Social Manners

Refinement of Manner will set you on a journey to a finer, more elegant lifestyle, while encouraging and challenging you to become the best person you can be in all areas of life. Social, career, financial, home life... you can balance it all with grace, poise, and talent you never thought you had. This is your way to a greater, more fascinating you! This is the book on becoming beyond mannerly to absolutely elegant and refined. Here are the tools to becoming a refined elegant woman of the 21st century.

Meet Minerva, a doggie who's been very naughty today, as her parents would say. She ripped all the stuffing out of dad's comfiest chair, she peeled off wallpaper, she knocked over the milk, and she even poked her poor brother. But despite all her mischief, no one is paying any attention to her. What does a cute little Boston terrier like Minerva have to do to get noticed?

Why should you chew with your mouth closed? Find out how good manners make mealtime nice for everyone.

With Manners Will Take You Where Brains and Money Won't, Donald James goes beyond handshakes and thank-you notes to explain how the true definition of manners is the authentic and genuine way we show up in the world. With inspiring and thought-provoking stories from his 35 years in public affairs and education at NASA, and guided by the lessons his mother taught him, Donald explains how having good manners is a key ingredient to finding purpose, fulfillment, and meaning in business and in life.

Miss Elizabeth Mapp, magnificent grande dame and heiress, is always on the lookout lest her neighbors fall outside the bounds of perfect, exemplary manners. But her tightly controlled world is soon beset on all sides by interlopers, first in the disturbingly masculine form of two very different retired army officers, both of whom are anything but retiring in their conflicting aims upon her heart.

Pete the Cat and his friends are busy as can be baking cupcakes for a party, and Pete can’t wait to perform with his groovy band. But some of the cupcakes have gone missing! Who could have taken them?

This is a book about a bad seed. How bad? Do you really want to know? He has a bad temper, bad manners, and a bad attitude. He’s been bad since he can remember! This seed cuts in line every time, stares at everybody, and never listens. But what happens when one mischievous little seed changes his mind about himself, and decides that he wants to be - happy? Here is a funny yet touching tale that reminds us of the remarkably transformative power of will, acceptance, and just being you.

Harriet Manners knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a “jiffy” lasts a hundredth of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. She knows that bats always turn left when exiting a cave and that peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite. But she doesn’t know why nobody at school seems to like her. So when Harriet is spotted by a top model agent, she grabs the chance to reinvent herself.

In Manners, Ralph Waldo Emerson expounds on the meaning of customs and politeness in civil society. He argues that the purpose of manners is more to facilitate the creation and proper working of society and not to establish hierarchies.

Meet the good egg. He’s a verrrrrry good egg indeed. But trying to be so good is hard when everyone else is plain ol’ rotten. As the other eggs in the dozen behave badly, the good egg starts to crack from all the pressure of feeling like he has to be perfect. So, he decides enough is enough! It’s time for him to make a change.... Jory John hatches a funny and charming story that reminds us of the importance of balance, self-care, and accepting those who we love (even if they are sometimes a bit rotten).

The kids in room 207 don't know how lucky they are to have a nice teacher like Miss Nelson - until their misbehavior causes her disappearance, and they get Miss Viola Swamp for a substitute.

The Great Eggscape is when the Good Egg and his pals escape their carton and drop into the store for a morning of fun, enjoyed by everybody. Well, almost everybody. Shel (an egg) isn’t a huge fan of group activities, especially when he’s made to be “It” for a game of hide-and-seek. Nevertheless, Shel doesn’t want to let his friends down, so he reluctantly plays, anyway. But after a morning of hiding and seeking, somebody’s still missing. Will the dozen eggs friends ever be reunited?

Of all the women you know, how many of them would you describe as "a lady"? Naturally, you know women who are kind and intelligent, witty and resourceful; but a lady is an altogether different variety of female. She's mindful of the effect she has on those around her, and she's careful not to let her words or appearance betray her true intentions. How to Be a Lady is a charming reminder of what it takes to be an exemplary woman - someone who knows how to breeze through an awkward conversation with poise, or delicately sidestep the beauty salon gossip.

Minding Miss Manners: In an Era of Fake Etiquette is a modern guide to modern manners. Facing down the miscreants purveying false etiquette rules (no, you may not wait a year to send a thank-you note for a gift and yes, in an age of social-media-encouraged over-familiarity you can politely refuse to answer nosy questions), Miss Manners guides you through these turbulent times with her timeless wisdom and archly acid wit.

This cookie has never felt like a smart cookie no matter how hard she tries, especially in comparison to all the clever cupcakes and brilliant rolls in the bakery. Will a dash of creativity and a sprinkle of confidence be enough to help her learn that perfect scores and having all the answers aren’t the only ingredients for intelligence?

When Pigeon finds a delicious hot dog, he can’t wait to devour it. But then along comes a sly duckling who wants a bite. Who will be the more clever bird?

Knucklehead Fred is a whimsical, rhyming story about a fun-loving, energetic boy named Fred. His parents just can’t figure out how to make him sit still and listen! But when Fred finds himself in need of a favor, Mom and Dad use it as a perfect opportunity to teach him a thing or two about responsibility.

The Sour Grape holds grudges for every reason under the sun. Lime never returned a scarf they borrowed? Grudge! Orange never called back? Grudge! But when a friend holds a grudge against the Sour Grape without listening to an explanation, the Sour Grape realizes how unfair grudges can be. Could a bunch of forgiveness and compassion be enough to turn a sour grape sweet?

Amelia Bedelia and her friends are at a school event when they accidentally hurt the feelings of Candy, the new girl in their class. To save their annual ice cream party, Amelia Bedelia and her friends must learn (and practice!) a thing or two about manners, kindness, being polite, and being a good friend.

Everyone knows the cool beans. They’re sooooo cool. And then there’s the uncool has-bean.... Always on the sidelines, one bean unsuccessfully tries everything he can to fit in with the crowd - until one day the cool beans show him how it’s done. With equal measures of humor, wit, and charm, the number one New York Times best-selling Jory John crafts another incredible story, reminding us that it’s cooler to be kind.