* What do I wear to a job interview/felony trial/jacuzzi?

* Where does the soup spoon/seafood fork/butter knife go?

To comments on truly modern phenomena:

* Call waiting is like a child screaming for attention

* Leaky earphones are the equivalent of humming

To strictly personal do's and don'ts:

* Don't communicate everything in a marriage ("I had the wildest dream about a man at my office...")

* Do continue the ancient custom of mealtimes, that is, breakfast, lunch, and dinner

And professional guidelines:

* Don't start grabbing company property after being fired

* If a candy dish is on the visitor's side of a receptionist's desk, it is for visitors...

Miss Manners offers consistently sound, sage advice to her Gentle Readers.

With a tipping guide (including coat checks and pizza deliveries), sections devoted to both traditional and nontraditional households, details on protocol for ceremonies and celebrations, invitations and disinvitations, insights on courtship and romance, and much more, this is the comprehensive guide to a kinder, gentler, more civilized society.

Miss Manners' style navigates the passage between refined and precious with ease, and is consistently endearing. She has correctly divined that the only way modern Americans will pay attention to etiquette advice is to couch it in gently humorous language, yet her seriousness pervades each sentence. Her advice on subjects ranging from resolving family feuds to surviving reunions to paying relatives for professional services is straightforward, unambiguous, and as pleasant as a flawless tea party. If you have a family, consider Miss Manners' Guide to Domestic Tranquility your instruction manual. --Rob Lightner