"Talk to the hand, ?cause the face ain?t listening," the saying goes.

When did the world stop wanting to hear? When did society become so thoughtless? It?s a topic that has been simmering for years, and Lynne Truss says it?s now reached the boiling point. Taking on the boorish behavior that for some has become a point of pride, Talk to the Hand is a rallying cry for courtesy. Like Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Talk to the Hand is not a stuffy guidebook, and is sure to inspire spirited conversation.

Why hasn?t your nephew ever thanked you for your carefully selected gift? What makes your contractor think it?s fine to snub you in the midst of a major renovation? Why do crowds spawn selfishness? What accounts for the appalling treatment you receive in stores (if you?re lucky enough to get a clerk?s attention at all)? Most important, what will it take to roll back a culture that applauds those who are disrespectful? In a recent U.S. survey, 79 percent of adults said that lack of courtesy was a serious problem. For anyone who?s fed up with the brutality inflicted by modern manners (or lack thereof), Talk to the Hand is a colorful call to arms?from the wittiest defender of the civilized world.

"This isn't a book about good manners, per se. Instead, the British author of Eats, Shoots and Leaves sets out 'to mourn... the apparent collapse of civility in all areas of our dealing with strangers; then to locate a tiny flame of hope in the rubble.' It's a plea to show some consideration to others, especially in certain areas: (1) 'Was That So Hard to Say?' ('thank you'); (2) 'Why am I the One Doing This?' (e.g., punching doggedly through the automated switchboard); (3) 'My Bubble, My Rules' (forcing others to listen to a private conversation on a mobile phone); (4) 'The Universal Eff-Off Reflex' (outrage when antisocial behavior is pointed out); (5) 'Booing the Judges' (active disrespect for the umpire, the older person, anyone in authority); and (6) 'Someone Else Will Clean It Up' (e.g., rubbish tossed out the car window). Truss expounds on these themes with fine ire, mordant humor and many examples, but it must be said that the result is not so much a book as a heavily padded magazine article. Not that this will bother the many book buyers who will tuck it lovingly into the Christmas stockings of their somewhat discomfited nearest and dearest. Agent, Anthony Goff. (On sale Nov. 8)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

The "Queen of Zero Tolerance" and "New York Times" bestselling author of "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" takes on the sorry state of modern manners, looking at the "utter bloody rudeness" of the world today while offering six good reasons to stay home. Abridged. 2 CDs.

"Talk to the hand, 'cause the face ain't listening," the saying goes.

When did the world stop wanting to hear? When did society become so thoughtless? It's a topic that has been simmering for years, and Lynne Truss says it's now reached the boiling point. Taking on the boorish behavior that for some has become a point of pride, Talk to the Hand is a rallying cry for courtesy. Like Eats, Shoots and Leaves, Talk to the Hand is not a stuffy guidebook, and is sure to inspire spirited conversation.

Why hasn't your nephew ever thanked you for your carefully selected gift? What makes your contractor think it's fine to snub you in the midst of a major renovation? Why do crowds spawn selfishness? What accounts for the appalling treatment you receive in stores (if you're lucky enough to get a clerk's attention at all)? Most important, what will it take to roll back a culture that applauds those who are disrespectful? In a recent U.S. survey, 79 percent of adults said that lack of courtesy was a serious problem. For anyone who's fed up with the brutality inflicted by modern manners (or lack thereof), Talk to the Hand is a colorful call to armsfrom the wittiest defender of the civilized world.

Praise for Lynne Truss's #1 New York Times bestseller Eats, Shoots and Leaves:

"If Lynne Truss were Roman Catholic I'd nominate her for sainthood."

Frank McCourt, author of Angela's Ashes and 'Tis

"Ms. Truss's witty analysis and fussbudget tactics" are "contagious."

Janet Maslin, The New York Times

"Her scholarship is impressive and never dry."

Edmund Morris, The New York Times Book Review

"Truss brings a droll sensibility to that driest of topics [] She's a reformer with the soul of a stand-up comedian."

Jan Freeman, Boston Sunday Globe

"You can't help but be seduced by Truss's passion."

Mary Ambrose, Boston Sunday Globe

Lynne Truss is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation and The Lynne Truss Treasury. Eats, Shoots & Leaves, for which she won Britain?s Book of the Year Award, has sold over one million copies in North America and over two million copies worldwide. Truss is also the author of numerous radio comedy dramas and for many years served as a television critic and sports columnist for The Times, London).