Etiquette Books

Great pictures that capture the essence of bounding, out-of-control, canine enthusiasm. Mrs. Birdhead and cat get supporting character awards. It's a fun book to read to children.

My four-year-old grandaughter, already a great dog lover, loves this book with its wonderful humor and whimsy. Since it's fun for a grown-up too, it's just about perfect.

Who Let the Dogs In?
Review by PATRICIA T. O'CONNER
As we all know, bad boys are more charming than good ones. Naughtiness, like it or not (and we do), is alluring. Maybe that's why it's easier to forgive a bad boy's captivating faults than a good boy's perfections - assuming, of course, that the bad boy doesn't bite.

Bobo, the great galumphing hound in Gail Page's "How to Be a Good Dog," is the canine Oscar Madison. He reads with his feet on the coffee table. He rummages in the refrigerator between meals, then eats messy snacks on the living-room furniture. He leaves muddy paw prints everywhere. He chews up homework, though it's not clear whose, since his owner, Mrs. Birdhead, is the only human on the premises. Never mind. This dog finds homework to chew up.

When Mrs. Birdhead finally exiles Bobo to the doghouse, he's missed by an unlikely ally - lonely, good-hearted Cat, who plots to restore Bobo to their owner's good graces. Armed with a book on dog obedience, Cat teaches Bobo a few civilizing tricks (lying down comes naturally). The road to perfection is bumpy, and Bobo never quite arrives. But because he tries, he gets a "good dog" from his owner, and that's what counts in the end.

My 2-year old daughter enjoys this book as much as the adults that read it to her, but on a very different level. She loves the idea that Bobo WANTS to be a good dog, but doesn't always succeed, and that his friends help him. She also loves the big KAPOW when he runs into Mrs. Birdhead. (Oh, and she enjoys trying to imitate Bobo sitting, particularly lotus position.) She has no idea why the adults think it's funny that Bobo's idea of "sit" involves a chair and sometimes the lotus position. She sees it as a finely nuanced psychological book about ethics (why is it OK for Cat to push Bobo when he's running down the stairs?) with good sound effects and a dog, which is everything she ever wanted out of a book.

Our grandchildren,(Charlotte, 7, Lucy, 4, amd Peter, 2 1/2), giggled their way through this charming book. Gail Page's endearing illustrations depict Bobo as the favorite dog of everyone's childhood. And Cat, more helpful than most cats we've known personally, is a star as well. This is one of those special books that makes readers young and old smile in recognition.Our son, Alex,age 32, brought this book to our attention and we all loved it.

Hilarious. This book will teach you all the rules you'll have to follow, and all the affectations you'll have to take on, to pass as a wine snob. At the same time, though, you'll really learn about wine. This book was first published in 1981 and it also offers a glimpse into gourmet snobbery before good food was democratized and celebrity chefs took over. The illustrations are just as funny as the prose and they will both remind you of real wine snobs you know. Every aspiring wine connoisseur should read this book.

The Official Guide To Wine Snobbery by Leonard S. Bernstein is an amiably and expertly written guide to everything from how to properly hold a wine glass, to matching foods and wines, to popular controversies surrounding wines and their tasting, and a great deal more. Informed and informative, The Official Guide To Wine Snobbery is an enjoyable, accessible, 160-page instructional guide which is especially recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest in the pastime and culture of wine tasting.

This book is out of print and I managed to get a used copy as a gift to a friend. I first read it a few months ago, also a few months after I first got interested in wine. This is great reading for anyone into wine tasting, even only remotely. It not only gives you quite some information about French wines (occasionally American ones), but also teaches you how to be snobbishly cool with the whole thing with scathing humor. You'll laugh as you read through and recognize as well as make fun of your own snobbery in the future.

I neither know nor care about wine, but I found this book enormously entertaining.

The book is written as an autobiographical story about Bernstein's quest to reach the upper ranks of wine snobbery. He covers what to order and when (and how to go from impressive to daringly impressive w/out spending too much) paring wine with food, what to do with the cork, how to taste wine without looking dumb, best names for wine ever, etc.

This book is great for beginners because it's a great way to learn, or for someone who already "knows it all" when it comes to wine because it's so funny. I've bought this book as a gift for several people and they always comment on it months later. While I suppose you could learn to become quite a wine snob, it's easier to laugh at them. I also noticed that my confidence around wine improved when I realized that the main thing a "real wine snob" did was ignore all "rules" about wine with confidence.

Great ideas. It ended up to not be exactly what I was looking for but stimulated creativity.

This is the best ever party planning book. If you are planning parties for kids, or just want themed activities for another event, this is the book for you. These people really know their stuff!

Outstanding book...something for everyone, and most items that need to be purchased can be had at the dollar store. Rock-Solid book full of well-thought out parties.

This book was easy to follow and had ideas in it which were easy to adapt to other themes. I loved the information about how much activity each different age group should be able to handle. My three-year-old's party went off without a hitch thanks to this book. It will get used many more times in years to come.

This an excellent book with a number of party ideas for all ages. I especially like that this books gives suggestions for older kids parties. Packed with recipes, decoration, invitation, and favor ideas to go along with your theme. I will be using this for years to come.

This is much more in-depth than your typical bar guide. It has lots of useful information that goes into the background of things and offers more than the simple "pour these ingredients together and mix" book. It is a bit opinionated but I'd rather have that than the opposite.

I am drinking the Frozen Raspberry Daiquiri from the book as I type this (hic!), and it is delicious. I found this book at the library and am sick of checking it out, so now I am buying it. Every book in my kitchen has earned its place there (I have a very small kitchen), and this book will be no exception. The Summer Buck and the Watermelon Cooler are next...

Raising The Bar: Better Drinks Better Entertaining is far more than just another a cocktail book. Though it features 250 recipes and full-color photographs, Raising The Bar goes a step further and offers the tested secrets of a professional restaurant manager to serving cocktails for a crowd, planning a head, perfecting techniques for mixing a drink, tips, tricks, techniques, and more. Tasty original recipes include Frozen Prickly Pear Margarita, Strawberry Kiwi Sangria, and Watermelon Lemonade. A must-have for anyone seeking not only to hone their drink-mixing skills, but also improve their presentation, and flair to professional food service levels.

I am a bartender at a high volume, outdoor bar in Key West Fl. Our bar is set up for maximum speed...and unfortunately many times that means that the final product is not something that I am entirely happy with...but it works fine for what we are doing.

The recipes in this book are the kinds of drinks I would prepare on a day off, for friends from my own private bar at home.

Drinks you can be proud to serve. Drinks that have been tweaked by a "master mixoligist"...and Nick Mautone is definitely a master of his craft.

I collect cocktail books, and rarely will I purchase a new release and be pleased with it. This book however is quickly becoming one of my favorites, and I find myself referencing it more and more frequently.

My only complaint is that the Mr. Mautone varies the servings for each recipe...which is really no big deal as they can easily be increased or decreased depending on your desired need. I am just used to reading a recipe and it yielding 1 drink.

Filled with gorgeous color photos, the book is great as a coffee table book as well.

What's cooking in Nick Mautone's kitchen? Cocktails, that's what. Known to many New Yorkers as the master of mixology, Mautone is a believer in quality ingredients for both food and drinks. The majority of his years have been spent in the restaurant business, so he well knows the importance of perfectly pairing cocktails with food. Happy Hour takes on new meaning if this fellow's in charge.

"Raising The Bar," 288 pages of helpful suggestion, recipes and tempting toddies, is a guide for both beginners and the more experienced. Included are more than 250 recipes covering both classic and original signature drinks (Banana Buttered Rum surely does warm on a cold winter's eve).

Among the chapter headings are holiday cocktails, many intended to cut down on preparation time so a host can enjoy his or her own party. For instance, Mautone's holiday eggnog can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours before serving.

Welcome a new year with a twist on traditional champagne by making Ginger Champagne Punch for friends, neighbors, and drop-ins. Mautone makes it even more festive and sweet by rimming champagne glasses with powdered ginger and granulated sugar. Check out the heading "Trick of the Trade" for a plethora of party pleasers.

Designated drivers, alcohol abstainers, and moms to be aren't ignored as an entire chapter is devoted to non-alcoholic cocktails, which are every bit as pretty and palate pleasing as their alcohol laced kin.

Pairing his enthusiasm for both food and drink Mautone also offers recipes for do-it-yourself garnishes and finger snacks - great for buffet tables and pre-dinner munchies.

After all the time he's spent behind some of New York's most prestigious bars - Gotham Bar and Grill, the Hudson River Club - Mautone is a veritable fountain of recipes, suggestions, and good ideas. For those who want to make better drinks this is the book - bar none.

- Gail Cooke

The book shipped fast and in great, new condition. It is a required reading for my son at his school and he was able to get it and read it by the due date.

Say What?
By Margaret Peterson Haddix

Sukie Rose Robinson ran through the house with tubs of glitter in both hands, when she ran into her father. She waited for him to scold her for running in the house, and spilling glitter. Instead, her father told her to stop picking her nose and asked, "If all of your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump too?"

When Sukie ate peas with her hands, instead of saying "Don't eat with your fingers," Mom said, "You'll put an eye out with that thing!"

Suki and her brothers called an emergency kid meeting to discuss their weird parents.

They decided to test their parents. Reed put hand prints all over the walls, and his dad said, "Eat your vegetables." When Brian bounced the basketball in the family room, his dad said, "Use your words."

When Brian spilled orange juice all over the kitchen floor, instead of saying, "Clean it up!" Mom said, "Shut the door. You think we can afford to air-condition the whole outdoors?"

Have their parents been replaced by aliens? Are they really robots? The thought had Suki worried. She really wanted her parents back, she would even be glad to be scolded.

I really enjoyed this cleaver book. It made me anxious to see what their parents were going to say, next. And would the kids run amok? Would the house ever be the same?

I reccomend "Say What", it's fun for kids and parents.

Jill Ammon Vanderwood, Author
Through the Rug
Through The Rug: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)

These are fun read-together books.

I love this book and so did my 5 yr old. It's a chapter book that starts off with the parents saying the wrong things every time they catch the children doing something wrong... like eat your peas when Suki was running in the living room while carrying glitter. They do this because they don't think the kids are listening to them. Then the kids figure out what the parents are up to and serve up their own wrong phrases until finally there is a truce.

I think this is a great easy book for young readers.I love it.
xoooxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

This review is for the Grades 3-5 Sunshine State Readers Award:
After a lot of research I have found that there are only 4 books on the list that are appropriate for the younger 3rd grade reader. They are Say What?, Drita My Homegirl, Christopher Mouse and Wildfire. The rest of the list is simply to difficult for the younger readers. My daughter reads at a 3.7 level and even these books have higher vocabulary and more mature subject content then what she usually reads.

This book warms my heart because it can enlighten people that saying thank you means a lot more than people generally think. Also, that there are so many different ways to thank someone; a letter or a phone call isn't always the most creative way to thank someone. Ali shows her readers that there are so many different ways to thank someone!

THANK YOU Ali for this book!

<3 Micah

This is a book that should be on the bookshelf of every child's room! After seeing this book, your child will be thanking everyone. The book has creative and original ideas that will turn an ordinary thank you note into a memorable treat. The suggestions and sample letters will help your child write thank you letters with ease. Not only will your child enjoy reading it, they will continue to use it in the future as well. Both children and parents should be thanking the author for her brilliant work!

Sometimes it is so difficult to help your kids thank people when they receive a gift or a favor. This book actually does it for you. Inside this little book are terrific ways to let your child see that thanking others can be fun and worthwhile. Thanks to Ali Spizman, my child is now a pro. We've even "borrowed" a few of her lines for our own thank you's. A really worthwhile and creative book to have.

As a mom of two young boys, I probably say thank you and remind someone else to say it about 50 times a day. It was so refreshing to read the words of a young woman who obviously knows the true meaning of the word and took the time to share her beautiful thoughts with others. It's also a fun read for parents and kids, filled with great ideas and a personal touch because the author includes letters she wrote to thank her friends, teachers, and even famous people (who were gracious enough to write back). After a long day of balancing work and family, this book really made my evening and is one I know we'll keep and use forever! I highly recommend it to other parents too.

A great big THANK YOU to Ali Spizman for taking the time to remind all of us the importance of saying "Thank you". Being an elementary school librarian, I originally bought this book as a reference for my students. I soon found, however, that it was a great inspiration to me personally. Ali includes a tremendous variety of clever ways to make the often dull task of writing thank-you notes into an exciting exercise in creativity. This book should be required reading for all ages!

I just started working in a large multi-national and have found this book invaluable in its advice about how to deal with people from other cultures. I particularly liked the Q&A format of much of the book when people wrote to Gwyneth Olofsson with questions about how to deal with tricky cross-cultural situations - the sort that can lead to "culture clash" if you're not careful. A big plus is that it's funny too!

Book arrived in excellent condition and quickly. The book is very informative and in a nice conversational, easy to grasp format.

This book is a complete winner! All the the other intercultural books I`ve read have been BORING. This is a book for everybody working internationally...and it`s wise and amusing

Written by the owner of an international training and consulting company, When In Rome Or Rio Or Riyadh: Cultural Q & As For Successful Business Behavior Around The World is a comprehensive guide especially for international businesspeople, covering common cultural misunderstandings and gaffes that can plague one in nations ranging from Australia to Venezuela. From general information on how to make small talk safely and avoid common communication problems, to body language recommendations and warnings against inappropriate gestures in different nations (for example, a raised thumb is considered offensive in Australia and the Middle East), to countless case studies of problems and communication issues brought about by different cultural norms and expectations, When In Rome Or Rio Or Riyadh is not only a "must-have" resource for globetrotters but also an engrossing to lay readers curious about the sharp differences in how folks from different nations relate. Extremely accessible and down-to-earth, When In Rome Or Rio Or Riyadh explores the fascinating variety of cultural differences from an emphatically practical perspective.

There were places in this book where I laughed out loud, usually at the real-life examples of "culture clashes." The letters also made me think about how my own behavior at work could be misunderstood by foreigners. I learned a lot!

The material in this book is so organized and straightforward that its deceptively simple..yet Dr. Snodgrass' book has a ton of useful information ... after surgery I was full of questions.. after pillaging my HMO library, searching the internet and reading books by several plastic surgeons.. I discovered this book... I pored over it..the best resource yet... I wish I had had it in my hands from the onset.. I would recommend it to anyone considering or undergoing this particular surgery... MOST INTERESTING AND HELPFUL...

Overall, this is a very good book to read when you're trying to make the decision. Honestly, there's not much out there (at least from what I could find), so it really felt great to get my hands on such a comprehensive source.

I read so much and talked to so many people online that I thought I'd go crazy trying to make the decision - you can't tell which end is up when you get overloaded. So, this book was very helpful in my journey to make my decision. I, personally, ended up not going through with the surgery, but I learned a ton through the process of thinking about it.

Good wishes to all of you ladies out there wrangling with this decision.

I'm so grateful for Dr. Snodgrass writing this book. This is the only book that I have been able to find that solely deals with breast reduction. Most books I have read, concentrate more on breast lifts and implants.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is considering breast reduction surgery. I now know what to expect at every phase of this endeavor, from my initial consulation, to my follow-up appointment after surgery.

I even have some insight into why my last claim may have been denied
(but I have a new insurance carrier, and I know for a fact that they do allow for breast reductions for medical reasons, as about 6 of my co-workers have been approved over the years).

Get this book, and be informed, because a informed patient is a happy patient!

This book will answer all of your questions, and suggest ways to find a plastic surgeon and what questions to ask of him/her. The people at [...], a website for all different types of plastic surgery procedures and antiaging, highly recommend it!

This book walks you through the entire process from initial consult, what to expect, and insurance appeals.

Insurance originally denied my request, and thanks to this book I was able to write an informed appeal. I believe it was the key to my successful appeal. I've had my reduction surgery and feel great! Thank you Bethanne Snodgrass!

We love this book. The Artwork is Amazing, and the story is captivating. There are so many interesting characters in this book- so it's a great joy to read and act out.

A fun book that highlights the imagination of a child. The story is wonderfully funny and the illustrations are grand! An adventure to read and sure to become a bedtime classic - it is in our home.

My daughter loves me to read this book before she goes to bed. We got it out of the library and now I'm adding it to her birthday and holiday wishlist. It's definitely a "keeping" book as my son and daughter like to say. The illustrations are expertly done, capturing the story so well. Highly recommend this book!

My 3 kids laughed through this whole book! They say it is just like me when I talk to my sister.

A grand tale for so many of us who, as children, are often frustrated in our efforts to get our mothers off the phone and who, as adults, are often frustrated by our children's efforts to get us off the phone....a frolicking fantasy with words that roll off the tongue and illustrations that amuse and delight! Wonderful! Can't wait for my children to get off the phone so that I can call my friends to recommend this lively, lovely book!

1-800-Coutesy is valuable reading for anyone who uses the phone for business - and isn't that everyone? This concise book is not just a series of telephone tips. Instead it provide practical advice on answering the phone properly, interacting with the different personalities of callers and presenting a confident, positive business image over the phone. This little book is packed with ideas to make every call an effective customer service tool. I have attended Terry's seminar "Psst...Your Business Image is Showing" and looked forward to the release of her book. The book has the same to-the-point, energetic, humorous personality Terry projects in her seminar. If you can't attend the seminar -- Be sure to read the book!

Managers remain on the lookout for training materials that will help improve employee performance. Those who have been searching for a telephone training manual can stop here. Using a folksy approach, 1-800-Courtesy addresses the major telephone blunders we're familiar with--and tells how to overcome them. One of the book's most helpful sections explains the DISC system for identifying varied personality styles, and offers advice on how to deal with them over the phone. 1-800-Courtesy is definitely current, giving counsel about home offices, cell phones, voice mail,and other communication trends. This slim volume is a great investment for any organization that wants to put on "a new voice"--which many places sorely need.

This book is a most practical and useful guide for those responsible for serving customers by telephone. As a trainer in the field of customer service skills, I have added this book to the workshop entitled "Customer-focused Telephone Skills." Attendees have rated it as terrific source of information and encourage others to tap into the many tips and techniques offered in this publication.

I believe this book is a 'must read' for every person who answers a telephone, and essential for call center managers. Having managed a call center and now in the call center consulting field, I am very grateful to Terry for taking her time and talent to write what I consider an invaluable training resource. If you want your call center to be successful, this is where to start.

More than just a book about customer service via the telephone. This book helps the reader in practical ways to consider how to improve customer service in all departments. Loaded with excellent examples from the real world. Everyone uses the telephone, but this book hones the details that separates quality service from memorized scripts.