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Talk to the Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door Hardcover – November 8, 2005

by Lynne Truss (Author)

204

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"Talk to the hand, ’cause the face ain’t listening," the saying goes.

When did the world stop wanting to hear? When did society become so thoughtless? It’s a topic that has been simmering for years, and Lynne Truss says it’s now reached the boiling point. Taking on the boorish behavior that for some has become a point of pride, Talk to the Hand is a rallying cry for courtesy. Like Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Talk to the Hand is not a stuffy guidebook, and is sure to inspire spirited conversation.

Why hasn’t your nephew ever thanked you for your carefully selected gift? What makes your contractor think it’s fine to snub you in the midst of a major renovation? Why do crowds spawn selfishness? What accounts for the appalling treatment you receive in stores (if you’re lucky enough to get a clerk’s attention at all)? Most important, what will it take to roll back a culture that applauds those who are disrespectful? In a recent U.S. survey, 79 percent of adults said that lack of courtesy was a serious problem. For anyone who’s fed up with the brutality inflicted by modern manners (or lack thereof), Talk to the Hand is a colorful call to arms—from the wittiest defender of the civilized world.

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Print length

206 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Gotham Books
Publication date

November 8, 2005
Dimensions

5.5 x 1.25 x 7.75 inches
ISBN-10

1592401716
ISBN-13

978-1592401710
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Lynne Truss is the pundit of pet peeves. She's taken on the ignorance of basic grammar with Eats, Shoots & Leaves, now she bravely rallies against the abysmal state of manners. And while she uses the Jerry Springer-esque phrase of 'talk to the hand' as her title, it's obvious she'd like to have snarkily dubbed it "Learn Some Effing Manners People!"--only she's too polite to do so. (It should be noted that while she's shocked by 6-year-olds using the f -word, she's hopeful that it's so overused that it'll soon sink into obsolescence.) To hammer across her points on politesse, Truss pulls quotations from an astonishing range of sources. Sociologist Erving Goffman is a favorite, but the Simpsons (of cartoon fame, not Jessica & Ashlee), Evelyn Waugh, and W.B. Yeats are also tapped. What her rant boils down to though is unsurprising: modern communication is at the root of rude behavior. Mobile phones and iPods have left us existing in our own little "bubble worlds," she says. "It used to be just CIA agents with earpieceswho regarded all the little people as irrelevant scum. Now it's nearly everybody." These self-produced bubbles make it easy for rudeness to rule. If someone forgets to hold a door or say "Thank you," it's because, Truss says, they're zoned out in their personal space, and will likely be offended if their lack of manners is pointed out. (The ruder the person, she says, the more easily offended.) Truss certainly earns many chuckles throughout her somewhat rambling musings, but her concern about society's decline is serious. To that end, she offers the words of Willy Loman's wife in Arthur Miller's most famous play on modern-day morality (and we all remember what happens in its last act): "Attention must be paid."--Erica Jorgensen

A Note from Lynne Truss

Dear Amazon customer and fellow stickler,

Theres an odd thing Im finding about my new book, Talk to the Hand. The moment I start describing it to people ("Basically, its about the rudeness of everyday life "), they jump straight in with stories about all the rudeness theyve encountered in the past ten years. When I was trying to tell people about punctuation, engaging their attention was a victory. Well, not this time. "And another thing!" they say, banging the table. "What about cell phones? What about cold callers?" I make a feeble stab at outlining my six good reasons to stay home and bolt the door, also my theory of the alienation of modern life, which is that fundamentally we expect to be met half-way in our dealings with strangers and are continually shocked that this courtesy no longer pertains but who am I kidding? I never get further than the first good reason (the decline of "please", "thank you", and "excuse me") because people are agreeing so vehemently, and Im saying "Absolutely" and "Youre right" and "Actually, some of this is in the book." The thing is: there is nothing original in being against rudeness. Everyone is against rudeness. In fact, very, very rude people object to it strongly. But why does it matter to us so much? Are we so scared of other people? Why do we spend so much of our time saying, "Oh, thats so RUDE"? All I can say is, you could find out from reading the book! But if you'd rather not, best wishes to all sticklers.

Your special pal,

Lynne Truss

The Lynne Truss Collection
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: 2006 Calendar
Making the Cat Laugh

From Publishers Weekly

This isn't a book about good manners, per se. Instead, the British author of Eats, Shoots and Leaves sets out "to mourn... the apparent collapse of civility in all areas of our dealing with strangers; then to locate a tiny flame of hope in the rubble." It's a plea to show some consideration to others, especially in certain areas: (1) "Was That So Hard to Say?" ("thank you"); (2) "Why am I the One Doing This?" (e.g., punching doggedly through the automated switchboard); (3) "My Bubble, My Rules" (forcing others to listen to a private conversation on a mobile phone); (4) "The Universal Eff-Off Reflex" (outrage when antisocial behavior is pointed out); (5) "Booing the Judges" (active disrespect for the umpire, the older person, anyone in authority); and (6) "Someone Else Will Clean It Up" (e.g., rubbish tossed out the car window). Truss expounds on these themes with fine ire, mordant humor and many examples, but it must be said that the result is not so much a book as a heavily padded magazine article. Not that this will bother the many book buyers who will tuck it lovingly into the Christmas stockings of their somewhat discomfited nearest and dearest.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gotham Books; First Edition (November 8, 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 206 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1592401716
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1592401710
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.25 x 7.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,472,469 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #584 in Etiquette Guides & Advice
- #2,795 in Humor Essays (Books)
- #22,419 in Humor & Satire Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
204

About the author

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Lynne Truss

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Lynne Truss is a writer and journalist who started out as a literary editor with a blue pencil and then got sidetracked. The author of three novels and numerous radio comedy dramas, she spent six years as the television critic of The Times of London, followed by four (rather peculiar) years as a sports columnist for the same newspaper. She won Columnist of the Year for her work for Women's Journal. Lynne Truss also hosted Cutting a Dash, a popular BBC Radio 4 series about punctuation. She now reviews books for the Sunday Times of London and is a familiar voice on BBC Radio 4. She lives in Brighton, England.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

204 global ratings

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Right on point--and enteraining too.

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2020

Verified Purchase

I greatly enjoyed Truss’s best-selling book on punctuation, “Eats, Shoots and Leaves,” so when I saw this I grabbed it. It was not disappointing. I will be giving four copies for Christmas. Her rant against rudeness is highly entertaining and right on point. Every chapter reminded me of some incident that I am still annoyed about, but the perpetrators have forgotten. Her point is that it is so easy to be considerate of others, but few bother to do so today. I recommend you give this book to your literate, older children. She is very amusing in her scolding, so it’s an easy read.

One person found this helpful

Thumping the Table

Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2006

Verified Purchase

I loved EATS, SHOOTS AND LEAVES and lined right up for Lynne Truss's new book, TALK TO THE HAND. What I valued about the book on grammar was its unwavering attack, faith and clarity in defining rules, hilarious and outrageous examples of rules violated, and its firm lessons in what to do right. It had a fluent bounce, never dawdled. I looked forward to the same treatment on the subject of manners. That's not exactly what you get.

Manners are subject to relativity; grammar is less so. One can be appalled at rudeness, but you can't come snapping back with the precise correction and fix the problem then and there as you can with a grammar lesson. Truss spends most of her time ranting on six different classes of rudeness and the problems inherent in each, but her chief solution is all there in the subtitle: bolt the door. Darn, I wanted to learn how to fight back.

Truss wanders a lot and spends time on her reading of other more definitive writers on the subject of rudeness, and her list of offenses might not entirely agree with yours, but she does get down to the brass tacks here and there, with trenchant insights framed in perfect, witty language. Her 20 reasons for showing deference and her observations on political correctness and booing judges are worth living through the parts where she is casting about. Also interesting is the odd fact that in the radio biz, broadcasters may not thump the table for emphasis.

4 people found this helpful

Civility Wherefore Art Thou?

Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2017

Verified Purchase

Ms. Truss gives her view of the lack of civility in our society today. I agree with her much of the time. I also feel like shutting my apartment door and not going outside many times. Wry sense of humor along with truths. I didn''t realize that England was uncivil, too, not just urban areas of the U.S.

Barrie S. Gauthier

Down with rudeness!

Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2017

Verified Purchase

Lynne Truss has another winner. Hitting the nail on the head regarding rudeness in the world today. Some may think it pedantic, but someone has to speak to the problem which is rife in today's society. Also, her witty writing is great fun to read. Bravo, Lynne.

Six good things to complain about

Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2007

Verified Purchase

After reading the author's first book, "Eats, Shoots & Leaves," I had very high hopes for another smash hit. I was a bit disappointed since this book doesn't address how to improve our interaction with others, but rather, spends a great deal of time pointing out all that's wrong with society, and the main reasons the author would rather stay home and bolt the door. Although I agree with her criticisms, the wonderful wit and humor present in the first book is not found in this one. Looking for a great read with helpful information to improve yourselt, pick up the auther's first book, "Eats, Shoots & Leaves."

4 people found this helpful

Proper Ettiquette

Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2019

Verified Purchase

Lynn Truss knows her stuff. Highly readable without being heavy-handed. Makes a clear argument for why manners matter.

talk tothe hand

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2010

Verified Purchase

I can recommend this book to anyone interested in human discourse and human interaction. I believe it will elevate the level of my interactions with others.

Funny and often sooooo accurte today!

Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2014

Verified Purchase

Very British (= biting) and fun to read. Lighthearted but so true too. I've given everal of thee to friends (girls) as gifts.

One person found this helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Grandma

Excellent

Reviewed in Canada on April 9, 2023

Verified Purchase

Witty, well written with food for thought

Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in India on May 25, 2017

Verified Purchase

Happy to read this book and receive it in time.

Grammar for all

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 27, 2015

Verified Purchase

Brilliant for those of us who care about English

Alex Abraham

Five Stars

Reviewed in India on July 23, 2015

Verified Purchase

good

Liz Barber

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 30, 2015

Verified Purchase

BRILLIANT - THANKS!

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