The Good Citizen's Handbook : A Guide to Proper Behavior [Paperback]

Jennifer McKnight-Trontz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2001

Good citizenship starts with you! This crucial collection of real guidance from government, civics, and scouting handbooks of the 1920s-1960s shows you how--through proper dental hygiene, a pleasant demeanor, and obedience of even minor laws--you can ensure the health and happiness of nation, neighbor, and kin. Jennifer McKnight-Trontz, author of the popular Yes You Can: Advice from Self-Help Experts, leads the way with hundreds of illustrations, charts, and tips compiled in this pocket-sized handbook for a better world, a better community, a better you. Learn the importance of good posture, the benefits of taxation, and simple ways to avoid infection! Understand, too, just how dangerous slouching is to national character. There's simply too much at stake not to read this book.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"One can adopt a less-nihilistic approach to life and make The Good Citizen's Handbook your instruction manual." -- Detour

"Tips and advice from a vanished era are both dated and timeless." -- American Heritage, May 2001

About the Author

Jennifer McKnight-Trontz is a writer and designer living in south Florida whose books include Hang in There!, How to Be Popular, Yes You Can, and The Good Citizen's Handbook.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811830667
• ISBN-13: 978-0811830669
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #605,764 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Note: some reviews by others contain false information, March 3, 2005

By 

christinemm - The Thinking Mother (Houston Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Good Citizen's Handbook : A Guide to Proper Behavior (Paperback)

"The Good Citizen's Handbook: A Guide to Proper Behavior" by Jennifer McKnight-Trontz is book informative, helpful, nostalgic, and a bit funny at times. In any event this book or at least the good items in it should be taught to all children by their parents, and reinforced at school.

Please take note and consider this when reading other Amazon customer reviews:
McKnight-Trontz explains in the introduction that both the information and images in this book were culled from civic textbooks, scouting manuals, government pamphlets and citizenship manuals from the 1920s through the 1960s. See my comments on the illustrations near the end of my review.

There is a lot of good information here and many different viewpoints on what the definition of a good citizen is, and how children and adults can do things that constitute being a good citizen. Some of the information seemed a bit comical to me yet other parts were things that (sadly) I had never discussed with my children before just because it had not occurred to me to discuss them, therefore the book served as a basis for some good discussion. I am happy that I read this to my children and think it could and should be re-read periodically, perhaps a few times per year! I also thought, as I read this, that I was never taught many things in this book when I attended public school in the 1970s and 1980s, as part of social studies/civics (which is a shame). I also think that much of this SHOULD be taught to all children in school. If they can teach sex ed and programs to discourage drug use, then they can and should teach this stuff as well. I also was surprised at the high level of patriotism here. I was surprised that in my public school experience, I did not learn any of this "patriotic attitude" and was surprised that from the 1920s-1960s this stuff was being taught in schools. I think we need a revival of this!

The book is divided into chapters covering different areas we can and should be good citizens in: with ourselves, in the family, at school and work, in the neighborhood, in the community, in our country and in the world. The section about ourselves includes personality traits, behaviors, character traits and values as well as health recommendations such as avoiding infection, how to cough and not spread germs, how to stand with good posture and what to eat. The comical parts are the examples which highlight things that someone thought to be very important such as that a good citizen eats "plenty of meat" which made me wonder if this was from a government publication connected with the USDA. Behaviors such as not talking back, controlling oneself and obeying the law are other high points. A section titled "Your Happy Family" contains good advice:

"The urge to get more and more luxuries consumes many Americans. In the "old days" the members of the family had very little in the way of luxuries or even comforts; they depended mainly on one another to make life happy and interesting. Today, we are more "gadget-minded." We tend to think less of human relations, and more of things that we and buy and use, often to impress other people. This has had its effect in weakening the home.
Think less of what the "Joneses" are doing or buying, and more about how to have a good time with your family without spending money. Think about what really makes you and your family happy-important things such as each other's company, a good story, exercise, and learning."

I loved that section!

The section on school and work includes what we now call "anti-bullying" advice: play fair, play with "the laws of clean play" which includes not cheating. I grinned at some of the phrasing such as "Clean play increases and train's one's strength, and helps one to be more useful to one's country" and goes on to make a few recommendations about being a good loser or a generous winner and to treat opponents with politeness. It seems to me all children should hear all the information in this book.

Regarding social ills, the section on community includes a page encouraging the avoidance of being a drunkard and warns "alcoholism means death to the nation". I am not faulting the book but will mention that missing from the book due to the fact that such things were not discussed in the 1920s to 1960s are warnings against cigarette smoking, illegal drug use, other unhealthy acts such as sniffing glue, and sex issues and warnings of sexually transmitted diseases.

The section on our country contains information about voting, jury duty, how to write our legislators and politicians to voice our concerns, and recommending that we be happy to pay our taxes. The patriotism level here is high!

In response to the negative reviews which some claimed was due to non-inclusion of non-white people in the illustrations: I want to state here that this is false. Images of black Americans are rare but not totally (see pages 54, 100 and 103). People of other cultures are discussed on the "good citizenship in the world" section and show Asian people on pages 130, 131, and 136. However we should all note as described in the introduction, that this author was really an editor and the text and illustrations were taken from other sources dating back to the 1920s through the 1960s. The fact that the textbooks and government documents used primarily Caucasians in the illustrations should come as no surprise to anyone who is familiar with American history. Take this for what it is worth. This book was published in 2001 using old information. There is no reason to slight the author or the book for not writing in modern terms or addressing modern issues or showing people of all ethnicities.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Holy Wow Gee...., December 11, 2001

By 

Jay Smith (Harrisburg, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Good Citizen's Handbook : A Guide to Proper Behavior (Paperback)

I picked this book up at the local Cracker Barrel restaurant in their "Proud to Be an American" section of afghans and bumper stickers and other patriotic-themed nostaligia curiosities.

Some of this material may seem out of date...heck, most of it will go right over the head of anyone born after these textbooks were retired from schoolrooms and educational films. As a kid who grew up on Centron films and citizenship assemblies this book brought back not only memories of a more innocent and simple time, but of a pure and patriotic sensibility. I have grown up to be a cynical, dark and suspicious person in a world where pillbox hats, pressed wool suits and imposed proper attitudes have changed. Diversity has its price in our daily rituals, but it doesn't dispel the strange, weird, and wonderful importance of these civic reminders. Wow.

Get this book for your grandfather who wonders what happened to common decency. Get this book for the grandson who never knew it. Get it for the patriot who needs a quick reminder of what America is at its core. Get it as a reminder fo your civic duties, responsibilities and rights.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why it's never okay to poison your neighbor's dog or cat, October 3, 2001

By 

K. Rule (Beaverton, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Good Citizen's Handbook : A Guide to Proper Behavior (Paperback)

This question and many other important issues are answered in this wonderfully refreshing book. It reminds me of my Boy Scout manual from the early 1960's with its style and artwork. Plainspoken and forthright, it helps you understand what it takes to be a true American Citizen.

In this complicated world, where shades of gray dominate our perceptions of life, this book condense issues its author consider relevant to a few lines of black and white prose. If you find it easier to face the world with some well written, rules you will find this book a god send. Frankly, even my 4 year old can understand this book (I think she can read it too). This book will put a smile on your face for quite some time after you purchase it.

BTW- The last product that if found this compelling was Ronco's GLH Formula Number 9 Hair System. That product put a smile on my face for weeks after I first viewed the promotional video.