TY  - BOOK
AU  - Holdforth, Lucinda,
TI  - Why manners matter: the case for civilized behavior in a barbarous world 
SN  - 9780399155321
AV  - BJ 1853 .H712 2009
PY  - 2009///
CY  - New York
PB  - Amy Einhorn Books/G.P. Putnam's Sons
KW  - Etiquette
N1  - Originally published: 2007; Includes bibliographical references (pages [173]); Introduction -- 1:  Because man is an animal -- Social one -- With a habitat to protect -- 2:  Because manners are more important than laws -- Less invasive than morals -- Better than social confusion -- 3:  Because manners nurture our equality -- Modify self-esteem -- Connect the self to society -- 4:  Because sovereignty demands self-sovereignty -- Order is necessary to freedom -- Manners reconcile liberty to stability -- 5:  Because who else can we call on? -- Rudeness won't make us authentic -- Manners aren't just the tool of right-wing bigots -- They advance social progress -- 6:  Because McDonald's doesn't own manners -- Corporations don't own our souls -- Manners are no barrier to greatness -- 7:  Because manners give us dignity -- Improve communication -- Prevent premature intimacy -- Unlock our humanity -- Make life beautiful -- Afterword -- Further reading -- Acknowledgments
N2  - From the Publisher:  In the spirit of On Bullshit, a wonderfully erudite and entertaining essay about manners. When Lucinda Holdforth told her mother she was writing an essay about manners, her mother said, "You're writing a book about manners?" Deeply offended, Lucinda called her best friend and relayed what her mother had said. Her best friend paused before saying, "Well, you do say "f***" a lot." Welcome to the interesting quagmire Lucinda Holdforth finds herself inches She believes that manners are essential to civilization. Yet according to the knife-and-fork snobs, or exclusive bores, her modern-day attitude might not scream manners. And in this age of global warming and warfare, aren't manners frivolous? Do manners really matter? Yes! she passionately exclaims. Citing everyone from Tocqueville to Proust to Borat, Holdforth shows how manners-which many of us might think are inconsequential-are actually the cornerstone of civilization. Incredibly smart, the book illustrates how the philosophies of the greatest thinkers are relevant to our very modern lives
ER  -