Tiffany's Table Manners for Teenagers

by Walter Hoving and Joe Eula

Book Overview

Here is the perfect little book for anyone--teenage or otherwise--who has ever wanted to master the art of good table manners. Written by Walter Hoving, former chairman of Tiffany's of New York, it is a step-by-step introduction to all the basics, from the moment the meal begins to the time it ends ("Remember that a dinner party is not a funeral, nor has your hostess invited you because she thinks you are in dire need of food. You're there to be entertaining")...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394828771
• ISBN13: 9780394828770
• Release Date: March 1989
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Read in one sitting, for a lifetime of advice!

This book is truly a joy, because, in this age of increasingly bad behavior, it is an education on how to be a gracious guest. It is full of pithy, sage advice, with enough humor thrown in to illustrate how NOT to be a CAD à table! I agree with other reviewers, in that people of all ages can learn what too few are being taught in this day and age! It is especially inciteful about proper etiquette and use of silverware, so one can enjoy an elegant meal with nary a misstep. I will be purchasing a few more, to gift to my son, niece, and nephew, so they, too, can be both cultivated and natural when attending any function! A must-read, IMHO!

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Besides discrepancy in the edition of the book, everything is fine.

Excellent and entertaining!

This is a quick, humorous, and easy read that is well written for all ages to "spiff up" on everyday table manners. The presentation is very entertaining and funny, which make the points stick in one's mind even more. The cartoon illustrations are a delight and perfectly complement the text. Every household should have a copy!

Simple. Elegant. Master in 30 min.

This 90 pages little book fills with lots of illustrations to depict the improper & proper table manners. Despite the title of the book is "For Teenagers", this book can be appreciated for anyone who wants to master the art of good table manners. Mr. Hoving, the former chairman of the board of Tiffany & Company, will walk you through the proper table manners in a step-by-step approach. He will also address alot of common mistakes and "don't" in numbers of illustrations; for example, don't leave your spoon in your coffee cup! This book covers different meal courses like the soup course, the fish course, the meat course, the salad course, as well as the dessert course. Overall, I find this book is very interesting and helpful. I highly recommend for people looking for a quick and easy way to learn good table manners. (Reviewed by Otto Yuen, 5-Nov-2004)

Excellent basics in proper table manners

Tiffany's Table Manners for Teenagers is suitable for people of any age who wish to improve their table manners and learn to eat correctly. It goes course by course explaining the proper way to spoon soup, how to properly use a knife and fork, etc.It also explains what to do if you drop your fork or spoon, find a bone in your food, etc.Short, concise, with amusing illustrations, this book has knowledge that can be used immediately for an instant step-up in manners.

THE ONE AND ONLY MANNERS BOOK TO BUY!

There may be two reasons I might be a bit biased in my review of this book. The first is obvious, my grandfather wrote it. The second is, he wrote it about me. According to him, he wrote this book as an adverse reaction to my manners at the table. He described on a number of occasions to the press, to my utter horror I might add, a time when he was invited to my mother's house for lunch and witnessed first hand the atrocious table manners of his daughters first born son, who at the time, was 5 years old. I don't actually remember this event happening, being five at the time, but I have had to live with this story most of my life. To say this traumatized me would probably not be fair, but it did affect my life in minor ways. Certainly it never helped having people observe my every movement at the table at every dinner party I have ever attended. They just sat there staring and waiting. Waiting for me to make some horribly disgusting and socially frowned upon move. Perhaps burp during the height of some interesting tale by a senator or governor, or worse, my grandfather..... or maybe even slurp down the dregs of my finger bowl, which was something I became particularly fond of doing! I am in recovery today and thanks to BTMA (bad table manners anonymous) and constant reading of my Grandfathers book, I can honestly say that I have better manners today. It is a one day at a time thing, like so many other programs of recovery, and I have to remember that at any time, I could slip and dive for that fork or spoon dropped under the table, or go back to my beloved finger bowl, but I try to live a civilized life today, I try.I think my grandfather would be proud! All kidding aside, this book is honest, short and to the point. It can be read with ease in a matter of an hour. It's humorous and direct and does not ask the reader to read a small dictionary to learn the basic elements of what good manners are. Rather, it is simple and straightforward. Now we all know there are hundreds of these books on the market and some do well and others do not. This book published in 1961 has endured, stood the test of time, while others have come and gone. Why, because it is so accessible. I have often pondered a follow up to this book, which I tentatively call Tiffany's Table Manners for Adults, and who knows maybe I'll write it someday. (One needs the blessing of the great institution and my pull is not what it used to be over there!) But I believe the world, and notably this country has lost, some of the simple things once taught by parents, that being plain ol good manners. Perhaps they are not learning them anymore. Maybe parents have little time in the rush of their daily lives to ensure these basic lessons are incorporated into their little one's lives. I don't know for sure but it shows in the attitude and behaviors of the young people I run into today. Perhaps there will be those that debate this but I think there will be those that will agre

Sophisticated manners for the uninformed!

As the author of "You've Only Got Three Seconds to Make the Right Impression," I have recommended this book to over 5,000 business executives. It is a priceless reference book designed for every age.