In 1922, Emily Post came out with the definitive book on etiquette. To celebrate its 75th anniversary, her great-granddaughter-in-law Peggy Post has updated and revised the opus into an 845-page 16th edition that takes modern conundrums and lifestyles into account. If you're wondering when to put a napkin in your lap and which foods may be eaten with fingers, the information's still there. But situations Emily never dreamed of--matters of e-mail, cellular phones, step parents, fourth weddings, and in-line skating--are considered with the same grace that made Emily the last word on civility in the 1920s.


From Publishers Weekly
Looking for the user’s manual that should have come with your life? This compendium of socially acceptable responses to every conceivable opportunity for personal embarrassment or inadvertent insult is as close as you’re likely to get. Post, great-granddaughter-in-law to the famous Emily, carries on the family business as a recognized authority and frequently interviewed and published author. Far from quaint, her update to the 1922 classic includes sections on how to graciously discuss a potential sex partner’s past and the circumstances under which one can re-gift in good conscience. These new sections seamlessly co-exist with discussions on perennially necessary topics, such as where to place a soupspoon when setting a formal table and whether one may wear white after Labor Day (the answer is yes). This integration of new material with old, according to Post, follows the same basic principles that underlay Emily Post’s original version—showing respect and consideration for others while placing a premium on honesty, graciousness and deference. The original book was considered revolutionary in its time because it recast manners from rigid Victorian rules into behavior that was based on ethics, values and common sense. This latest version isn’t revolutionary, but it’s useful. It also serves as a reminder of how individual choices may affect others and how easy it is to choose—words, wardrobes, gifts and actions—more wisely. At 800-plus pages, cover-to-cover reading isn’t intended. This is a book best referred to like a wise old aunt who would be consulted as situations warrant. Regardless of how one consumes it, every section, from "Dining and Entertaining" to "You and Your Job," tends to leave the reader feeling a bit improved for the effort and hopeful about Post’s assertion that good behavior is catching—the more it is displayed, the more it spreads. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist
Peggy Post, Emily Post's great-granddaughter-in-law and the current, high-profile spokesperson for the Emily Post Institute, is celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of this modern classic by presenting a thoroughly updated and rigorously detailed new edition. The world was already in flux in 1922, when Emily Post, an unusually independent woman for her times, wrote and published the first incarnation of Etiquette (an instant best-seller), and change, both societal and technological, has remained the defining force of our century. But the importance of being considerate and thoughtful, kind and unselfish, has never been diminished. Indeed, as our population and proximity to one another increases, etiquette becomes even more crucial to daily life. Peggy Post explains, "While the philosophy of etiquette must be everlasting, the practice of manners is ever-changing." Post begins with basic communication skills, then segues to "netiquette," that is, the correct use of call waiting, cellular phones, answering machines, and e-mail. Much-needed guidelines for interaction in the business world, from job interviews to entertaining and travel, are covered with the trademark Post specificity. On to more personal matters, Post offers guidelines for divorce-related protocol, expressing condolences, celebrating holidays, and practicing good sports etiquette. Reflecting our enhanced awareness of cultural diversity, Post also provides useful information about various religious customs. For "civility," see Post. Donna Seaman


From Book News, Inc.
Available for $27.50 before December 1992. A thumb-index guides readers to the major categories of social interaction. Every aspect has been reviewed for this edition, and new coverage includes electronic mail as well as sexual harassment in the workplace. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

FROM THE PUBLISHER