Minding Your Manners

Did you know that May 9-13 is National Etiquette Week? What a good time to pause and reflect on the way we humans interact with one another.

The mere mention of etiquette may bring to mind venerable experts on the topic like Emily Post or Miss Manners (whose special brand of dry humor is apparent in titles such as Miss Manners' Guide to Excrutiatingly Correct Behavior). But what about manners for the new millenium, where our methods of communication have changed and multiplied? Have a look at these titles:

What do You Say When...:Talking to People With Confidence on Any Social or Business Occasion, by Florence Isaacs, with tips for handling yourself in many situations, including job interviews.

The Civility Solution: What to do When People are Rude, by P.M. Forni, and Why Manners Matter: the Case for Civilized Behavior in a Barbarous World by Lucinda Holdforth give advice on rising above, breaking the cycle of rudeness, and living the authors' definitions of a civil life.

Peggy Post, great-granddaughter of the aforementioned Emily Post, provides practical solutions for sticky situations in Excuse Me, But I was Next: How to Handle the Top 100 Manners Dilemmas.

In the intriguing title category: How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World, by Jordan Christy, and Advance Your Swagger: How to Use Manners, Confidence and Style to Get Ahead by Fonzworth Bentley (former assistant to Sean Diddy Combs).

Finally, comedian Whoopi Goldberg has a buzzed-about new book, Is it Just Me? Or is it Nuts Out There? Known for her strong opinions, she has plenty to say about the current state of manners, with chapter titles like: "A Civil Person's Handy List: Things to Think and Not Say," and "You Realize I Can See You."

So have a Happy National Etiquette Week...or shall we say, Please have a Happy National Etiquette Week!