Etiquette: A Research Guide

Some of the questions that this pathfinder will answer will include: Should I bring my hosts a gift of liquor when I'm a guest for the weekend? What do I say when someone greets me? How quickly do I need to write that thank-you note to Aunt Dottie? What was etiquette for “going Dutch” on a date in the 1950s? And, of course…which fork do I use? Materials listed in this guide focus primarily on home etiquette—rules for behavior at a table or when you are a guest—rather than business etiquette. Additionally, the materials listed below focus on the traditional etiquette of Europe and the United States . The terms and phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the library's catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.

Complete Book of Etiquette by Nancy Tuckerman, Nancy Dunnan, and Amy Vanderbilt. New York : Doubleday, 1995. ISBN: 0385413424.
First published in 1952 and last revised in 1978, is as much a guide to contemporary living as it is an etiquette book. Updated version tells reader where old expectations still apply and where customs have changed.

Emily Post's Etiquette, 16th ed. by Emily Post and Peggy Post. New York : HarperCollins, 1997. ISBN: 0062700782.
Thoroughly revised and updated, Emily Post's Etiquette now includes etiquette surrounding cultural diversity, birth and death ceremonies of many religions, and etiquette for international travelers. Still includes all of the etiquette rules that have made this a hallmark resource.

Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior by Judith Martin. New York: Atheneum, 1982. ISBN: 0689112475.
Covers topics like courtesy, proper attire, and the etiquette of weddings. Martin knows right from wrong and sensible from rude. Delivered with comical insight.

These guides cover the basics of etiquette for adults (although some of them include sections on manners for kids).

Advice Lady
http://advicelady.com/answerpage.asp?category=Manners
Advice on manners from a nonprofessional. Read others' questions and the Advice Lady's answers, or ask her your own.

About: Etiquette for Personal Entertaining
http://entertaining.about.com/od/etiquetteforentertaining/
A portal site leading to a variety of other etiquette resources online.

These books are intended for children and teenagers. They generally cover both the “how-tos” and the “whys” of table manners.

Be the Best You Can Be: A Guide to Etiquette and Self-Improvement for Kids and Teens by Robin Thompson. Pekin, Illinois: Robin Thompson Charm School, 1999. ISBN: 0967531802.
A wealth of information just for this age group on poise and confidence, positive attitude, shyness, social skills, and much more.

Let’s Talk About Good Manners by Diana Shaughnessy. New York: PowerKids Press, 2003. ISBN: 082395045X.
A simple discussion of what good manners are, why good manners are important, and how manners are different in different cultures.

These are both etiquette books from the past and books about the etiquette of the past.

Co-Ediquette: Poise and Popularity for Every Girl by Elizabeth Eldridge. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1936.

George Washington’s Rules of Civility: 110 Maxims Helped Shape and Guide America’s First President.
www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1248919
Rules of civility and decent behavior in company and conversation. Reprinted on National
Public Radio’s Web site.

Miss Abigail’s Time Warp Advice
www.missabigail.com
A potpourri of advice from the past century or so, presented in Q&A style.

Post, Emily. 1922. Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home
www.bartleby.com/95/index.html
The original text of Post’s Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home.

The Rudiments of Genteel Behavior by Francois Nivelon. Seattle: University of Washington Press, reprint ed., 2003, 1737. ISBN: 1903470102.
This 18th-century book of manners is a must-read for historians, actors and dancers.
The Seventeen Guide to Your Widening World by Enid Annenberg Haupt. New York: Macmillan, 1965.