How to Be a Lady: A Contemporary Guide to Common Courtesy (A Gentlemanners Book) [Hardcover]

Candace Simpson-Giles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001 | Series: A Gentlemanners Book

Whether a woman is a contractor, a stay-at-home mother, or a high-powered attorney, the suggestions in How to Be a Lady will cause others to think "Wow! She's got it all together!"

• If a lady is on a diet, she does not speak of it at the table
• A lady never eats a meal while behind the wheel of a car
• A lady makes it a point to know the names of the teams playing in the Super Bowl

The roles women play in society today are drastically different than they were 25 years ago, and some of the rules are different as well.

Patterned after the successful How to Be a Gentleman, How to Be a Lady is a practical book of etiquette that is not snobbish, boring or intimidating. It is designed for a new century by discussing such issues as how to dress for the workplace, the importance of knowing self defense, and how to tactfully ask for the sexual history of a person with whom a lady is considering an intimate relationship.

 

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Candace Simpson-Giles is a wife, mother and grandmother and the owner of Art Attack Nashville, an original oils and art gallery. She is also the cofounder of Critter Cavalry Rescue in Nashville, Tennessee, a non-profit agency that serves and helps adopt out homeless animals that are abandoned, injured, or left behind in kill shelters throughout the South.    She continues to give of her time and resources to the betterment of those who cannot help themselves. 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558539395
• ISBN-13: 978-1558539396
• Product Dimensions: 4.5 x 0.7 x 7.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #401,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

155 of 160 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Misnomer Title November 9, 2004

By Elizabeth Stone

Format:Hardcover

I was disappointed in this book. The title should have been something like, "A Lady Does or Does Not . . . ." The book gives many "lady" imperatives, but does not give as many specifics on "HOW to Be a Lady." An example is the imperative, "A lady knows when it is acceptable to drink through a straw." That's it; there is no further information as to the next obvious question: When is it acceptable for a lady to drink through a straw? Also it bothered me about some incorrect grammar. I know that "a lady does not correct another's grammar," but in these published words, someone fell down on the job of editing. There were several instances of incorrect subject-verb agreement. One would expect a lady to know better or know that she needs aid in the written English before putting ink to published page. Overall this book is too simplistic and does not live up to the title of "HOW To Be a Lady."

74 of 77 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Pleasing to look at...not much substance July 31, 2005

By Sonja Combest

Format:Hardcover

I bought this to add to my growing collection of etiquette books, but it's less a book of etiquette advice (no real guidelines) and more a book of brief, isolated observations about what kind of person aspiring ladies would like to be ("A lady always knows when to X," "A lady will know how to Y").

Forgive me for pointing out that someone purchasing this book probably already has a fair idea of these kinds of things. That's why they are trying to learn how to become a lady.

The text is sparse, very large and highly stylized with wide margins. It's cute for a coffee table, a gift basket, or other decorating purposes, but if you're looking for an etiquette guide to know HOW to become more lady-like, this book is not for you.

For a catch all reference work, invest in a relatively up to date version of Emily Post's, Amy Vanderbilt's, or Laeticia Baldridge's etiquette books, the first being my favorite. If you'd like something more anecdote/situation driven, try the Miss Manners books by Judith Martin.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Trite and to put it politely, "it stunk!" January 22, 2006

By Denise Marie Fezza

Format:Hardcover

This book was trite. I bought it with high hopes and it did have some worthwhile pointers, but it seemed to be disorganized and the information wasn't laid out in a way that you could refer to it. I read through the whole thing in a couple of hours and the one pointer that came up about 3 or 4 times was how it was not lady-like to leave sanitary napkins in other people's homes if you are an overnight guest. This struck me as strange not only because it was mentioned at least 4 times, but I cannot imagine "packing-out" my trash like this, especially if I were a guest for a number of days. It also mentioned what a lady does when she's had to much to drink, I think that it is not lady-like to have so much to drink that you cannot get home, etc. it probably should mention that over-indulging is not lady-like. I plan to return this book because it lacked a lot and next time I plan to buy Emily Post.