Hilarious etiquette and manners guide teaches teens how to use manners to gain respect, feel good about themselves, and enjoy life to the fullest.
Discussing etiquette and manners from common courtesies to cell-phone smarts to classroom decorum, Alex J. Packer blends outrageous humor with sound advice as he explains why etiquette and manners are important—because people who know how to handle themselves in social situations come out on top, get what they want, feel good about themselves, and enjoy life to the fullest.
Full of practical tips for every occasion, How Rude! is a serious etiquette and manners encyclopedia—and a hilarious read. This revised and updated edition describes the basics of polite behavior in all kinds of situations at home, in school, online, and in the world.
For more must-have advice from Alex J. Packer, Ph.D., check out Slaying Digital Dragons: Tips and tools for protecting your body, brain, psyche, and thumbs from the digital dark side.
About the Author :
'Etiquette Guru to the Youth of America,' Alex J. Packer, Ph.D., is an educator, psychologist, and award-winning author of numerous books for parents and teenagers including How Rude! The Teen Guide to Good Manners, Proper Behavior, and Not Grossing People Out and Slaying Digital Dragons ™ Tips and tools for protecting your body, brain, psyche, and thumbs from the digital dark side. Alex's books have been translated into many languages, including Spanish, German, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Mandarin, Greek, Romanian, and Serbian.
Alex is sought after by the media for his provocative commentary on manners, child-rearing, and substance abuse prevention, and has been the subject of numerous radio, television, and print interviews. Alex has led workshops and lectured widely across the United States and around the world. Talks have taken him to locations as far-flung as Caracas, Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Paris, Hamburg, Shanghai, Bogota, Beijing, Tokyo, and Mexico City.
Numerous associations have invited Alex to speak and lead workshops at their conferences, including the European Council of International Schools (ECIS), National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), Association of Boarding Schools (TABS), Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE) and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
For 14 years, Alex was President and CEO of FCD Educational Services. Founded in 1976 and recently acquired by Hazelden, FCD is the leading nonprofit provider of onsite K-12 substance abuse prevention services for schools throughout the United States and in over 65 countries abroad. For eight years, Alex was headmaster of an innovative alternative school in Washington, DC for children ages 11-15. He also served as Director of Education for the Capital Children's Museum.
His feature-length screenplay, "Digby and Fly," won Grand Prize in the Massachusetts Film Office Screenwriting Competition. His proposal for an interactive family television series was optioned by Popular Arts Entertainment in Los Angeles. Alex graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy and holds undergraduate and Master's degrees from Harvard University and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Ph.D. in Educational and Developmental Psychology from Boston College.
Review :
“It is difficult to make a topic like etiquette seem relevant and appealing to teenagers, but that is exactly what Packer accomplishes. Drawing heavily on surveys of teens, parents, and teachers to target which situations were most pertinent, the opening chapters successfully sell the importance of manners to both the individual and society . . . This is advice on issues that teens care about.”
The first edition of this etiquette guide for teens, published in 1997, is now itself a teenager. This updated edition tackles social media, Google, and the ubiquity of cell phones, travel post 9/11, cyberbullying, and online gaming—but the heart of the book remains the same. Packer explains what good manners are and why they are important, covering hundreds of situations and offering brief, lighthearted advice on how to maneuver them with proper behavior. From introductions to thank-you notes to asking someone to a movie (or the opera) to food shopping to email to hygiene, Packer has sensible if strict advice on how to behave. His style is reminiscent of a smart, slightly silly uncle giving guidance with good cheer. There are many lists, bullet points, and charts. Most topics are covered in a pithy page or two, with small cartoons scattered throughout. Packer conducted three online surveys to gather information from teens, parents, and teachers, and some pages of survey results are presented in appropriate chapters. Packer also tells “True Stories from the Manners Frontier”; these tales of bad manners are enclosed in sidebars at least once per chapter. This is a fun guide that teens may dip into when facing a confounding situation, and Packer’s good nature and good sense make it a useful book for most collections, including those that already own the original version.
“The most incredibly readable, enjoyable, laughable, enlightening, and insightful book.”
“Surprisingly simple ways for teens to respond to and interact with people to get the best results.”
