Why Manners Matter

In this age of global warming and warfare, aren't manners frivolous? Do manners really matter? Yes! Citing everyone from Erasmus, Tocqueville and T.S. Elliot to George Orwell, Proust and Borat, Holdforth shows how manners--which many of us might think are inconsequential--are actually the cornerstone of civilization. Incredibly smart, the book illustrates how the philosophies of the greatest thinkers are relevant to our very modern lives.--Publisher description.