50 Things Every Young Gentleman Should Know Revised and Expanded: What to Do, When to Do It, and Why
208
50 Things Every Young Gentleman Should Know Revised and Expanded: What to Do, When to Do It, and Why
208eBook
Overview
A young man's guide to becoming the type of guy that people respect and enjoy.
50 Things Every Young Gentleman Should Know is a young man’s guide to becoming the type of guy that people respect and enjoy. He knows how to shake hands. He knows how to be a good sport. He knows how to give a genuine compliment and how to speak his mind without being offensive. His friends listen to what he has to say, and he returns the favor. He knows how to achieve the perfect knot in a necktie and, more important, he knows when he should be wearing a tie in the first place. Oh, and his favorite ball cap? He knows when to wear it and when to leave it at home on his dresser. Becoming a gentleman doesn’t happen in an instant; it’s a lifelong exercise in refining etiquette, social interaction, and personal discipline. It all begins here.
In this book, you’ll
- learn how to gain trust and earn respect,
- understand how to do things the right way and why it’s important, and
- realize immediate payoffs for good behavior.
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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781401604660 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Harper Horizon |
| Publication date: | 01/02/2012 |
| Series: | The GentleManners Series |
| Sold by: | HarperCollins Publishing |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 208 |
| File size: | 714 KB |
| Age Range: | 8 - 14 Years |
About the Author
John Bridges, author of How to Be a Gentleman, is also the coauthor, with Bryan Curtis, of seven other volumes in the best-selling GentleManners series. He is a frequent guest on television and radio news programs, always championing gentlemanly behavior in modern society. Bridges has appeared on the Today Show, the Discovery Channel, and CBS Sunday Morning, and has been profiled in People magazine and the New York Times.
Bryan Curtis is an author and the president of Dance Floor Books. He is the author/coauthor and editor of more than 25 books, including My South, My Southern Food, Classic Wisdom for the Good Life, Classic Wisdom for the Professional Life, and the popular GentleManners series.
Read an Excerpt
50 THINGS EVERY YOUNG GENTLEMAN SHOULD KNOW
WHAT TO DO, WHEN TO DO IT, AND WHYBy John Bridges Bryan Curtis
Rutledge Hill Press
Copyright © 2007 John Bridges and Bryan CurtisAll right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-40160-294-9
Chapter One
Saying "Please"
Saying "please" is the simplest thing you will ever have to do. It is like taking the easiest class at your school. It is a slam dunk. It's probably smart to start using the word "please" as often as you can, beginning right now. It will make life go much more smoothly for you.
Here's what's in it for you: Remember when you were three or four and you would ask for something, and before your mom would give it to you, she would stand there asking, "What do you say?" and of course you would say, "Pleeeeeeeese." And she would give it to you. That was cute when you were three. But look how old you are now.
If you haven't already started using "please" all the time, you should be worried. And your parents certainly ought to be concerned. They may even be asking themselves, "Should we even bother putting him in the will?" or "Why should we be worrying about sending him to college? He can't even say 'please.'"
Start practicing now:
At the breakfast table, you don't say, "Can I have some cereal?"
Instead, you say, "May I have some cereal, please?"
If somebody asks, "Do you want sugar on your cereal?" you don't say, "Yeah."
Instead, you say, "Yes, please."
If you're on a crowded elevator, you don't say, "Can somebody over there press nine?"
Instead, you say, "Would someone press nine, please?"
If you come to the door, and your hands are full, you don't say, "Hey! Somebody get the door!" Instead, you say, "Would you hold the door open for me, please?"
"Please" is a lot like plasma televisions, great cars, and having cash in your pocket. It makes the world a nicer place to live in.
Learn how to use it, and start using it now. It will take you far.
* You do
Say "please" any time you are asking someone to do something for you. That means, when you're in a restaurant, you say to the waiter, "May I have another soda, please?"
* You don't
Assume, just because other people are doing their jobs, that you don't have to show appreciation for their efforts.
* Why
One day you will realize that you should be as nice to the person who opens the door for you at Trump Tower as you would be to Donald Trump himself. If you learn that now, you will be way ahead of the game.
A gentleman knows that "please" and "thank you" go together like nachos and cheese.
* * *
A gentleman says "please" to anyone offering him assistance. It does not matter if he is being offered an order of fries or free tickets to a football game.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from 50 THINGS EVERY YOUNG GENTLEMAN SHOULD KNOW by John Bridges Bryan Curtis Copyright © 2007 by John Bridges and Bryan Curtis. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction xi
1 Saying "Please" 1
2 Saying "Thank You" 4
3 Saying "Excuse Me" 8
4 Making an Apology 11
5 Accepting an Apology 15
6 Introducing Your Friends to Your Parents 18
7 Saying "Ma'am" and "Sir" 22
8 Asking Permission 25
9 Paying a Compliment 28
10 Accepting a Compliment 31
11 Knowing When to Keep Your Mouth Shut 34
12 Listening to and Talking to Adults 37
13 Shaking Hands 41
14 Meeting People with Physical Challenges 45
15 Accepting a Gift You Don't Like 48
16 Accepting a Gift You Like 52
17 Writing a Thank You Note 55
18 Selecting a Gift 59
19 Answering the Telephone 63
20 Taking Phone Messages 69
21 Using a Cell Phone 73
22 Winning Well 79
23 Losing Well 82
24 How to Act in Places Where You Are Bored 85
25 How to Behave in a Movie Theater 89
26 Traveling on an Airplane 93
27 Walking in Front of Other People 97
28 Responding to Invitations 100
29 Using a Napkin 104
30 Using the Correct Fork 108
31 Using a Knife and Fork 112
32 Refusing Foods You Can't Eat 115
33 Dealing with Foods You Don't Like 118
34 Ordering from a Menu 122
35 How to Use Chopsticks 126
36 Opening the Door for Other People 128
37 A Gentleman Goes Online 131
38 Borrowing and Sharing 139
39 The Unzipped Zipper and Other Embarrassing Situations 143
40 Boundaries: Yours and Theirs 147
41 Taking Pride in Your Appearance 151
42 Tying Your Own Tie 155
43 Shining Your Shoes 160
44 When to Take Off Your Cap 164
45 Taking Care of Your Fingernails 167
46 Handkerchiefs and Tissues 169
47 Picking Up After Your Pet 172
48 Picking Up After Yourself 176
49 Putting Down the Toilet Seat 180
50 Personal Hygiene 183
Index 187