Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That?

A Modern Guide to Manners

By: Henry Alford

Narrated by: Henry Alford

Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

"We all know bad manners when we see them," NPR and Vanity Fair contributor Henry Alford observes at the beginning of his new book. But what, he asks, do good manners look like in our day and age? When someone answers their cell phone in the middle of dining with you, or runs you off the sidewalk with their doublewide stroller, or you enter a postapocalyptic public restroom, the long-revered wisdom of Emily Post can seem downright prehistoric.

Troubled by the absence of good manners in his day-to-day life by the people who clip their toenails on the subway or give three-letter replies to one's laboriously crafted missives, Alford embarks on a journey to find out how things might look if people were on their best behavior a tad more often.

He travels to Japan (the "Fort Knox Reserve" of good manners) to observe its culture of collective politesse. He interviews etiquette experts both likely (Judith Martin, Tim Gunn) and unlikely (a former prisoner, an Army sergeant). He plays a game called Touch the Waiter. And he volunteers himself as a tour guide to foreigners visiting New York City in order to do ground-level reconnaissance on cultural manners divides. Along the way (in typical Alford style) he also finds time to teach Miss Manners how to steal a cab; designates the World's Most Annoying Bride; and tosses his own hat into the ring, volunteering as an online etiquette coach.

Ultimately, by tackling the etiquette questions specific to our age - such as "Why shouldn't you ask a cab driver where's he's from?", "Why is posting baby pictures on Facebook a fraught activity?", and "What's the problem with 'No problem'?" - Alford finds a wry and warm way into a subject that has sometimes been seen as pedantic or elitist. And in this way, he looks past the standard "do's" and "don'ts" of good form to present an illuminating, seriously entertaining book about grace and civility, and how we can simply treat each other better.

©2012 Henry Alford (P)2012 Hachette Audio

Glad I read it, do not like the sarcasm

Content is absolutely great, yet listening to it, I get a sarcastic vibe, which is unfortunate. Again, listened to it twice, great content.

Very Interesting Book

If you could sum up Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That? in three words, what would they be?

I enjoy etiquette books and this one described various pitfalls with interesting examples of what to do and what not to do in a humorous manner. His examples of his own wrongdoings were amusing and kept him from ever becoming preachy.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I found the author's somewhat nasal voice rather distracting at first but when I became used to it I found his narration lively and sympathetic.

Entertaining

What did you like best about Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That?? What did you like least?

The humour in this book was original.

What does Henry Alford bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The way he talks is pretty engaging.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No, it wouldn't lend itself to a movie. It's more a collection of stories than a narrative.

Loved it!

What made the experience of listening to Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That? the most enjoyable?

Learning about the Japnese and their habits. Agreeing with him that Americans manners are on the decline.

Have you listened to any of Henry Alford’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Saw him in San Francisco live and thought he was very humorous!