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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but for younger "young ladies", December 8, 2011
When I first picked up the book 50 Things Every Young Lady Should Know by Kay West, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was interested to learn a little more about etiquette, and perhaps some things I would like to teach my own daughters someday. What I found was a nicely written book with short anecdotes, as well as do's and dont's for young ladies to follow. I wasn't sure who exactly classified as a young lady, but it seemed like the book was written more for ages 12-16 than anything. It also contained lots of modern advice about acting like a lady. In this day and age, a true "lady" is hard to find, so I was glad that this book emphasized how important being one still is. I especially liked it's emphasis on modern social areas, such as texting or Facebook. I guess there's hope that manners and etiquette can still be used in our technology-saturated lives. My only critique was that I wasn't exactly sure how many young girls in the target age would actually read such a book. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think at that age I would have fully appreciated a non-fiction book with short points to it. I might have skimmed it, but not actually read it. It would have seemed more appropriate to write the book for mothers in order to help them know what to teach their daughters. Overall, though, it was a good, short read, and I was pleased to find I learned a lot of new pieces of etiquette as well. I would recommend this for mother's or teenage girls who want to learn a little more about etiquette and manners.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Book Review: 50 Things Every Young Lady Should Know, December 6, 2011
Many people believe that etiquette is a thing of the past. Our culture's relative philosophy believes that people can do whatever they want. Yet, in reality, this concept doesn't fly. This book by Kay West is (in essence) an etiquette book for young ladies (approx. middle school age). Unlike the books of the past, this one is relevant to the 21st century. Each of the 50 chapters covers one "thing" such as accepting a compliment or making an apology. It is relevant to today's young ladies who use cell phones, social networks, digital cameras, make-up, and fragrances. They succinctly explains the proper behavior surrounding those subjects with a brief introduction then a do, don't, and why not. Another positive element of this book (other than its adorable pink and gray cover), it begins with simple information--such as the importance of saying please, thank you, and excuse me--then it moves to more "mature" subjects such as borrowing clothes from friends, place settings at a formal dinner, and being asked to dance. Even though I'm not a "young" lady any more, I really enjoyed this book (and even learned a few things too). I would recommend it as an easily understood and applicable book for any early 21th century young lady, especially in a time where everyone delights in informality, yet they are still impressed with those who still use good manners. This book was given to me by Thomas Nelson publishers as part of their Booksneeze program. I am writing my own, unbiased review.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but Daughter didn't dig it., December 5, 2011
I really wanted to like this book. I liked the hip Chevron cover, I liked the idea of a modernized Miss Manners... and I thought it'd be good for my daughter to get some pointers from a book (because I have officially turned into the dumbest person she knows). The title of the book pretty much explains it all. Kay West, along with John Bridges and Bryan Curtis, gives young women a handbook for just about everything today's teens encounter, from managing friendships to staying safe on Facebook. I liked the way the book was written. Concise scenarios and advice written to the tween/teenager without talking down to them. I think the advice contained in the book is very practical and agreed with basically all of it. So why the 2 star rating? Well, you see, it's not as much what I think about this book as it is about what happened when I handed the book to my daughter. Maybe I was over-eager, but I handed her the book with genuine enthusiasm. She flipped through it for about five minutes and promptly went back to reading Harry Potter (for the bajillionth time). I asked her to please give it another chance, yet there to book sat. When I asked her what she thought about what she actually did read, she said, "Meh". So, I guess the bottom line is, you can lead a teen to an etiquette book, but you can't make them read it. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255
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