Talk to the Hand

TALK TO THE HAND: THE UTTER BLOODY RUDENESS OF THE WORLD TODAY, OR SIX GOOD REASONS TO STAY HOME AND BOLT THE DOOR: Lynne Truss: Gotham Books: Nonfiction: 206 pages

The author of the bestseller, Eats, Shoots & Leaves, here gives voice to her mounting frustration at the prevalence of rudeness in today’s society. But this is more than just a tirade. Truss has done extensive reading about manners and society to enable her to identify six areas in which “our dealings with strangers seem to be getting more unpleasant and inhuman, day by day.” One of her six reasons to bolt the door, “Why am I the One Doing This?,” focuses on how we are increasingly expected to do the work formerly done by staff of the organizations that exist to serve us—such as trying to reach a real person via an automated switchboard or doing your banking online. In the section, “Someone Else Will Clean It Up,” she examines the increasing tendency to avoid accepting responsibility for oneself and one’s actions.

Truss’ research and real-life examples provide interesting insights into this very real problem. Ultimately Truss concludes that rudeness is bad and that bad manners are contributing to the loss of our sense of community, but holds out some hope as she makes a few suggestions for countering this trend. If you’re one of the many who just can’t take any more, this is the book for you.

DW