My Deepest Sympathies...: Meaningful Sentiments for Condolence Notes and Conversations, Plus a Guide to Eulogies [Hardcover]

Florence Isaacs (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Never are we more concerned with getting it right than when writing to one who has suffered a loss. In My Deepest Sympathies--, letter-writing guru Florence Isaacs guides us through the ins and outs of offering comfort and support with short yet meaningful notes that will long be remembered by their recipients. She offers guidelines for diverse situations, with sample letters to draw on, so that it's easy to strike the appropriate tone every time.
        
Isaacs explains that the individual circumstances help determine what's appropriate to say in a sympathy note, and she provides specific techniques for a wide range of relationships, from the death of a coworker's spouse to the loss of a friend's elderly parent from Alzheimer's. She also addresses complex situations like the death of an ex-wife, an estranged sibling, or a longtime companion. She even includes thoughtful words for the death of a pet.

Whether it's for a blank note or a few extra lines on a card, Isaacs's advice runs the gamut from personal to professional. And she explains how to provide real help to the bereaved by making phone calls, running errands, or simply lending an ear. Information on funerals, memorial services, and proper etiquette when someone of a different culture has died will help readers avoid missteps in potentially awkward situations. Isaacs closes with techniques for effective eulogies, plus a special appendix of actual eulogies that illustrate ways in which readers can memorialize a loved one for family and friends.
        
Filled with practical information, My Deepest Sympathies-- makes it simple to say and do the right thing at difficult times.

From the Inside Flap

Never are we more concerned with getting it right than when writing to one who has suffered a loss. In My Deepest Sympathies--, letter-writing guru Florence Isaacs guides us through the ins and outs of offering comfort and support with short yet meaningful notes that will long be remembered by their recipients. She offers guidelines for diverse situations, with sample letters to draw on, so that it's easy to strike the appropriate tone every time.

Isaacs explains that the individual circumstances help determine what's appropriate to say in a sympathy note, and she provides specific techniques for a wide range of relationships, from the death of a coworker's spouse to the loss of a friend's elderly parent from Alzheimer's. She also addresses complex situations like the death of an ex-wife, an estranged sibling, or a longtime companion. She even includes thoughtful words for the death of a pet.

Whether it's for a blank note or a few extra lines on a card, Isaacs's advice runs the gamut from personal to professional. And she explains how to provide real help to the bereaved by making phone calls, running errands, or simply lending an ear. Information on funerals, memorial services, and proper etiquette when someone of a different culture has died will help readers avoid missteps in potentially awkward situations. Isaacs closes with techniques for effective eulogies, plus a special appendix of actual eulogies that illustrate ways in which readers can memorialize a loved one for family and friends.

Filled with practical information, My Deepest Sympathies-- makes it simple to say and do the right thing at difficult times.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1st edition (June 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609605658
• ISBN-13: 978-0609605653
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #748,784 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential book for everyone, August 14, 2000

By	Bill Dyszel (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: My Deepest Sympathies...: Meaningful Sentiments for Condolence Notes and Conversations, Plus a Guide to Eulogies (Hardcover)

For me, writing a condolence note has always been right up there with having a tooth pulled at the dentist. I never know exactly what to say, which is why Isaacs' book, "My Deepest Sympathies," is so valuable. She covers every conceivable situation (including the really tough ones, like the death of a child or suicide) and every relationship, so that you can write something personal, without worrying about sounding dumb or insensitive. When a client's wife died, it was such a relief to pull out the book, turn to the right chapter, and find tips and examples that helped me write my own appropriate words. The chapter on composing eulogies is a bonus.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bereavement, October 25, 2005

By	Maureen Draper "Maureen" (Mickleton, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: My Deepest Sympathies...: Meaningful Sentiments for Condolence Notes and Conversations, Plus a Guide to Eulogies (Hardcover)

It is not easy to give voice to anyone who is grieving. This book offers appropriate suggestions and words in and for different situations. It helped me to compose a sympathy letter to the family of a dear friend when I couldn't think of anything that was fresh and sincere. The author has focussed on loving words as offerings of tenderness and caring for the bereaved.