Tuesday 27 March 2007

Talk to the Hand: #?*! The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door by Lynne Truss

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at PhotobucketPublished by Gotham Books - An Imprint of Penguin Group USA.

Okay, the first warning I need to give with this book is that you really shouldn't read it in public unless you are prepared to deal with the strange looks you receive when you laugh out loud. My significant other cast many an amused look my way as I tried to read this book quietly and instead, I found myself chuckling, grinning and reading parts aloud to him that I just had to share.

In this book, Lynne Truss takes us on a tour of todays society, rudeness and all, and casts a new light on it. It's not often you see a book that manages to be so lighthearted while making you think about things seriously but this one does so, brilliantly. Have you found yourself in moments of stunned silence when you show courtesy to someone by opening a door, only to have them walk through it with no sign of acknowledgement at all, or maybe a driver cuts you off without warning, or even store assistants who treat you as if you are invisible or worse. Then this book is for you.

Within chapters titled: Was That So Hard To Say?, Why Am I the Only One Doing This?, My Bubble - My Rules, The Universal Eff-Off Reflex, Booing the Judges and last but not least Someone Else Will Clean It Up, Lynne Truss might not help you to feel less stressed about the ignorance around you but I guarantee she will help you feel less ashamed of being nice. The books contains many references and quotes which I adored and my absolute favourite which I aim to remember each day is:

Three thing in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind. - Henry James

This book is a gem. I loved it. I don't think I am ever going to think of Lynne Truss again without thinking of the Grand Old Duke of York and cracking up. I especially loved that much of the book reminded me of the many things about England which I miss (or don't).


Author's website: http://www.lynnetruss.com/

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