Treating People Well

The Extraordinary Power of Civility at Work and in Life

By: Lea Berman, Jeremy Bernard

Narrated by: Jeremy Bernard, Lea Berman

Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

A guide to personal and professional empowerment through civility and social skills by two White House social secretaries who offer an important fundamental message - everyone is important, and everyone deserves to be treated well.

Part etiquette, part leadership, part personal empowerment, Treating People Well is a guide to developing social skills in order to build more successful relationships in life and at work. Manners and etiquette are more relevant than ever in today's technology burdened, politically contentious world that has left many people feeling disconnected and uncomfortable in their interactions with others. Written by two former White House social secretaries, Treating People Well provides the tools we need to live each day more positively and forge connections based on trust and mutual respect.

Packed with intriguing behind-the-scenes anecdotes and sensible, easy-to-follow advice, Treating People Well explains how to develop confidence, be consistent, use humor, listen deliberately, radiate calm, resolve conflicts quickly, be honest but never cruel, cultivate loyalty, own your mistakes, work with difficult people, and attend to details.

Lea Berman and Jeremy Bernard worked for very different administrations (Lea for George and Laura Bush and Jeremy for the Obamas), but their White House experiences were strikingly similar. They realized that social skills, such as charm, humor, and grace are teachable life lessons and can make you an invaluable member of any team.

Lea and Jeremy honed skills over years of working in the most charged workplace possible. If their strategies were effective at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, they'll be effective anywhere.

©2018 Lea Berman and Jeremy Bernard (P)2018 Simon & Schuster Audio

Book for all

This book is very interesting and has stories about how people should interact and be treated at any level. No matter of political preference, people should always be well-behaved and well-mannered.

Must Read

Many things they addressed many people should take note. Although they talk about their time in the White House, this could work in ALL work areas.

Great Advice, Fun Stories, Wonderfully Read and Narrated

I bought 4 hardcover originally - 1 for myself and 3 as Gifts. It was such a great read and 2 of the gift recipients bought more for their friends as Gifts. But yesterday I purchased the Audible version read by the Authors. Though they authors are from to very different administrations, they found tons of common ground and by that I mean the elevated Republicans and Democrats alike to human levels. Yes underneath that Elephant and Donkey - the fact is we are all still humans and basically have the same desire to be treated well and to treat others well.

Fortunately “Treating People Well” is very timely and needed in the current climate” this is about the Obama’s and George W and Laura Bush with only one reference to Melania Trump. I hope Melania does not read it to her husband who of course will do the exact opposite. I imagine Trumps might be titled “Treating People Like Crap”. I Digress.

Buy the book, buy the Audio - it will change the way you move through the works in wonderful ways.

Wonderful narration, loved the stories!

This was a terrific reminder about treating others well and with respect. Books such as this can be of benefit to all, regardless of one's job or position. Indeed, the advice and tips in this book are transferable to life in general.

A Fun-filled and Much Needed Guide to Civility

I chose this book because I am appalled at how people treat one another -- especially in the work place, but I never expected to get such invaluable advice from former Social Secretaries in the White House. Their anecdotes about dealing with people were informative, fun and thought-provoking and they made this an enjoyable and light listen. I like that they included Social Secretaries from the George HW Bush and Barack Obama presidencies so that people could see that civility has no political boundaries. The tidbits offered about how both of those presidents treated people came off as truly inspiring. The authors personally gave there advice and I enjoyed their voices. (I don't always enjoy authors reading their own books). I highly recommend this audio book. There's a lot to learn from this book about treating people well.

Good reminders!

If you could sum up Treating People Well in three words, what would they be?

Just be nice.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the anecdotes and personal examples.

Which character – as performed by Jeremy Bernard and Lea Berman – was your favorite?

Jeremy--I love a sassy gay man.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not really an extreme reaction.

Any additional comments?

A good running errands listen, easy to interrupt and excellent advice for life.

Hard-earned wisdom, and a great listen!

I enjoyed this tremendously. Collaborative effort by two White House Social Secretaries, one of whom worked for George W. and Laura Bush, the other for the Obamas. Hearing the authors' voices adds a lot. Taking the high road really is best! But we knew that. Affirms the best of what you probably already know, and offers helpful tips. Great White House anecdotes too.

great book

They break down great examples of trying situations anyone can relate to in their daily lives and how to handle them with class.

Amazingly Beautifully Written Book

Where does Treating People Well rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

My first audio book is at number 1 :)

What other book might you compare Treating People Well to and why?

I've never read any book quite like this one before.

Which scene was your favorite?

The Whitehouse scene

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Everyone is important. Everyone deserves to be treated well.

Any additional comments?

I'm only at 55 minutes into the book, and I went back to the beginning with a new notebook so I could take notes because I thought this book was a very important read!

oh this book made me smile and inspired me

wow, lea and jeremy sure are neat people. i really enjoyed their anecdotes about george w., laura, barack, and michelle. i will remember their advice on how to deal with unreasonable people with grace. i loved the part about writing thank you notes, as that's something that i do regularly and see a huge benefit in doing. i also liked their chapter about owning up to mistakes and reframing mistakes as learning steps to greatness.