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

3.33 of 5 stars 3.33 · rating details · 2,115 ratings · 341 reviews

"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 courtes...more

Hardcover, 216 pages

Published November 8th 2005 by Gotham (first published January 1st 2005)

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Jul 21, 2008 E rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: politics

I loved Truss's first book. Her outrage at the misuse of apostrophes was appealing but also beguiling because it was so over-the-top with tongue placed firmly in cheek. This book, however, was validating (though not funny) when it was right, but worrisome when it became too far-sweeping and crotchety about social classes.

Everyone loves to feel justified in their outrage after feeling disrespected by strangers or the general public, but attacking entire classes of people (the workers, the fans,...more I loved Truss's first book. Her outrage at the misuse of apostrophes was appealing but also beguiling because it was so over-the-top with tongue placed firmly in cheek. This book, however, was validating (though not funny) when it was right, but worrisome when it became too far-sweeping and crotchety about social classes.

Everyone loves to feel justified in their outrage after feeling disrespected by strangers or the general public, but attacking entire classes of people (the workers, the fans, those rotten teenagers) and defending those at the top (the rich, the famous, your "elders," and the customers at the cash register) risks sounding too nostalgic for the Victorian era of servants. I agree with her thesis that there is a sad tolerance for "the utter bloody rudeness of everyday life" and not enough reverence for the value of trying to be polite for politeness' sake, but I don't agree with all of her reasons for it. When she bashes rude clerks and aggressive pedestrians who readily scream "You rich bitch!" she elicits sympathy. She then loses it when she defends the victims as belonging to a class that should be utterly immune to this unjust behavior brought about by the rabble and blames egalitarianism for what rich folks now must suffer. "Are rich people actually that bad?" she asks.

No, not most of them. But anyone who has worked as a lowly clerk or assistant at a "private box" or "gentleman's club" can testify that yes, some upper class people are still convinced despite egalitarianism that they are allowed to behave selfishly in the presence of someone they consider less successful - and thus, less important - than themselves. You see it frequently, whether they are exploding without restraint at a teacher or cook whose job is difficult enough without their extra emotion, or simply making a driver wait for hours as they stay overtime at an event without any regard for the family of the person waiting on them.

When she adds how abhorrent it is that some older people are actually called by (GASP!) their first names by the younger generation, I wonder if she's secretly wishing to return to the days of "thou" and "you," when hierarchies could REALLY be emphasized.

To me, the solution is not in proving that this new populist rudeness is tossed upon the undeserving but that it should not be enacted toward anyone by anyone. Despite Truss's claims to the contrary, the class-based past in which the servile were expected to kowtow and the rich were allowed to behave as they wished WAS INDEED awful. Her point should be that yes, the egalitarian movement has led to both sides acting without consideration, but the goal should be respect for everyone regardless of status. That's the definition of egalitarianism, after all.

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Sep 21, 2009 Alicia rated it 4 of 5 stars

After witnessing a congressman shout out "You lie" to a sitting US president on the news, a rapper rudely interrupt another singer's acceptance award, various sports figures acting childishly, this book is a breath of fresh air. It confirms that not all of us in today's society accept the common rudeness so commonly displayed in this day and age.

This book is also a fun read, much like Ms. Truss' "Eats, Shoots & Leaves". It's a fast read and not easily put down! Though it's not a "manners" bo...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Benjamin Duffy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor, non-fiction

Wow, I can't remember being this disappointed with a book...well, I was going to say "in a long time," but I might more accurately say "ever." In terms of disparity between my expectations and the reality, this is the most disappointing book I've ever read. I give it one star, and a glance over my reviews will demonstrate that I almost never do that.

I read, and loved, Truss's previous work, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. It was funny, erudite, and most imp...more Wow, I can't remember being this disappointed with a book...well, I was going to say "in a long time," but I might more accurately say "ever." In terms of disparity between my expectations and the reality, this is the most disappointing book I've ever read. I give it one star, and a glance over my reviews will demonstrate that I almost never do that.

I read, and loved, Truss's previous work, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. It was funny, erudite, and most importantly, it was self-righteous and self-important in exactly the right places and right amounts. That it dealt with a topic dear to my heart (the gradual erosion of literacy through shoddy grammar and punctuation) only made it more enjoyable for me.

So when I sat down to read Talk to the Hand, I expected something similar: a humorous yet fiery diatribe, rich with research and examples, only in this case railing against the decline of personal manners rather than grammar. What I got was a crotchety, unfunny whine-fest that continually tried to extrapolate bad manners into low overall moral character. She takes the flamethrower to entire armies of strawmen in this book, as I've simply never met anyone as rude as some of her examples. Her stories about eight-year old kids cussing out their parents in public sound exactly like the "what is our country coming to" chain e-mails I used to get forwarded to me by my fifty-something aunts and cousins years ago, and they ring horribly false. In addition, she lets some rather ugly biases slip with blithe references to "shaven-headed bling bling gangstas" and such.

Worst of all, this wasn't even a fun read. Unlike her last book, which was so stuffed with content that the pages flew by, this one dragged and was amazingly repetitive. Honestly, I was a little worried when I found myself fighting the temptation to skim the end of the introduction, thinking "OK, I get it, I get it, I get it..." This book felt like a 20-page magazine article stretched into a 200-page book. And Truss's decision to sanitize the word fuck into Eff (e.g. Eff this, Eff you, you Effing such-and-such) was jarring, off-putting, and made large stretches of the book just plain annoying to slog through. All in all, this was a grumpy, miserable, spittle-flecked little book, and I can't discourage you strongly enough from picking it up. Stick to the book with the pandas on the cover.(less)

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Oct 12, 2010 PurplyCookie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

I liked Truss' first book about grammar "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" which was hilarious. So when I saw this book at the bookstore selling for a discounted price, I snatched it up. 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)...more

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Oct 01, 2010 Elizabeth added it · review of another edition

You know, it's very easy to read Lynne Truss--she writes smooth and amusing prose, and you're halfway through the book before you realize that it isn't going ANYWHERE.

If this woman hadn't already written a bestseller that actually gives reasonable advice I don't *really* think any editor would have considered publishing this grouchy and extended rant about nothing. Half of it doesn't even have to do with politeness (her supposed topic), or lack thereof, but about the author's personal dislikes o...more

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Apr 16, 2008 Roxanne rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fogies and hooligans alike

Shelves: nonfiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In essence, Truss rants about rudeness for the same reasons that she does about punctuation: that the lack of good manners and the escalation of rude behavior both signals and contributes to the downfall of society. She makes a good argument for just being nicer to each other, for pity's sake.

Truss covers all varieties of rudeness, from drivers who cut you off on the highway and give you the finger, to loud cell phone conversations on the train, to the endless automated menus you get when you ca...more

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Nov 22, 2007 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

From a blog post I wrote in 2005:

I adored Lynn Truss' first book, Eat, Shoots & Leaves. It was a great rant against the deterioration of our grammar skills. As someone who cringes every time she sees people use 'loose' instead of 'lose', 'you're' instead of 'your' or 'irregardless' in any fashion I found myself agreeing with every word of that text.

Truss' new book, Talk to the Hand - The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door, is another...more

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Jun 17, 2007 Jafar rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Queen of Apostrophe turns into Ms. Manners, even though she swears that this book is not a manners manual. She also swears that she’s not some grumpy old woman. She just wants to rant about how eff-ing rude everyone has become. For a book that complains about rudeness, there’s plenty of F-word for you in this book.

Turss attempts at some humor in this book, but to be fair to her, I don’t think her main point was being funny. A lot of people seem to be disappointed that this book is not as ha...more

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Mar 23, 2009 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Author Truss brought us "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves" and now brings us "Talk to the Hand.." Respect, courtesy, kindness, and consideration are discussed here. Current society all over the world is generally rude, impatient, lax, condescending, and disrespectful (I think we are all aware of this, but if we we are, then why is this problem still so prevalent?). My favorite lines include:
- "...the individual personality wastes no time bolstering its defenses"
- "... it's become fashionable never to lo...more

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Feb 22, 2009 Sasha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Best buck I ever spent! Literally, this book cost me a dollar at Family Dollar in Providence (hurry and get a copy!). As I was flipping through it out of curiosity, a few things caught my eye so I figured that for a dollar I couldn't really go wrong.

This book has it all. It is hilarious, laugh out loud funny--mainly, I believe, because the author is British and Brits have such a way with words. It's also insightful, revealing, and thought-provoking. I found myself at once relieved to hear from...more Best buck I ever spent! Literally, this book cost me a dollar at Family Dollar in Providence (hurry and get a copy!). As I was flipping through it out of curiosity, a few things caught my eye so I figured that for a dollar I couldn't really go wrong.

This book has it all. It is hilarious, laugh out loud funny--mainly, I believe, because the author is British and Brits have such a way with words. It's also insightful, revealing, and thought-provoking. I found myself at once relieved to hear from someone who was bugged by the same things as myself, and depressed at the current prevalent disregard for common decency.

**Warning** There is quite a little bit of swearing, and a plethora of "Eff Off" quotes and references. Sadly, it is necessary in the context of the book. I did feel it got slightly out of hand, but for the most part it gave me even more pause to think and reflect on myself and the societal psyche.

This book also gave me a new word: solipsistic.

What it really boils down to is that there is a difference between "etiquette" and "courtesy" and there are MORAL implications to manners. Here is my favorite paragraph of the book:

"Manners never were enforceable, in any case. Indeed, for many philosophers, this is regarded as their chief value: that they are voluntary. In 1912, the jurist John Fletcher Moulton claimed in a landmark speech that the greatness of a nation resided not in its obedience to laws, but in its abiding by conventions that were not obligatory. 'Obedience to the unenforceable' was the phrase that was picked up by other writers--and it leads us to the most important aspect of manners: their philosophical elusiveness. Is there a clear moral dimension to manners? Can you equate civility and virtue? My own answer would be yes, despite all the famous counter-examples of blood-stained dictators who had exquisite table manners and never used their mobile phone in a crowded train compartment to order mass executions. It seems to me that, just as the loss of punctuation signalled the vast and under-acknowledged problem of illiteracy, so the collapse of manners stands for a vast and under-acknowledged problem of social immorality. Manners are based on an ideal of empathy, of imagining the impact of one's own actions on others. They involve doing something for the sake of other people that is not obligatory and attracts no reward. In the current climate of unrestrained solipsistic and aggressive self-interest, you can equate good manners not only with virtue but with positive heroism."

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May 10, 2012 Nenia Campbell rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: x-2005s

growing up, there was only one thing my parents were really strict about - well, apart from schoolwork - and that was good manners. i am constantly amazed by how thoroughly rudeness has permeated american culture. what kind of world do we live in, i ask you, when you ask if someone needs help with a stack of heavy boxes or whether someone crying is ok, and are treated to a look of suspicion? one time, i opened a door for a lady juggling a satchel, a rolling backpack, and a starbucks latte, and s...more growing up, there was only one thing my parents were really strict about - well, apart from schoolwork - and that was good manners. i am constantly amazed by how thoroughly rudeness has permeated american culture. what kind of world do we live in, i ask you, when you ask if someone needs help with a stack of heavy boxes or whether someone crying is ok, and are treated to a look of suspicion? one time, i opened a door for a lady juggling a satchel, a rolling backpack, and a starbucks latte, and she looked at me as if she were about to cry and said, "nobody's ever opened a door for me before."

"whyyyyyyy?"

so as you can imagine, i was all set to enjoy this book. i think politeness is very important. and despite how others may view me, i know that my manners are not perfect - in fact, sometimes, i can be pretty close to downright rude - so i was looking forward to a humorous guide to being 'proper' in the tongue-in-cheek style of eats shoots and leaves. alas, i was disappointed.

instead of being a field guide, this is more of a rant about how rude we all are, supported by various case studies from the author's own personal experiences, or from studies or news reports. i can appreciate the value of a good rant, but that's really more for what blogs are for, in my opinion. if i buy a book, i expect something more substantial than tenuously linked complaints.

"...and i was hoping for a different reaction."

also, i didn't really appreciate all her snide remarks about how youth were pretty much beyond salvation, and that if our skin wasn't wrinkly, we shouldn't even bother reading the book. i know she was attempting to be funny, but i found that very - dare i say it? - rude. what's that old saying, you can't teach a dog new tricks? most of the elderly people i know are fairly set in their ways, and unlikely to change. why alienate the people most capable of, and therefore most likely to, change their behavior? it's complete poppycock!

"poppycock, i tell you!"

i am frequently told that i am "too polite" in tones that suggest that this is not a compliment. i treat their comments as if they are (though some people have actually corrected me and said, 'no, that is not a compliment. you need to be ruder.') because what else can you really do? say, "and what finishing school did you go to?" or simply, "eff off"? no.

there's a lesson to be found in this: it's called futility.

and on that note, here is my own little list of petpeeves for your voyeuristic pleasure.

-people telling me that thanking cashiers is redundant because they're being paid to serve you.

-people cutting in front of my car without signalling. i have seen people so anxious to get through intersections that they cut off pedestrians while they are in the middle of crossing the street. not ok! i always stop for pedestrians; their grateful smiles make my heart hurt.

-pushing without apologizing has become commonplace. ditto shoving. and if you apologize, you often get a dirty look in return, as if the person in question is saying, "yeah, you better be."

-addressing professors by their first names. some ask you to. i cannot do this. it goes against what my parents taught me about treating respectable people with the proper amount of politeness and makes me deeply uncomfortable. at best, i can manage "professor [name]" or "doctor [name]."

-saying "what?" instead of saying "pardon?" tbh, i learned this in the united kingdom and it stuck with me. contrary to what ms. truss believes, people in england and scotland are significantly politer than most americans.

-holding open the doors and having people not say thank you. or having people shove past you as you are trying to go through the door yourself. or letting the door slam on you as you are trying to exit the building. sometimes they apologize for this latter. more often not, though.

-people holding loud telephone conversations in a small room. now i can understand trains, buses, and hallways - some people are busy with class and work and other things all day long and this is the only time they have to make appointments/call the fam. but when i am with a friend or a colleague and they keep me waiting, or just loudly broadcast their daily goings-on; okay, yeah, i'm with ms. truss. that is incredibly annoying - and rude. ditto people who walk into a quiet room, workplace, or library and completely disregard anyone who was already in the room.

-i also dislike how freely strangers feel they can solicit opinions to complete strangers. particularly criticism. i recently had a woman tell me that a book i was looking at in the store was probably too "adult" for me. not in the pornographic sense, but in the psychological sense: it was a classic, and she assumed that i not only hadn't read it, but that i wouldn't be able to understand it if i did (and i actually had read it already...).

in sum, lynne truss's message can basically be summed up with this .gif:

one-point-five stars, rounded up to two for politeness's sake. :)

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Jul 30, 2011 Claire added it

It was OK. Nowhere near as good as "Eats, Shoots & Leaves", though. In fact, in parts it came across as positively fuddy-duddy, old-fashioned and technophobic to boot. The rants about the internet seemed a little ill-conceived; Personally, I've never considered that the internet is there for my convenience or that it somehow owes it to me to be user-friendly. Nor do I have a problem with people using expressions such as "No problem!" instead of "You're welcome!" or "There you go!" instead of...more

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Jun 12, 2010 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Talk to the Hand. Lynne Truss. 2005. Gotham Books. 202 pages. ISBN 1592401716.

Talk to the Hand's subtitle is "The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door". Author Lynne Truss (who wrote bestselling Eats, Shoots & Leaves about grammar gripes) presents a formal rant about rudeness in today's society.

This book was given to me as a gift from a fellow bookcrosser after I was rudely bashed in a forum on a website I will not mention here. Interne...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, humorous-writing

This is both more thoughtful and more humorous than the title implies. It was interesting to compare cultural and generational differences in our approaches to social interaction. I agree with her on many points, but I also live in a small town in Wisconsin, where most of the people I meet on the street or in stores are nice to strangers because that's still how we're raised to be. Many of her experiences in "shops" or when using public transportation don't really apply to my daily experience. I...more

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Sep 11, 2010 Joe Robles rated it 5 of 5 stars

A very humorous look at rudeness in society today. From the rudeness of sales clerks & people being rude to sales clerks to cell phone usage in public. A very laugh out loud look at how our society is changing. Truss is English and her book has a very British tone to it. What is funny is that she feels that Britain is ruder than America, especially when it comes to the service industry. I get such rare excellent service that I make a point of telling people whenever it happens. I find it har...more

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Nov 24, 2009 Tom rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a 200 page rant (the author acknowledges this) against the death of courtesy in our society. And she's right She talks about such discourtesies as talking on cell phones in restaurants, movie theaters, etc. She talks about having conversations interrupted when the other participant in the conversation takes a call on her cell. She talks about the overall rude behavior of clerks, waiters, cashiers, etc. Other subjects include the modern trend of companies to foist their work off onto the...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Daryn Hardy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Years ago, like most of the western world at the time, I read and enjoyed 'eats shoots and leaves', which was afunny book on a topic notoften discussed outside of literary circles. Unfortunately I didn't respond quite as well to this book, which is surprising as I agreed wholeheartedly with the book's (long) title. I think that the main premise of the book, which is to describe how rudeness and general good manners have declined or appeared to have declined in recent years, just wasn't strong en...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

There's not a whole lot of difference between this book and a bunch of ranty forum or blog posts. Truss laments 'today's society' and insists that unlike the previous thousands of years of hand-wringing despair, it really is happening this time really truly.

There's all sorts of little anecdotes that show just how awful children/the lower classes/etc. are, and they read like a hardcover shitthatdidnthappen.txt. Maybe Britain's some kind of social cesspool? I have my doubts.

She's incensed that ba...more

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Feb 18, 2012 A.J. rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the theory parts of this book: a quick recap of why manners develop and how they relate to etiquette and social changes. Other parts were more of a 'Grumpy Old Woman' rant, although I agree with a lot of what Lynne Truss feels about the behaviour of people today. One thing I do object to is the title, though: very early in the book Truss says "this isn't true of France" and the use of the word 'world' in the title doesn't reflect the fact that her book is pretty much just about life in...more

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Jun 12, 2011 Ryandake rated it 1 of 5 stars

i don't think i'll be staying home to bolt the door.

are people that much ruder in britain than in america? i am trying to figure what sent ms. truss into such a tirade.

it is a funny tirade at times, i have to admit. but there's ultimately no there there. ms. truss never quite seems to pull together a useful or insightful critique of modern manners (or lack thereof). neither does she offer much insight into why people are ruder these days. i'd try to offer you, dear reader, a more insightful cri...more

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Dec 19, 2010 Justin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: funny, nonfiction

This was a quick read that elicited a lot of sympathetic head-nodding and a few wry grins, but didn't really ignite a whole lot of deep thought. I mean, that wasn't really the point of the book, I guess. It follows the same curmudgeonly formula as Truss's previous book, this time tackling our society's ubiquitous rudeness instead of the misuse of punctuation. This one doesn't quite hit the same right notes, though.

Truss admits right off the bat that she is writing a "moral homily" that doesn't h...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Truss goes on a snarky and somewhat crude rant about our lack of civility. Ironic, I guess. But she blames it on elbow skin... which I get entirely.

"It does, however, have to be admitted that the outrage reflex ("Oh, that's so RUDE!") presents itself in most people at just about the same time as their elbow skin starts to give out. Check out your own elbow skin. If it snaps back into position after bending, you probably shouldn't be reading this book. If, on the other hand, it just sits there in...more

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Apr 22, 2010 Brent rated it 2 of 5 stars

I suppose I could have given this book 2.5 stars, but that's about it. The book discusses how society is becoming increasingly impolite, rude, etc, but it should also make clear that the society in question seems to primarily be British society. I don't mind that the author is British and used most examples from her own society, but throughout the book I kept having this feeling that I was learning more about British society than I was about social rudeness, or at least in ways that such rudenes...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Lily rated it 5 of 5 stars

Love Lynne Truss. As usual, her writing here is hysterically funny and yet profound. She is a self-proclaimed fuddy duddy who here thoughtfully and introspectively reflects on the place of manners in our society. Although people have been bemoaning the decline of human civility since the 15th century (and probably before), Truss explains the value in examining our moment in time and how it shapes our interactions with each other. While historically some manners have been used to separate the sno...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Greg rated it 2 of 5 stars

Truss' goal in doing this book is laudable - to address what's become an epidemic of incivility, ill-manners and outright rude behavior, particularly in Britain and America. Ultimately she fails, and she fails for a very simple reason: Truss' breaking-point frustration with the phenomenon places her at odds with her own chosen ideology.

Early in the book she calls herself a "liberal" - and that designation is nearly as big a peeve for me as is misuse of the apostrophe. I harbor this odd notion th...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars

c 2005. My first thought when trying to review this book (for my own pleasure and reminder) is that it did not live up to the glowing reviews mentioned in the blurb (both inside and outside). It was interesting in parts but did not seem "so lively, so witty, so exhilaratingly splenetic" as gushed by Craig Brown of the Mail on Sunday. Iowa got a mention towards the end of the book under the chapter heading of "Someone Else will clean it up". Ms Truss was ruminating on the remoteness of communitie...more

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May 18, 2012 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor, non-fiction, 2012-challenge

Not quite as electrifying (personally) as Eats, Shoots & Leaves, but quite enjoyable all the same. I particularly enjoyed Truss's criticism of automated phone recordings (e.g. when you call the cable company), and how, despite the multitude of polite words the automated voices use, these systems are the opposite of polite because they do not attempt to meet the customer halfway; they are entirely for the company's convenience. Her examination of private/public space was also interesting; wit...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Lexie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: essays, humanity-s-heart, mind, relations, standouts, comical

Umpteen stars for knocking flat the rudeness that we do! "This is an age of lazy moral relativism combined with aggressive social insolence ... Rudeness is a universal flashpoint."

Lynne Truss is, to me, like a kick-ass Emily Post. Lynne is also English and hilarious; Without mentioning any institutions by name, she skewers contempt in all its tarry forms. "Manners are based on an ideal of empathy," she writes, and I get to wondering if all sociopaths are not born -- some are made by cruel behav...more Umpteen stars for knocking flat the rudeness that we do! "This is an age of lazy moral relativism combined with aggressive social insolence ... Rudeness is a universal flashpoint."

Lynne Truss is, to me, like a kick-ass Emily Post. Lynne is also English and hilarious; Without mentioning any institutions by name, she skewers contempt in all its tarry forms. "Manners are based on an ideal of empathy," she writes, and I get to wondering if all sociopaths are not born -- some are made by cruel behavioural choices -- predatory choices. There's lots of applause for clawing your way to the top; Truss thinks that social status (which once was conferred largely to one's birth and lineage) is now marked by celebrity and money -- in other words, the more bling you have, the better you are.

Quotes:

"Manners ... make us feel safe in the company of strangers."

"Abuse is the currency of all reality shows. People being vulgar and rude to each other in contrived, stressful situations is TV's bread and butter."

"This is an age of social autism ... People are trapped in a kind of blind, brute state of materialism." (I agree. "A blind, brute state of materialsm" sounds a lot like sheer survival -- and that's the state that most humans are living in nowadays, despite the bullshit of bling.)

" Please, thank you, excuse me, sorry -- little words, but how much they mean."

"Courtesy words are our most elementary way of indicating that we are aware of the presence of other people, and of the impact we may be having on them ... We are not invisible to one another. Attention must be paid."

"... the question of whether politeness makes society cohere, or keeps other people safely at arm's length, is actually a false opposition. Politeness does both ..."

"The discomfiting behaviour of others is one of humanity's preoccupations ..."

"Bill Clinton famously said in a State of the Union address that the internet was the new town square. Kate Fox calls it the new garden fence. It isn't though, is it? It's people sitting on their own, staring straight ahead, tapping keyboards, often in dim light, surrounded by old coffee cups and plates with crumbs. ... Sitting at screens and clicking buttons is a very bad training for life in the real world."

"... I really this has gone too far, this worship of choice. ... 'Eight thousand things to do before you die!' offer the magazines. No wonder we are in a permanent state of agitation, thinking of all the unpicked choices and whether we've missed something." (less)

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Mar 31, 2008 Primadonna rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. I have mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed reading the first part. So much fun! Suitable for sticklers like me. (And a snob too, haha) But when I got to the second part, it became quite boring and repetitive.

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Mar 08, 2013 Johanna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: humour

An hilarious rant about the dreadful state of manners in Britain (and America, sometimes). After having read Eats, Shoots & Leaves, I was expecting unputdownable humour, and wasn't disappointed. There are some real laugh out loud moments, especially her frequently well-timed uses of 'Eff off'.

Written in an open, almost intimate conversation style, and genuinely funny, one might be forgiven for thinking that Britain is full of rude b*stards and devoid of social niceties, but I read it with a...more

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About Lynne Truss

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...more

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Books by Lynne Truss

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference!

The Girl's Like Spaghetti: Why, You Can't Manage without Apostrophes!

Twenty-Odd Ducks: Why, every punctuation mark counts!

The Lynne Truss Treasury: Columns and Three Comic Novels

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“Manners are about imagination, ultimately. They are about imagining being the other person.” — 19 people liked it

“Many aspects of our screen-bound lives are bad for our social skills simply because we get accustomed to controlling the information that comes in, managing our relationships electronically, deleting stuff that doesn't interest us. We edit the world; we select from menus; we pick and choose; our social 'group' focuses on us and disintegrates without us. This makes it rather confusing for us when we step outdoors and discover that other people's behaviour can't be deleted with a simple one-stroke command or dragged to the trash icon.” — 8 people liked it

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title link	preview: 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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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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