Talk to the Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness of Everyday Life (or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door) - Softcover

Truss, Lynne

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1861979797 ISBN 13: 9781861979797

Publisher: Profile Books, 2006

Synopsis

Sticklers unite! The Queen of Zero Tolerance takes on the sorry state of modern manners, in the spirit of her three million copy worldwide bestseller, Eats, Shoots & Leaves. "Talk to the hand 'cause the face ain't listening," the saying goes. When did the world get to be so rude? When did society become so inconsiderate? It's a topic that has been simmering for years, and Lynne Truss says that it has now reached boiling point. Taking on the boorish behaviour that has become a point of pride for some, Talk to the Hand is a rallying cry for courtesy. Like Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Talk to the Hand is a spirited conversation, not a stuffy guidebook. It is not about forks, for a start. Why hasn't your nephew ever thanked you for that perfect Christmas present? What makes your builder think he can treat you like dirt in your own home? When you phone a utility with a complaint (and have negotiated the switchboard), why can't you ever speak to a person who is authorised to apologise? What accounts for the appalling treatment you receive in shops? Most important, what will it take to roll back a culture that applauds rudeness and finds it so amusing? For anyone who's fed up with the brutality inflicted by modern manners (and is naturally too scared to confront the actual yobs), Talk to the Hand is a colourful call to arms - from the wittiest defender of the civilised world.

About this title

Review:

The effect of her book is quite inspiring, giving hope (Sunday Telegraph Australia)

Wise and witty elegy for the decline of modern manners (Red)

Heads and shoulders above the usual array of stocking fillers (The Week)

Beautifully written... a much more interesting work than either a guide to manners or a more dispassionate analysis of rudery could ever be. (David Sexton Evening Standard)

She's opposed to rudeness but on occasion is rude herself - appallingly and wittingly so! (Sydney Morning Herald)

Funny and buoyant (Sunday Times)

This fine rant against boorish behaviour. (Saga Magazine)

An entertaining rant, dotted with acute observations. (Libby Purvis The Tablet)

Highly perceptive, passionately argued and extremely funny (John Preston Sunday Telegraph)

Perfect (Sunday Express)

Synopsis:

"Talk to the hand 'cause the face ain't listening," the saying goes. When did the world become so rude? It's a topic that has been simmering for years, and Lynne Truss says that it has now reached boiling point. Taking on the boorish behaviour that has become a point of pride for some, "Talk to the Hand" is a rallying cry for courtesy. Like "Eats, Shoots & Leaves", her three-million worldwide best-seller, it's a spirited conversation, not a stuffy guidebook. It's not about forks, for a start. What will it take to roll back a culture that applauds rudeness and finds it so amusing? For anyone who's fed up with the brutality of modern manners, "Talk to the Hand" is a colourful call to arms - from the wittiest defender of the civilised world.

About this edition

• Publisher: Profile Books
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1861979797
• ISBN 13: 9781861979797
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224