Advice geared to contemporary living on correct behavior in a wide variety of situations.

An indispensable manual to navigating life from birth to death without making a false move. Your neighbor denounces cellular telephones as instruments of the devil. Your niece swears that no one expects thank-you letters anymore. Your father-in-law insists that married women have to take their husbands' names. Your guests plead that asking them to commit themselves to attending your party ruins the spontaneity. Who is right? Miss Manners, of course. With all those amateurs issuing unauthorized etiquette pronouncements, aren't you glad that there is a gold standard to consult about what has really changed and what has not? The freshly updated version of the classic bestseller includes the latest letters, essays, and illustrations, along with the laugh-out-loud wisdom of Miss Manners as she meets the new millennium of American misbehavior head-on. This wickedly witty guide rules on the challenges brought about by our ever-evolving society, once again proving that etiquette, far from being an optional extra, is the essential currency of a civilized world.

The ultimate guide to manners in the real world! Is it rude to keep checking your phone during lunch with a friend? Are handwritten thank-you notes still necessary? A respected etiquette coach solves these modern dilemmas and more-including issues unique to our times, such as privacy and cyberspace, personal interaction in a diverse society, and professional protocol around the globe.

America's new manners. What do you wear to a 4.PM wedding? How do you introduce a couple who are living together but not married? Should you invite an "extra" woman to dinner without an "extra" man? How do you write a letter the President of the U.S.' When a man arrives to see a woman executive, should she stand up? It is ever correct to have your elbows on the table? Should a man be invited to a bridal shower? How do you eat an artichoke?

Filled with practical advice for every occasion, business and pleasure, this updated and revised edition is the most complete and authoritative guide to living well. First published in 1952, this classic guide has been fully updated to reflect the concerns of the modern reader. The advice that has made Amy Vanderbilt the first name in etiquette remains pertinent today. Here is the final word on buying and using stationery, responding to dinner invitations, hosting a party, and attending religious ceremonies. The chapter of the most enduring popularity is, of course, the one on weddings. From addressing invitations to sending thank you notes, everything a bride needs to plan the perfect wedding is easily accessible. In addition to the time-honored guidance that has made this book a treasured reference, this updated edition contains information that addresses modern concerns of every kind. Here is advice on answering cellular phone calls in public, behaving courteously at the gym, and speaking at business meetings. Whether you need to compose an invitation, write a letter of condolence, address your senator, set a dinner table, or buy a gift for a foreign business associate, you will find The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette practical, down-to-earth, and always reliable.