Practical Etiquette

Klein, Cora C.Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 155K words
Chapters: 16

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Practical Etiquette by Cora C. KleinAuthor: Klein, Cora C.,Language: English, Class: BJ: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Ethics, Social usages, Etiquette, Religion, Release Date: Oct 13, 2015

Editor's review

Practical Etiquette is a guide to etiquette for everyday social situations, a work in the category of ethics and social customs that discusses how people express respect through proper words and conduct in their interactions. Its readability comes from concrete situations: the norms for introductions, visits, correspondence, dining and public behavior are mostly presented as itemized advice, easy to consult and imitate. As a text of its time, many of its norms bear clear marks of social hierarchy and gender roles; today's reader should both extract its general principles of consideration, tact and awareness of occasion and distinguish which requirements have become obsolete with social change. It suits reference reading on the history of etiquette and social customs, and comparative reading for those who wish to systematically sort out the details of everyday interaction. It is best used with a critical eye, judging each norm by returning it to specific relationships and occasions rather than copying it mechanically.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in social customs and the history of etiquette
Learners who need to understand traditional interaction norms for comparative study
Readers who wish to sort out details of situations such as introductions, visits and correspondence
Practitioners in etiquette training or cross-cultural communication

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking definitive answers on contemporary workplace and business etiquette
Readers expecting systematic theoretical discussion rather than itemized advice
Readers sensitive to old-fashioned norms of gender and class

Reading tips

Read by situation, starting with the chapters on introductions and correspondence you encounter most.
Mark outdated norms as you read and note down their contemporary equivalents.
Discuss the book's cases with others and compare differences in tact across occasions.
Turn the itemized advice into a checklist and review and adjust after real interactions.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Do the etiquette norms in this book still apply today?

Some general principles still hold, such as punctuality, respect for others' space and awareness of occasion; but many specific norms are closely tied to the class and gender roles of their time and are no longer directly applicable. Judge each piece of advice by returning it to specific relationships and situations, keep the core of consideration and respect, and replace outdated forms.

How is this book different from modern etiquette books?

It is closer to a record of the social customs of a particular era, with detailed items, concrete situations and clear value judgments of its time; modern etiquette books are usually framed around contemporary workplace and public life. The former helps you understand how norms took shape, the latter is better for directly consulting current practice; the two can be used together.

How can I read it without finding it trivial?

Don't read it straight through. First choose a situation, such as a first meeting or letter writing, read the relevant items together, then organize them into your own checklist. After reading, test it in a real interaction and note which advice works and which needs adjustment; your reading will then become more focused.

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About the author

Klein, Cora C. Author

Cora C. Klein is an author about whom little public information is available; what can be confirmed is only her name and a single work, Practical Etiquette. Judging from the title, the book belongs to the category of practical guides to etiquette, likely covering everyday social courtesy, manners of speech and conduct, and how to behave in various situations, addressed to ordinary readers who wish to understand and follow accepted rules of propriety. Books of this kind are usually characterized by clear organization and easy reference, with plain language and an emphasis on practical application rather than theoretical discussion, and are therefore often used as handbooks for home or social occasions. Since only this one work is held in the collection and nothing can be verified about her life, nationality, or period of activity, only limited inferences can be made about her writing style and overall influence. Readers studying modern etiquette literature may treat the book as one sample of this kind of practical manual, but should not extend such descriptions to the author herself.