Customer Reviews

50 Things Every Young Gentleman Should Know

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book to use with my grandsons, ages 11 & 13. I pulled it out one day when they were visiting and read them the introduction. It might have been the phrase "impressing the girls" that first caught their attention! I read to them from the book, starting with "How to behave in a movie theater". The chapters are short instructions followed by "You do" and "You don't" and "Why" sections. The advice is excellent and concise! After reading a few chapters to them, the 13 year old asked to see it and picked a few chapters he wanted me to read to them. Then the 11 year old wanted to pick a few!! We spent over an hour reading and discussing and they never lost interest! The next morning they were still saying things like "I put the toilet seat down, "just like a young gentleman should"! We will read more together the next time they visit. The book is written so you can randomly pick chapters that appeal at the time. Money well spent, time well invested in "my two fine young gentlemen"!!

I have an eleven year-old son who thinks he's 13-going-on-21. Like most modern fathers, a nine-hour day - bracketed by a 40-minute commute - doesn't leave me with nearly as much time as I would love to spend with him. Add two younger brothers to the mix and "one-on-one" time becomes truly precious. I honestly believe that being a gentleman gains a man a lot of respect - even if the people he encounters really don't know why they respect him. Like all fathers, I want my sons to be liked & respected.

50 Things Every Young Gentleman Should Know covers the basics in a no-nonsense manner. Each situtation is breifly described and defined. It is then followed by "What you do," "What you DON'T do" and "Why." It is a very easy read (I read it from cover to cover in under 45 minutes.) that communicates it's ideas in a very clear manner. Does it cover EVERY situation that a young man is going to encounter? No, but it does a good job of covering the most common ones. Everything from "What to do with a napkin," to "How to treat someone with a disability."

These are all things that my four brothers and I were taught at home, but we had the absolute luxury (By today's standards.) of Dad being at home on the family farm when he wasn't commercial fishing or working for the county road department. Being the youngest, I got lots of "peer reenforcement" from my older brothers.

My son's reaction? "You're joking, right, Dad?" I looked him squarely in the eye and informed him that I was most certainly not joking and that I expect him to not only read the book, but to learn the things it has to teach -- and to put them to work in his life. He shook his head and walked off to his bedroom with the book. He was back in five minutes, promising to read five "Things" each day. I think he must have read the dedication I enscribed on the inside of the front cover. Most of it is highly personal and (I pray) not applicable to your individual situtation, but here is the last paragraph: "Why is your learning to be a gentleman so important to me? Because I love you and I want you to be liked and respected by everyone you meet. Love, Dad."

Like I said in my review's title: This is not the last word on training up your sons to be gentlemen, but it is a good first step on that all-important journey.

50 Things Every Young Gentleman Should Know

Detractors will argue that a book like this is only common sense, but unfortunately, our society today has been influenced by the "grunge-activists" so that good manners in word and deed are disappearing. Bridges and Curtis touch on such mundanely topics as shaking hands with the elderly, with ladies, etc., writing (a lost art) of thank you notes, giving and receiving compliments, opening doors for others, answering a phone (and cell phone usage), table manners, making introductions, etc. These and all are essential in the business and professional world.
Good manners in what one says and does is always appropriate: putting others before oneself. While there will certainly be variations, the untaught and unsure cannot go wrong by going by their "letter of the law." jhr

My son is 7 and I was not sure what he would think of this book. He loves it. I was very surprised by his reaction to the book. I skimmed the book and felt that it was appropriate for any age boy with good reading skills.

This book has been excellent for my 13 yr. old son. My father-in-law picked it up for him. And, yes, after reading through some reviews, it is what every young boy should already know, but we are not teaching them. This behavior, being polite and kind and considerate is assumed, not taught, this book is EXCELLENT in giving short quick lessons that don't droan on, my son enjoys it and even chuckles. I am grateful for a resource, my husband has been deployed for 18 months and this book has connected him to his dad too. So thanks!

I want to give to my Son as much insight on being a "Gentleman" as I possibly can so he not only owns and has read "50 Things Every Young Gentleman Should Know" but also own and has read "How to be a Gentleman: A Timely Guide to Timeless Manners" by John Bidges [...] Something has happened in our World today, with this Book (50 Things Every Young Man Should Know) Mr. Bridges has put into writing things that should be instilled into our young Men day by day at Home. For those that teach their Children these Books will be a constant reminder of not only why we're Gentleman, but what we can do to keep and gain respect/trust/honor from others we encounter, whether once or consistently. Should I purchase this Book for my Son? Yes! He'll read what is in the Book and I guarantee he will come to you, Book in hand, and begin a discussion with you-one that will open the door to other conversations that may have been difficult before. If there is one thing I could/would recommend for you to purchase 50 Things Every Young Gentleman Should Know is that one thing.

My husband picked this book out for one of our sons. It is a wonderful book - covers every manner we work with our kids on every day. Plus it covers modern issues like cell phone etiquette. I recommend it very highly.

This wonderful volume should be required reading for every young boy
from the age of ten, and for every male to the age of 90.

Quite simply, it explains how a gentleman responds in any number of
situations-with good sense and consideration for others.

If every male acted more gentlemanly, we could probably eliminate wars,
terrorism, and general nastiness.

Reading this book is certainly a sensible beginning.

This is a book that everyone should own to read and review at will, especially now in this time of forgotten manners and courtesy.

Many of these jewels found withing these pages are long forgotten, or never heard of. Every young man should read this cover to cover, Easy reading, common sense brought to the forefront with a touch of class. If you exercised in social setting all the great things in this book, you'd command respect, anywhere, everytime!