General Books - Page 2

Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour

Kate Fox

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Nicholas Brealey Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 22 new & used starting at $11.03

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Social Sciences -> Customs & Traditions
Subjects -> Reference -> Etiquette -> General
Subjects -> Reference -> Etiquette -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Excellent Study, Worthwhile Reading 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I had read Barzini's well known works on the Europeans and thoroughly enjoyed this book on the English.

The approach is academic yet palatable, laden with insightful observations and well deserves consideration as a work of anthropological interest. The author maintains an objective distance and professional methodology which impart a delicious irony; we are conditioned to primitive cultures as the provenance of these studies, she turns the focus upon what some may argue as the bastion of civilization.

As a guidebook to a cultural understanding of the English this work is invaluable. The expose on class is penetrating and amuses as there are unexpected twists; such as decorating your home or garden with a modicum of lower class objects, the inside joke apparent only to the cognoscienti.

Editorial Review:

A bestseller in the UK, Watching the English is a biting, affectionate, insightful and often hilarious look English Society. Putting the English national character under her anthropological microscope, Fox finds a strange and fascinating culture, governed by complex sets of unspoken rules and bizarre codes of behavior. Through a mixture of anthropological analysis and her own unorthodox experiments-even using herself as a reluctant guinea-pig-Fox discovers what these unwritten codes tell us about Englishness.

Passive Aggressive Notes: Painfully Polite and Hilariously Hostile Writings

Kerry Miller

Amazon Price: $11.16 List Price: $13.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Collins Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $5.50

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Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Satire
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> General
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Humor -> Satire, General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Book Description
Part voyeuristic entertainment, part group therapy, Passive Aggressive Notes offers a fascinating look at the all-too-familiar frustrations of embattled office drones, apartment dwellers, parents, and pet owners everywhere.

This curated collection combines dozens of outrageous, never-before-seen notes as well as favorites from Passiveaggressivenotes.com a 2008 Webby Award Winner and the official "Best Blog" of the South by Southwest Interactive festival.

A Note from the Author

It all began with a first date...and not a particularly good date, either. Apparently, things between this guy and his roommate had gotten so bad that they now communicated almost exclusively via Post-it note. Ah, yes, I said, I know those notes well--my current apartment (where I lived with three other roommates) had seen its share, most of them about the presence of unwashed dishes in the sink. They were usually signed with love; they were never addressed directly. I should start collecting them, I joked--put them on the Internet or something. Now that would be passive-aggressive.

Later that night--after it became clear that our relationship wasn't going to progress beyond standard small talk--I decided to do just that. And unlike my roommates' approach to dish-washing, the response to passiveaggressivenotes.com was enthusiastic, immediate, and overwhelming. Within weeks of the site's launch, thousands of notes poured in from shared bathrooms, kitchens, cubicles, and parking lots. (Wrote one reader: "Instead of a single note, can I submit an entire person? Like my mother?") This book represents the funniest and most outrageous of those submissions.

Despite the book's title, some of these notes are really more aggressive in tone, and some of them are more passive--polite, even. What they all share a common sense of frustration that's been channeled into written form rather than a direct confrontation. It's barbed criticism disguised as something else--helpful advice, friendly concern, light-hearted humor. But as Dr. Scott Wetzler, a clinical psychologist and author of Living with the Passive-Aggressive Man, observed: "A joke can be the most skillful passive-aggressive act there is."

--Kerry Miller

A Look Inside Passive Aggressive Notes
(Click on Images to Enlarge)

Dear Stalker	Get a Life
You Fail	Conscious Sense of Things

The Civility Solution: What to Do When People Are Rude

P. M. Forni

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: St. Martin's Press Amazon Marketplace: 53 new & used starting at $11.06

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> Social Psychology & Interactions
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Many of us find ourselves confronted with rudeness every day and don’t know how to respond.  From the intrusive cell-phone user who holds loud conversations in public to the hostile highway driver who cuts one off with a quick swerve of his car, politeness seems to be on a downward spiral, surprising us at every turn. P.M. Forni, the author of Choosing Civility, has the answer. knows that rudeness begets rudeness and, in The Civility Solution, he shows us what to do when confronted with bad behavior by being assertive as well as civil. In more than one hundred different situations, he shows us how to break the rudeness cycle by responding to a variety of confrontations from bullying to rude internet behavior or the hurtful words of an insensitive family member.  How would you respond to the following?

…A salesperson ignores your requests

…A fellow driver gives you the infamous “finger”

…Your child’s playmate misbehaves 

…Your boss publicly reprimands you

P. M. Forni has solutions for all of these and many more.  In yet another simple and practical handbook, P. M. Forni presents logical solutions that reinforce good behavior and make our world a more civil place.

Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food: Recipes from " The F Word "

Gordon Ramsay

By: Quadrille Publishing Ltd Amazon Marketplace: 8 new & used starting at $30.81

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Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Quick & Easy -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Quick & Easy -> General AAS
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Regional & International -> Asian -> Chinese

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Exotic 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 6 people found this review helpful.

The food looks great, but most things call for some fancy ingredients. I don't have enough room in my kitchen for all the ingredients he wants you to have always on hand. I would certainly buy things to use in a recipe occcasionally, but a lot of things I don't think I would use again. The "well-stocked kitchen" things are mostly conventional, but I can't keep on hand several kinds of potatoes, several kinds of oils, several kinds of vinegar, and so on. He also wants you to grow your own herbs. I will probably make up a few of these, but the concept of "fast food" is destroyed by having to go out and buy the ingredients first.

Fast and delicious recipes! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I am amazed by how simple and fast of all the recipes within the book!
I was skeptical about the quality of a fast meal but after having a few tryouts with some of the recipes I was blown away!
Even my friends can't believe how easy and delicious it could be!

Highly recommended for 20s-30s who stays alone and away from home :P

Love this book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I love this book adn everything in it. Great for an adventurous home cook. Real quality food fast and simple.

The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner: Worksheets, Checklists, Etiquette, Calendars, and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Carley Roney

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Carley Roney Amazon Marketplace: 90 new & used starting at $3.99

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Weddings -> Planning
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Weddings -> General
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Weddings -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 53 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

From the author of The Knot Complete Guide to Weddings in the Real World, a thoroughly modern, must-have workbook to help you pull off the perfect wedding.

With so many nerve-wracking details to tend to, planning the perfect wedding can seem an impossible task. Now The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner guides you step-by-step through the countless stages of planning your big day. Packed with easy-to-follow checklists and worksheets, and the hip, insightful wisdom that has made theknot.com an indispensable resource for millions of couples worldwide, The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner provides:

A one-year calendar with monthly and weekly to-do lists leading up to the moment of marriage
Worksheets to help you:

Organize the attendants, the guest list, and the invitations        
Design the ceremony--from the site and officiant to the dress
Arrange the reception--from the cake and caterer to the music and the photographer

Checklists to keep track of finances, contracts, and post-marriage legalities
Money-saving tips and answers to Frequently Asked Questions

The Silver Palate Cookbook

Julee Rosso, Sheila Lukins, Michael McLaughlin

List Price: $15.95 By: Workman Publishing Company Amazon Marketplace: 192 new & used starting at $0.01

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Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Industries & Professions -> Hospitality, Travel & Tourism
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Professional Cooking -> Professional
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Special Occasions -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 65 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

With over 2.2 million copies in print, the widely acclaimed The Silver Palate Cookbook is firmly established as a contemporary classic. Originally published in 1982, the book's elegant, innovative recipes and emphasis on pure, fresh, ingredients ushered a new passion for food and hospitality into the American consciousness.

The lively collection of clear, step-by-step recipes ranges from sublimely refined traditions-Pesto, Manhattan Clam Chowder, and Stuffed Artichokes-to original creations certain to become the topic of conversation at any dinner party. There's PatS de Campagne with Walnuts and Juniper Berries. Fruit-Stuffed Cornish Hens. Caviar Eclairs. Blueberry Bisque. Plus over 300 more recipes for hors d'oeuvres, dips and sauces, picnic fare, entrSes, salads, soups, breads, desserts. Throughout the book are valuable menu and serving suggestions, literary quotes, food guides, food lore, and whimsical illustrations. Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club, Quality Paperback Book Club, Book-of-the-Month Club's HomeStyle Books, Better Homes & Gardens Family Book Service, and the ABA Basic Booklist. A James Beard Book Awards inductee into the cookbook Hall of Fame.

Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands (The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More than 60 Countries)

Terri Morrison, Wayne A. Conaway

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Adams Media Amazon Marketplace: 75 new & used starting at $10.47

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Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Business Life -> Etiquette
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> International -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> International -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

More than a decade after establishing itself as the number-one book on international business etiquette, Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands has been fully revised to reflect the profound global transformation that has occurred since its debut. In this new edition, author Terri Morrison McCarthy-the leading expert in this field-has included:

Comprehensive updates for each of the book's 60-plus country chapters

Several brand-new sections, including Cultural IQ tests, "Know Before You Go" tips, and alerts on international security issues

Additional chapters on Austria, Belize, Ireland, South Africa, and Vietnam
The most comprehensive, authoritative text of its kind, the first edition of this invaluable reference guide has won a following among high-ranking military officials, influential corporate executives, and business school professors alike. This new edition, with its wealth of revised material and discussions of current hot topics, is proof that such a classic only gets better with time.

100 Words Almost Everyone Confuses and Misuses (Edition 001)

Amazon Price: $5.95 List Price: $5.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Houghton Mifflin Amazon Marketplace: 73 new & used starting at $0.06

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Subjects -> Reference -> Dictionaries & Thesauruses -> English (British)
Subjects -> Reference -> Dictionaries & Thesauruses -> Synonyms & Antonyms
Subjects -> Reference -> Etiquette -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The 100 Words series continues to set the standard for measuring and improving vocabulary, with a new title focusing on words that are best known for getting people into linguistic trouble. 100 Words Almost Everyone Confuses and Misuses is the perfect book for anyone seeking clear and sensible guidance on avoiding the recognized pitfalls of the English language.

Each word on the list is accompanied by a concise and authoritative usage note based on the renowned usage program of the American Heritage® Dictionaries. These notes discuss why a particular usage has been criticized and explain the rules and conventions that determine what's right, what's wrong, and what falls in between. Troublesome pairs such as affect / effect, blatant / flagrant, and disinterested / uninterested are disentangled, as are vexing sound-alikes such as discrete / discreet and principal / principle. Other notes tackle such classic irritants as hopefully, impact, and aggravate, as well as problematic words like peruse and presently.

A great graduation gift or stocking stuffer for anyone who cares about language, 100 Words Almost Everyone Confuses and Misuses is guaranteed to help keep writers and speakers on the up-and-up!

The Complete Book of Questions: 1001 Conversation Starters for Any Occasion

Garry Poole

Amazon Price: $10.39 List Price: $12.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Zondervan Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $7.29

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> General
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Subjects -> Reference -> Etiquette -> Conversation

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not bad, but disingenous 3 out of 5 stars.
11 of 17 people found this review helpful.

This book is OK. With 1001 questions, there will be at least some that you find useful. My quarrel with this book is that it doesn't advertise itself as being evangelical Christian, but in many ways it is. It has two separate sections of spiritual questions, and a large percentage of them seem to presume that you are an evangelical already. There are two or three token questions about non-Christian religions and perspectives, out of 200.

This carries over in other ways. Most glaring - there are very few questions about dating and romance, no questions about sex and sexuality at all, and no questions about drinking and drug use. At least some of us find these topics juicy conversation, at least under the right circumstances. I wish the author had been more upfront about his biases.

Entertaining and Fun 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I LOVE this book. I have given this book out as gifts several times. It can be used at dinner parties to make the conversation even more interesting or used as a business tool for tough clients that are hard to get to know. It's also fun to bring along in the car or plane for long trips to past the time. I highly recommend.

Editorial Review:

This book provides groups with 1,001 engaging and thought-provoking icebreaker questions to start and sustain meaningful conversations.

Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette, 5e (Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette)

Peggy Post

Amazon Price: $18.45 List Price: $27.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Collins Living Amazon Marketplace: 88 new & used starting at $4.34

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Weddings -> Etiquette
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Weddings -> General
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Weddings -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 34 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The classic indispensable, comprehensive guide to creating the wedding of your dreams.

Today's weddings are more complicated than ever, with new traditions replacing old, and new relationships to consider as family life grows more complex. In this new edition, Peggy provides sensible solutions to wedding questions old and new, showing how to manage the big decisions and the little details with tact, consideration and confidence–– leaving you free to enjoy all of the happy times along the way!

With new chapters on the groom's involvement and incorporating today's technology into your wedding plans, plus updates and expansions on destination weddings, same–sex unions, wedding expenses, and more, the 5th edition answers every couple's contemporary questions. And Peggy Post continues to provide the tried and true guidelines every couple needs for a memorable wedding, from announcing the engagement, to budgeting for the ceremony and reception, to choosing the perfect caterer, florist, photographer and music–– and bringing it all off with minimum stress and maximum style.