Lynne Truss

An upbeat evaluation of the way discourteous behavior has become commonplace and even applauded in today's society is a humorous call to arms that challenges ill manners and the practices that support them. By the author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves. 500,000 first printing.

The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, Or, Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door

Talk to the Hand

Sarah Sammis

Talk to the Hand: 08/21/09
Talk to the Hand by Lynne Truss offers to do for manners what her book Eats Leaves and Shoots does for grammar and punctuation. She has six topics: basic manners, who should be doing it, personal space, rude words, respecting authority and personal responsibility.

I really hoped to learn something about the history or cultural differences of her six topics but the book doesn't follow through. Instead the book has six loosely themed rants about society today and the inconveniences of her life.

Instead of learning about manners I learned that Truss hates technology, holds a grudge against anyone who doesn't play by her version of polite behavior, spends enough money on her credit card while traveling to cause her bank to panic, and hates the forced politeness at places like Walmart. None of these rants are especially funny.

Chris Aldrich

An entertaining opening that deteriorates as it proceeds. This is essentially a collection of six medium length articles (newspaper columns) that have a coherent theme that are tied together by an entertaining opening article. 

It stays away from being a modern-day manners book, yet seems to do the same thing anyway by making fun of poor behavior. It does a reasonable job of showing the deterioration and changes in manners over the past several decades.

The latter several essays take a "stay off my lawn you darn kids" and didn't seem to have the heart or comedy of the rest of the first half. She still makees some great points about society however. Sadly it's more defeatist in tone that I would have hoped, but this is more than made up for by its dry humor.

Talk to the Hand The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, Or, Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door

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