Essential Manners for Men

TITLE: Essential Manners for Men

AUTHOR: Peter Post

This may seem like a one-sided recommendation - one for men and men alone. Don't be fooled ladies. Peter Post does extensive research into the minds and hearts of women with the hopes that he can teach the average male how not to make an ass out of himself in a host of situations. You can't fault the man for taking on a seemingly impossible task.

The book is reference tool, like a dictionary or Wikipedia for etiquette. It's broken down into three major sections: daily life, social life, and business etiquette. It addresses simple personal habits ("When you swear, the listener doesn't focus on what you are but rather on how you are saying it."), flirting ("Steer clear of...immediate turnoffs. Religion and politics top the list."), issues in work life ("Negative Behavior #2: A Superior Attitude"), and parenting ("Sharing the Load: This sometimes involves serious sacrifice."). Most of this may seem like common sense, but I find my generation treading a slippery slope, and more and more we're losing out footing.

Am I implying that those of you who occasionally visit this site are vile hooligans? Not entirely. Am I over dramatizing the state of affairs of modern human interaction? Maybe. But find me a person - a person of any sex, age or creed - who doesn't need a subtle reminder or two about how to hit on women during a workout (never, never do it) or the five simple rules of a job interview. I'm certainly not a candidate.

Fortunately, Post has condensed it nicely. I'm looking to make myself a better I can find a good deal of the answers here.