The Art and Power of Being a Lady [Paperback]

Noelle Cleary (Author), Dini von Mueffling (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 27, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0802139418 | ISBN-13: 978-0802139412

"Lady." Let's face it: the word brings to mind a host of associations‚ many of which call to mind costume dramas or tea-sipping debutantes. That is, until The Art and Power of Being a Lady‚ the book that brushes the cobwebs off and makes "lady" relevant to every girl and woman — whether her role model is Audrey Hepburn, Oprah Winfrey, Madeleine Albright, Lauryn Hill, or Mia Hamm. In an era when looking out for one another and taking the high road is too often lost in the shuffle, today's lady has not forgotten what's important. She is kind and considerate without being a doormat. She's assertive, but never a bully. She is sexy without being vulgar. She has great style but is never superficial. She gives back without asking for kudos. And from now on, the perfect word to describe her is "lady."

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press (August 27, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802139418
• ISBN-13: 978-0802139412
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #24,685 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Women's Studies > Feminist Theory
  • #44 in Books > Education & Reference > Etiquette

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Is It Common Sense?, October 10, 2004

By 

L.D. Mit (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art and Power of Being a Lady (Paperback)

Many of the previous reviewers of this book seem to believe this is all "common sense". Is it? How many times have you been annoyed by a woman on a cell phone talking so loud, everyone within fifty feet could hear her? How about a woman cutting in line in the supermarket? How many times have you listened to or even took part in spreading gossip? I don't think this is common sense, otherwise there wouldn't be so many instances of rudeness and self-absorbtion these days. This is a very sharp little book. One not only for young women. Believe me, there are plenty of thirtysomethings, and even fortysomethings who could learn a lot from what is written here. The introduction is wonderful. Right on target! There are tidbits on fashion and throwing parties, but the emphasis of this book is on behavior. It is a sad fact that good manners and courtesy are becoming more and more rare in today's world. For that very reason, this book is a wise buy.

98 of 104 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A book truly written for a young lady., May 8, 2002

By 

Bonney M. Lane Kotze "Down South" (Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art and Power of Being a Lady (Hardcover)

I bought this book and read it in about three hours. I was interested from the beginning to the end. Although these women are brilliant writers, this book is written for a teenager rather than an older woman trying to learn etiquette or using this book as a guide. The authors are no doubt true ladies, nevertheless, they mention that if a person wanted to learn real etiquette, buy Emily Post's Etiquette. Also, this book has an abundant amount of praise for the stars or famous people and about how these famous women are truly ladies, which I skipped over because I found it boring and frivilous, it almost seemed as a kind of name dropping although, not quite. I would also like to add that famous people may seem to be ladies, however, we really do not know them personally and I think that one must know what a person is really like before they put them in the category of being a lady. I would definately recommend this book for young women but not as a guide for etiquette. I would buy this book for the introduction alone. It is the best written introduction for a book that I have ever read. I also bought Emily Post's Etiquette, by Peggy Post and It is a wonderfully graceous book that any person and a standing true lady can learn from.

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Setting a standard for women AND men!, June 15, 2002

By 

lmk5 (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Art and Power of Being a Lady (Hardcover)

This is not a rule book for Miss Porter's wannabees but rather an insight on integrity, dignity and being a better person. This book was well written and logically sub-divided by appropriate subject subject content. While a lot of the advice is common sense, I felt re-aligned with the guidelines for appropriate behavior, especially regarding getting and maintaining respect in the workplace and being a better person in general. This book will stay on my shelf as a constant reminder of how I would like to be perceived and how I should adhere to these 'lady-like' standards.