The Art of the Compliment: Using Kind Words with Grace and Style

by Christie Matheson

A few well-chosen words can elicit smiles, inspire happiness, transform moods, and turn a bad day into a good one. Philosopher William James once said, “The deepest principle in human nature is the desire to be appreciated.” This is a fun, fabulous, reader-friendly book all about compliments-the history of compliments, how to use them, best-loved compliments, and how to take them.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction

99 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 23, 2009

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Christie Matheson is a writer living in San Francisco and Boston. Her work has appeared in Body & Soul, Glamour, Shape, Boston, San Francisco, Yoga Journal, and The Boston Globe Magazine. She is coauthor of The Confetti Cakes Cookbook, Vineyard Harvest: A Year of Good Food on Martha's Vineyard, and Tea Party and is the author and photographer of the outdoor travel book Discover Rhode Island.

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly full of common sense advice. It's a good reminder, but there are better books out there.

[Thomas Zegray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it swiftly and tried to absorb it. It held my attention.

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a practical guide to the common-sense practice of offering sincere and timely compliments. It would be most useful perhaps to young adults, people who are isolated, and those who go to lots of functions where you don't know hardly anyone. Big print. Lots of examples of what to do and what not to do.