"Stop second guessing yourself, and start operating in the world with the confidence you need to succeed."
- Dr. Clinton Lee
Manner's matter is a fact.
We live in a world of 8 billion plus people, where global immigration waves and vastly different cultures, stride abreast. Life travel and experiences are no longer held hostage within the boundaries of geographical limitations.The omnipresence of the internet and the waves of technological advancement makes the world magically open to us with a touch of a fingertip. So manners matter and their undeniable value is unequivocally important and profound to our interaction with others, be it socially or in the world of international and local business.
Manner’s matter is a fact. In this book, Dr Lee shares his life experiences, his research, his selected topics essential for any person who currently swims in the social seas and rivers, but drowning, due to ignorance. This book shares, illuminates and injects awareness into you about the fundamentals, the ins and outs of securing smooth societal contact with others.
In this book you will have before you the knowledge and tips on the following and more. How you hold yourself, talk to others and engage with your surroundings can make or break an important relationship. When you meet and interact with new people, there are small, largely unspoken factors--like active listening and emotional attractiveness--that influence how much they trust and connect with you. By learning etiquette in both casual and formal settings, you will be able to find deeper, more fulfilling relationships. Learn how to cultivate important skills such as:
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Introducing Yourself to a Group
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Dressing to Visit a Home or Party
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Communication Etiquette with Cell Phones and Email
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How to Taste, Select, and Pair Wine
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Setting the Table for a Formal Dinner
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Dress Code for Business Travel Abroad
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Interview Etiquette
The best part is that everything builds on itself. By mastering personal etiquette--like learning about the arts, cultural differences and global politics--you'll notice yourself feeling more comfortable in conversations with strangers. And once you nail down the basics of personal and social communication, knowing what to do in more complicated situations like splitting the check when out to dinner or when having a meeting with colleagues from a different country will feel like a breeze. Stop second guessing yourself, and start operating in the world with the confidence you need to succeed.
Stop second guessing yourself, and start operating in the world with the confidence you need to succeed.
Table of Contents
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Foreward
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Introduction
Part One: Developing your personal etiquette skills
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Developing your mental acuity
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Cultivating conversational skills
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Acquiring social skills
Part Two: Scenario-specific Etiquette
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Social greeting and meeting etiquette
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Drink etiquette
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Dining etiquette
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Business etiquette
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Conclusion
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Acknowledgments
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About the Author
"Picked this book up after attending a formal gathering which I felt out of place. I love how straightforward and easy to use this book is. Lots of applicable and ready to use advice. Love how the author breaks down a sophisticated topic into simple steps and instructions.” - Val
“Turn into James Bond by reading this! A great book on not just how to be socially acceptable, but socially extraordinary. Everything from when you should show up to a party, when you can make the appropriate joke to how to taste wine like a gentleman; this book has it. If you need help with your social skills here is a book for you to study and then practice. 10/10.” - Marinos Anagnostopoulos
“There are very few books that impress me - this book impressed me. Dr. Lee’s writing style is easy to read, understand and immensely entertaining. Fabulous book a definite one for the library.” - Chu
“Etiquette is a dying art, and yet people with good etiquette make friends easily, and are good in establishing and maintaining relationships, both business and personal. Therefore, a good knowledge of etiquette is still vital in order to succeed in business, make friends, as well as in finding and keeping romantic partners. This book provides you with this knowledge.” - Yan Gertsoyg
“Absolute must read. I train staff professionally and interact with clients daily. The gems of wisdom and practical advice that I have learnt from this book are awesome. It’s now my wish to meet Dr. Lee one day in person!” - Amazon Customer
Excerpt
Clearly, etiquette and manners differ and constantly evolve according to the traditions and customs valued by each country and generation. What is the norm in one country can be entirely the opposite in another. With this book and your hunger to learn, you are ready to take a journey through the evolution and variations of present-day etiquette with me. Let’s continue this adventure together and discover the power of etiquette.
Etiquette is very near and dear to me, as it has molded me in various shapes, styles, and forms over the years, helping me adapt to whichever situation I find myself in. The world of travel is my never-ending university of life where I learn, listen, and observe the etiquette of different cultures.
As a young boy growing up in Southern Africa where apartheid was responsible for segregating all aspects of society, I had to understand the different components of each segment within that society, their norms and behavior, to navigate through them smoothly. In addition to recognizing those rules and customs, I also needed to learn the cultural expectations of my home and school. When you add to my personal life recipe my immigrant parents with a Chinese and Mozambique heritage and a Jesuit education, you can see how my life was quite flavorful from the start. My education, although stern, opened the world of classical European knowledge and etiquette for me, instilling in me a great appreciation for the acquisition of knowledge. I gleefully blame this residual influence for my insatiable desire to learn.
At home there was a strong Asian influence in all aspects from language, food, and customs. There was also this grey area between home and the segregated world, which allowed me during my formative years to interact, play, and learn with other cultures, especially from India and the local African people. I have experienced discrimination firsthand and am fully aware of the double-edged blade. It can make you stronger, yet at the same time it can also cut right through you, leaving you a haunted figure. I chose the former.
Life gave me the opportunity to travel to over 100 countries, including all of the major wine regions of the world, both for work and pleasure. I experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly, met the decadently rich and the pitifully poor, as well as the faultless and the unrepenting guilty characters of life. I found myself in situations where etiquette and the quality of wine reached the heights of perfection and the lowest levels imaginable. I’ve feasted on a diverse array of food and spices, eaten distinctive meats and vegetables cooked in classical or unique methods, and comfortably fed myself with my hands or other eating utensils, ranging from tree branches to silver cutlery. I have dined with various strata in society, from royals, nobles, and ambassadors to the less privileged. All of these memorable experiences are richly engrained in my memory banks that I now gladly share with you.