Customer Reviews

How To Be A Lady A Contemporary Guide To Common Courtesy

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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."

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.

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.

This book has wonderful tips and ideas. What I love most about it is that they put the ideas in short "quote type sentences" so you can read just a couple and come back to it later with out missing a beat. The only downside is that some of the tips are unclear, e.g. "A lady knows when to drink through a straw.". But if you don't know when that is...not real helpful there. Other than that book is great!

This book is simplistic and certainly does not go into much detail. Instead, it is filled with statements of what a lady does or does not do. There is very little advice in this book that is fully explained, but reading it somehow had a calming soothing effect on me. I did retrieve some valuable advice from it. It makes a delightful gift book but perhaps not meaty enough for your own consumption.

I bought this book looking for a reference for teenagers on how to make decisions about proper ladylike behavior, manners and fashion. Instead, it has become one of our favorite "make funny quotes" about books. Some of the items listed are far outdated and downright silly, such as "A lady wears clean and fresh underwear"......give me a break!! Stick with Emily Posts Etiquette book. She addresses the real life issues associated with everyday life.

Not one that I would suggest. As a collector of style and etiquette books, I thought this book would be one that I would really enjoy. It turned out to be a disappointment. The advice was vague and obvious and it wasn't all that much fun to read. An interesting note: Brooks Brothers has started selling this book along with several other similar ones at their stores. I bought one called "how to raise a lady". It was also a disappointment.

This a great book for the lady who needs a few pointers on certain situations, or the older lady who isn't sure what is appropriate now as opposed to when she was younger.

This is not the book for the totally unladylike. It is somewhat limited in topics, but it was a quick read, and it's advice will stay with me. The book could be given as a gift to a family member without necessarily being considered an insult.

If this book had a better title, something more approriate, I'd give it 5 stars. I was misled about what information the book would give me because the title made it seam like a book on etiquette and manners. It does list habits and behaviors indicative of a lady with a dash of pointers on such things as seating a table, and it hints at the core of what makes a lady a lady, but it is too lightweight and never really hits the essence of what makes a lady. For example, instead of a section on how to be a good friend, it says "A lady knows how to be a friend to other ladies as well as gentlemen." It only scratches the surface of behaviors and attitudes a lady exemplifies. It lists courtesies a lady would have in dealing with other people. This is a really light read broken down in many places to mere sentences on a topic- very few paragraphs. It was a great read for me on vacation since I was looking for something lightweight before bed anyway, and I did learn or be reminded of a few things. I think with a more apt title, it would have been a 5-star. This would make an excellent book to gift to a teenager for high school graduation (with money, of course) or a recital gift. I would even think it appropriate to give to a recent college grad or any young 20something-year-old, as long as the recipient is someone who values and wants to improve her own courtesy and decorum. A good book of this nature written in a similar manner for men is From Clueless to Class Act: Manners for the Modern Man. It is slightly more specific than this book.

A good "brush-up" for those of us with some etiquette knowledge. Easy to follow format in brief sentences. Very little hard and fast rules, such as for planning a wedding or a sit down dinner, but a nice addition to the home library for quick answers or reminders.