon answers the 21st century’s most burning questions including:
* Why do many people, especially those under forty, now find spontaneous phone calls rude?
* What can you tape to your mailbox to stop dog walkers from letting their pooch violate your lawn?
* How do you shut up the guy in the pharmacy line with his cellphone on speaker?
* What small gift to your new neighbors might make them think twice about playing Metallica at 3 a.m.?
Combining science with more than a touch of humor, Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck is destined to give good old Emily a shove off the etiquette shelf (if that’s not too rude to say).