General Books - Page 6

How to Walk in High Heels: The Girl's Guide to Everything

Camilla Morton

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Hyperion Amazon Marketplace: 49 new & used starting at $4.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The bestselling U.K. sensation, hailed as "the most fabulous instruction manual the world has ever seen" by Vogue.com

Can you make yourself up in five minutes flat? Make the first move without breaking a sweat? Hang a picture without becoming unhinged? Get out of a car -- or an unpleasant situation -- gracefully in a short skirt? Load an iPod as effortlessly as a dishwasher? If not, international style and fashion journalist Camilla Morton can help you navigate these and more than two hundred other hazards of modern living with grace and aplomb. Much more than just a style manual or crash course in social skills, How to Walk in High Heels also illuminates the finer points of achieving better homes and gardens, tackling technophobia, climbing the career ladder, and joining the jet set.

From the practical, such as what to do when a heel breaks and how to catch a mouse, to the imaginative, such as how to enjoy karaoke and swim in sunglasses, How to Walk in High Heels overflows with useful nuggets of advice delivered in the author’s inimitable witty style, accompanied by a foreword from Dior’s John Galliano and a Louis Vuitton trunkful of insight from experts including: -Manolo Blahnik on How to Pick a Shoe -Dolce & Gabbana on How to Get Ready in Five Minutes -Gisele Bundchen on How to Look Good in a Photo -Jade Jagger on How to Compile Your Own Soundtrack

This comprehensive do-everything-better bible takes the guesswork out of flaunting your fabulousness so that you can stop teetering and start striding confidently through the obstacle course of life.

Better than Beauty: A Guide to Charm

H Valentine, A Thompson

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Chronicle Books Amazon Marketplace: 55 new & used starting at $4.18

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 47 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Refreshingly modern (surprisingly!) 5 out of 5 stars.
20 of 20 people found this review helpful.

I bought this as research for a novel. That being said, there are only a few things that are dated in this book in my opinion-- things like how to make liquid shampoo and rinse it out if you don't have access to unlimited running water, how to use deodorant with dress shields, a balanced diet should include salt, and much advice on how to choose hats. I expected as much. I expected quite a lot more batting eyes and staying mousy-quiet to catch a man, to be honest, considering the time period.

Herein lies the surprise: the emphasis in this book is on how to be a classy individualist without being a stuffy bore. The authors carefully take into account that all women aren't the same, and shouldn't be. They even admit it might be advantageous for a working woman to swear in the office to get things done. What a couple of saucy dames these women are!

The first section encourages women to come up with a personal and practical style without sucking out the fun. They ignore the rules in fashion magazines (which appear to be the same rules in fashion mags today) and present everything you might need to know head-to-toe with simple rules.

For example, the placement and angle of your rouge is not as important as making sure it blends in gradually with your natural color. The only rule for hair is "Does it look like it would be pleasant to touch?" And my favorite, "If being on a diet makes you jumpy and irritable, it probably isn't worth your effort. Everyone prefers a few extra pounds to a shrewish disposition." Bravo!

Similarly, the second part, about charming others, uses this simple rule for etiquette: "The only bad manners are those which are unkind or which contribute to another person's discomfort." There. Emily Post in one line. In addition, remember the simple thank you, treat the waiter as someone helping you, not a robot. Don't let your date drive drunk.

The authors spend a lot of time warning the reader to shy away from conversations involving complaints, what they ate at breakfast, how much sleep they lost, needless tangents and lists of pointless encyclopedic facts. Why? Because they are boring. Need proof? When was the last time you paid attention to a stranger's non-political blog? I rest my case.

Instead they promote a) having fun and laughing and b) reading constantly to to fill yourself with topics of conversation that don't involve gossip. Here's the kicker, they discard the old rule that you shouldn't talk religion, media or politics in company and actually encourage women to watch out for propaganda and to "Read several newspapers with different points of view and get into a violent argument on the obvious coloring of the news." What?!!

In short, many young women would find they'd get and keep the attention of real, live people in the real, live world by emulating the attitudes of Helen Valentine and Alice Thompson FAR better than by posting glam pics on Myspace and complaining about how boys they like are constantly blowing them off "liek there OpInIoNs dont matR".

Someone send this to Paris and Britney, please?

Editorial Review:

Chronicle Books resuscitates the long-lost art of charm with this classic compendium of hints, tips, and tricks guaranteed to boost anyone s charm quotient. First published in 1938, this delightful handbook is overflowing with timeless advice to guide readers through a maze of social interactions with wit and grace. More than an etiquette or personal grooming book, Better than Beauty tackles complicated social situations with delicacy: How to be kind to atrocious people How to avoid the gossip mill How many drinks is too many drinks How to deflect unwanted advances from married men How much to tip And much, much more With good humor, authors Helen Valentine and Alice Thompson offer straightforward charm counsel, making it a cinch to win the admiration of friends, family, and suitors. Featuring original artwork, Better than Beauty proves that charm never, ever goes out of style.

Essential Manners for Men: What to Do, When to Do It, and Why

Peter Post

Amazon Price: $14.93 List Price: $21.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Collins Living Amazon Marketplace: 99 new & used starting at $3.42

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Essential Manners for Men helps men make the right decisions about what to do and say in every situation that counts. Peter Post, great-grandson of Emily Post, distills the essential information men need for all the important roles they play in life.

Organized into three parts -- "Daily Life," "Social Life," and "On the Job" -- Essential Manners for Men resolves situations that can stump even the savviest. Peter Post's advice is sharp-witted and sensible, with tips, boxes, and candid anecdotes about his own etiquette blunders. Topics include:

• The most important behaviors to avoid and emulate at the gym, at work, on the golf course, at home, out with friends, at a business social event, and a child's ball game
• Tipping, driver's "ed-iquette," introductions, sportsmanship, and parenting
• Successfully sharing living spaces with a roommate, significant other, or spouse -- from the toilet seat to the remote control to the kitchen sink
• How to throw a great party or be the perfect guest
• How to successfully navigate the business dinner
• Things men do wrong that make women wince, and things men do right that women love
• The five-step process to resolve any situation where there is no etiquette "rule"

Short and shoot-from-the-hip honest, Essential Manners for Men is a book no man can afford to be without.

Egypt - Culture Smart!: a quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart!)

Jailan Zayan

Amazon Price: $9.95 List Price: $9.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Kuperard Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $5.30

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Culture Smart! provides essential information on attitudes, beliefs and behavior in different countries, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basic manners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you what to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear of embarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and successful business relationships.

Culture Smart! offers illuminating insights into the culture and society of a particular country. It will help you to turn your visit-whether on business or for pleasure-into a memorable and enriching experience. Contents include


* customs, values, and traditions
* historical, religious, and political background
* life at home
* leisure, social, and cultural life
* eating and drinking
* do's, don'ts, and taboos
* business practices
* communication, spoken and unspoken


"Culture Smart has come to the rescue of hapless travellers." Sunday Times Travel

"... the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries." Global Travel

"...full of fascinating-as well as common-sense-tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas." Observer

"...as useful as they are entertaining." Easyjet Magazine

"...offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world." New York Times

The Bridesmaid Guide: Etiquette, Parties and Being Fabulous

Kate Chynoweth, Neryl Walker

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Chronicle Books Amazon Marketplace: 94 new & used starting at $1.65

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Funny, fun and full of great informaton 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

A fantastic gift for the new bridesmaids and maid-of-honors! It really set the relaxed and fun tone for my bridesmaids. Even if someone has been one before I'm sure they would have fun thumbing through this book and getting great ideas. A must buy for all brides for their bridesmaids!

Not very practical 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Being a first-time bridesmaid (for my best friend's wedding in October), I am thrilled and at the same time I want to make sure I have all the important information that I need to know. While this book offers some broad strokes on bridesmaiding, I found a lot of the information to be impractical. It tends to assume that there are many maids in the party (I am one of only three) and it places emphasis on themes and games - both of which don't apply to a lot of today's less traditional brides. I feel like it needs an update to become more useful.

Editorial Review:

They don t call them maids for nothing. Being a fabulous bridesmaid calls for much more than throwing on the dress and throwing back a few drinks. Enter The Bridesmaid Guide a hip and informative book on being the best best woman a woman can be. With good humor and plenty of tips, author Kate Chynoweth covers everything the bridesmaids and maid of honor need to know. Whether the dilemma is how to throw a perfectly pitched bridal shower, wear the bridesmaid s dress with panache, wow the crowd with a speech, or support the bride on her big day, here are solutions a-plenty. This illustrated guide is the perfect sourcebook for a girl s best friend.

Etiquette Guide to Japan: Know the Rules...that Make the Difference

Boye Lafayette De Mente

Amazon Price: $8.76 List Price: $10.95 In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served. By: Tuttle Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 10 new & used starting at $6.49

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Better work on your bow! 5 out of 5 stars.
24 of 25 people found this review helpful.

In Japan, as visiting foreigners keep discovering -- if they're paying proper attention -- "etiquette" means a great deal more than simply knowing which knife and fork to use. (Or, in this case, what not to do with your chopsticks.) Japan has been a deeply and subtly ritualized and mannered society for millennia, and even with the postwar easing of some rituals and the introduction and acceptance of certain Westernisms -- and even though the Japanese are generally tolerant of minor faux pas on the part on non-Japanese -- the foreign visitor still needs to be very aware of the expectations of those around him. However, this book is also an excellent source for the non-visitor who simply has an interest in Japanese society and culture. The author has been both a periodic resident and been otherwise closely involved with Japan for going on six decades, and he's also a very observant and thoughtful writer, which makes him an ideal guide for the westerner on all things Japanese. He not only tells you what to do, what not to do, and what you can get away with, he provides the historical background, the psychological rationalization, which not even some Japanese are really aware of. This will help you to extrapolate your behavior in other situations, and will assist you toward an understanding of why the Japanese are the way they are. Those shallow-thinkers who consider the Japanese simply "inscrutable," alien, and beyond American understanding should definitely read this book.

Editorial Review:

Etiquette Guide to Japan offers an inside look at the social norms of the Japanese-when to bow, how to propose a toast, when to pay the bill, the careful art of gift-giving, how to deal with public transportation, dating, weddings, funerals, and last, but not least, how to say good-bye at the end of your stay. If you want to save yourself from possible embarrassment during your stay in Japan, you will find the Etiquette Guide to Japan to be a much-needed companion.

Martha Stewart's Keepsake Wedding Planner

Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Clarkson Potter Amazon Marketplace: 56 new & used starting at $6.48

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 50 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

So excited!!!....until I opened it 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I ordered this planner as a gift for my best girlfriend who recently got engaged. A few reviews mentioned that the materials are excellent, but the binder arrived broken. I thought, hey that would never happen to me, those people are crazy. Um, it arrived broken. I would recommend purchasing this planner as the materials are great, but be prepared to purchase a new binder and transfew the materials. This binder is very un-Martha-like.

Editorial Review:

This planner is overflowing with useful features to help you plan and organize the perfect wedding—in addition, you can preserve those memories for a lifetime. The three-ring binder makes it easy to customize it for your needs. Inside you'll find:

• Ten in-depth chapters with planning information, inspirational color photographs, timelines, checklists, and diagrams
• Sturdy pocket folders to hold contracts, menus, and notes
• A clear plastic business-card holder and resealable plastic pouches for fabric swatches, paper samples, and ribbons
• A full-color glossary with photographs of hundreds of flowers

The Little Book Of Etiquette (Miniature Editions)

Dorothea Johnson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Delightful 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I received this charming "little" book as a Christmas gift a few years ago. My friend and her husband had taken note that I like etiquette books, and they kindly added to my collection. But this book isn't the heavy, voluminous Amy Vanderbilt/Emily Post for my coffee-table-only book. This book couldn't be more portable and is chocked full of great information. Do you know the differences between Service a la Francaise, Service a la Russe, Service a L'Anglaise, and Restaurant/American Style forms of food presentation? I certainly didn't!

(The author, etiquette guru Dorothea Johnson, is the grandmother of Liv Tyler. How cool!)

Although I love etiquette books, I'm the first to admit that I don't follow etiquette guidelines to a T (especially in casual company--I'd look a little odd if I did!), and my manners, while decent, are far from perfect.

As an aside, my sister had a hearty laugh when I told her I had started reading etiquette books (my first etiquette book was Etiquette Grrls: Things You Need to be Told). She said, "But you're a Crane. Why would you read an etiquette book?" (It's a family joke that the Crane side of my family is known to be more than a little crude, while my mom's side is the more refined. Luckily, my sister and I have our mom's side to somewhat offset the Crane genes :-)

Editorial Review:

Never again hesitate when selecting a fork from a fancy place setting, making a formal introduction, hosting a business dinner, or dining on awkward foods. The experts at the Protocol School of Washington will save you from embarrassing future faux pas!

Finding the Right Words: Perfect Phrases to Personalize Your Greeting Cards

J. Beverly Daniel

Amazon Price: $9.95 List Price: $9.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Pocket Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $3.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Really not "the right words" 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book was not what I was looking for. It is just a collection of greetings that you would find in cards. They really don't mean much. I was looking for something more unique.

Finding the Right Words: Perfect Phrases to Personalize Your Greeting Cards 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 9 people found this review helpful.

This book is a treasure - very useful for 'just the right touch'.

Just Perfect 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I purchased this for my daughter-in-law, who loves to make personal greeting cards. This little guidebook contains of variety of subjects with many choices for "just the perfect message". Worth the price.

Editorial Review:

Showing someone you care begins with

Finding

the

Right Words

Here you'll find:

• More than three dozen ways to say "Happy Birthday"

• Welcoming words for new family members...even pets

• Thoughtful condolences for personalizing sympathy cards

• Congratulatory wishes for weddings and anniversaries

• Helpful hints to simplify card-sending

• A monthly calendar for birthdays and anniversaries

...and more, in this book of indispensable phrases for all occasions. You'll never be at a loss for words again!

Etiquette For Dummies (For Dummies (Psychology & Self Help))

Sue Fox

Amazon Price: $14.95 List Price: $21.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: For Dummies Amazon Marketplace: 49 new & used starting at $9.77

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Life is full of moments when you don’t know how to act or how to handle yourself in front of other people. In these situations, etiquette is vital for keeping your sense of humor and your self-esteem intact. But etiquette is not a behavior that you should just turn on and off. This stuffy French word that translates into getting along with others allows you to put people at ease, make them feel good about a situation, and even improve your reputation.

Etiquette For Dummies approaches the subject from a practical point of view, throwing out the rulebook full of long, pointless lists. Instead, it sets up tough social situations and shows you how to navigate through them successfully, charming everyone with your politeness and social grace. This straightforward, no-nonsense guide will let you discover the ins and outs of:

• Basic behavior for family, friends, relationships, and business
• Grooming, dressing, and staying healthy
• Coping with unexpected stuff like sneezing or feeling queasy
• Maintaining a civilized relationship
• Making friends and keeping them
• Building positive relationships at work
• Communicating effectively

This book shows you how to take on these situations and make them pleasant. It also gives you great advice for tipping appropriately in all types of services and setting stellar examples for your kids. Full of useful advice and written in a laid-back, friendly style, Etiquette For Dummies has all the tools you need to face any social situation with politeness and courtesy.