How Rude! - Contents

Contents

In 465 pages, How Rude!: The Teenagers' Guide to Good Manners, Proper Behavior and Not Grossing People Out covers most aspects of life that teens are likely to encounter. The text is broken up into short, "bite-sized" chunks for easy reading.

According to Packer, "Good manners are good for you. They impress people. They build self-esteem. They can help you get what you want from life: friends, fun, success and respect. And they don't cost anything." Seeking to avoid the stereotype of etiquette books as preachy and dull, How Rude! keeps teenage readers amused as they learn the basics of polite behavior in all kinds of situations: at home, at school, in public, with friends, with strangers, at the mall, at the movies, on the phone, online, in conversations, at job interviews, in restaurants, on elevators, in cars, on skateboards, at parties, at formal dinners, on the bus and anywhere they go.

Young readers find out how to cope with cliques, handle friendship problems, be a host with the most (and a guest with the best), offer someone their seat, fight fair, answer invitations, deal with rude adults, respond to bigoted remarks, write a letter, dress properly for any occasion, master the proper techniques for civilized spitting, scratching, sneezing, yawning, coughing, hiccuping, nose-picking and much more.

Hundreds of "Dear Alex" questions and answers cover everything from dating to breaking up, thank-you notes to table manners, ethnic jokes to obscene phone calls, skiing to driving. "True Stories from the Manners Frontier" divulge the shocking consequences of not having good manners. Survey results reveal what teens, parents and teachers think about manners and why they are important.