Synopses & Reviews
andldquo;Do not march into the drawing-room and, having inspected it, say, andldquo;What a nice room, but andmdash;andrdquo; andldquo;Do not look at your son steadfastly and then turn to his wife and tell her he is getting thin.andrdquo; andldquo;When you wax eloquently on the way to keep soup hot, you are merely asking him to shout on the house tops that he prefers cold soup to mothers-in-law.andrdquo; These are just a few of the words of wisdom on offer in
How to be a Good Mother-in-Law, the latest in a series of delightful advice books that also includes
How to be a Good Husband and
How to be a Good Wife. While the station of mother-in-law is not one celebrated for its sympathy and is the subject of no shortage of off-color jokes, this slim guide shows that it is possible to achieve accordandmdash;even friendshipandmdash;with the man or woman your son or daughter has chosen to marry.and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
Originally published in the 1930s, How to be a Good Mother-in-Law offers advice that ranges from the amusingly old-fashioned to the surprisingly still relevant today. Among the topics discussed are how not to behave on your son or daughterandrsquo;s wedding day, how to visit the couple in their new home, how to interact with the grandchildren, and what degree of independence should be granted to married sons. For mothers-in-law considering living with the married couple, a chapter presents suggestions for how to negotiate this famously fraught situation. In another chapter called andldquo;Are They as Bad as They are Painted?,andrdquo; the book reproduces a selection of tabloid tragedies, including the story of a mother-in-law that surprised a hapless couple by accompanying them on their honeymoon.
Whether youandrsquo;re a new mother-in-law, a veteran to this much-maligned role, or a long-suffering spouse whose partnerandrsquo;s parent seems impossible to pleaseandmdash;the pithy advice on-hand in How to be a Good Mother-in-Law will be warmly welcomed.
Review
"Charming little volumes in matching red covers just right for Valentine's Day."
Review
and#8220;As ever, the only way to learn to drive is by hitting the roadand#8212;and hoping thatand#8217;s all you hit. But thatand#8217;s never stopped the learning-by-reading lobby from writing guides on driving. How to Be a Good Motorist, abridged from a British book written by Harold Pemberton in 1923, gamely confronts automotive woes like how to handle a skid, a flat tire, and livestock grazing in the road.and#8221;
Synopsis
Donand#8217;t think that your wife has placed waste-paper baskets in the rooms as ornaments.and#160;
Donand#8217;t forget that very true remark that while face powder may catch a man, baking powder is the stuff to hold him.
and#160;
Marriage can be a series of humorous miscommunications, a power struggle, or a diplomatic nightmare. Men and women have long struggled to figure each other outand#8212;and the misunderstandings can continue well after theyand#8217;ve been joined in matrimony. But long before Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, couples turned to self-help booklets such as How to Be a GoodHusband and How to Be a Good Wife, two historic advice books that are now delightfully reproduced by the Bodleian Library.
The books, originally published in the 1930s for middle-class British couples, are filled with witty and charming aphorisms on how wives and husbands should treat each other. Some advice is unquestionably outdatedand#8212;and#8220;It is a wifeand#8217;s duty to look her best. If you donand#8217;t tidy yourself up, donand#8217;t be surprised if your husband begins to compare you unfavorably with the typist at the officeand#8221;and#8212;but many other pieces of advice are wholly applicable today. They include such insightful sayings as: and#8220;Donand#8217;t tell your wife terminological inexactitudes, which are, in plain English, lies. A woman has wonderful intuition for spotting even minor departures from the truthand#8221;; and#8220;After all is said and done, husbands are not terribly difficult to manageand#8221;; or and#8220;Donand#8217;t squeeze the tube of toothpaste from the top instead of from the bottom. This is one of the small things of life that always irritates a careful wife.and#8221;
Entertaining and charmingly illustrated, How to Be a Good Husband and How to Be a Good Wife offer enduringly useful advice for all couples, from the newly engaged to those celebrating their golden anniversary.and#160;
Synopsis
Don't think that your wife has placed waste-paper baskets in the rooms as ornaments. Don't forget that very true remark that while face powder may catch a man, baking powder is the stuff to hold him. Marriage can be a series of humorous miscommunications, a power struggle, or a diplomatic nightmare. Men and women have long struggled to figure each other out--and the misunderstandings can continue well after they've been joined in matrimony. But long before Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, couples turned to self-help booklets such as How to Be a GoodHusband and How to Be a Good Wife, two historic advice books that are now delightfully reproduced by the Bodleian Library.
The books, originally published in the 1930s for middle-class British couples, are filled with witty and charming aphorisms on how wives and husbands should treat each other. Some advice is unquestionably outdated--"It is a wife's duty to look her best. If you don't tidy yourself up, don't be surprised if your husband begins to compare you unfavorably with the typist at the office"--but many other pieces of advice are wholly applicable today. They include such insightful sayings as: "Don't tell your wife terminological inexactitudes, which are, in plain English, lies. A woman has wonderful intuition for spotting even minor departures from the truth"; "After all is said and done, husbands are not terribly difficult to manage"; or "Don't squeeze the tube of toothpaste from the top instead of from the bottom. This is one of the small things of life that always irritates a careful wife."
Entertaining and charmingly illustrated, How to Be a Good Husband and How to Be a Good Wife offer enduringly useful advice for all couples, from the newly engaged to those celebrating their golden anniversary.
Synopsis
The 1920s were the age of the automobile, with the availability for the first time of relatively affordable cars and the rise of Ford Motor Company in America and Morris Motors in the UK. However, the laws governing driving were for the most part yet to be written and the rules of the road were rudimentary to say the least. With a growing number of motorists in need of guidelines,
How to be a Good Motorist provided all the information one needed to enjoyandmdash;safelyandmdash;the open road, offering advice on how to handle such hazards as skidding, headlight glare, and livestock on the road.
Among the practical and unusual guidelines offered are what precautions one should take when another car approaches and which parts of a carandrsquo;s engine can be fixed in a pinch with emery paper, copper wire, and insulating tape. Some of the observations, like the cautionary note that, when driving, one ought to andldquo;look on all other drivers as foolsandrdquo; are sure to strike a chord with many motorists today. Others, like the suggestion that andldquo;a good chauffeur will save his employer a great deal of expenseandrdquo; evoke the style of a glamorous bygone era. The book covers such topics as unscrupulous secondhand car dealers, simple maintenance, women drivers, and andldquo;dashboard delights.andrdquo; (Spoiler: For a well-equipped dashboard, donandrsquo;t forget the speedometer.) For those planning a longer journey, the book also advises on how to choose the most pleasant picnic site when on the road.
How to be a Good Motorist is the perfect gift for the new driver or anyone who longs for a simpler time before rush-hour traffic reports and roundabouts.
Table of Contents
Iand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;A Searchlight on Mothers-In-Law
IIand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Early Days
IIIand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; How Mothers-In-Law Can Make Things Difficult
IVand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; and#160;Wait!
Vand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Causing Trouble
VIand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; A Question of Dignity
VIIand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Visiting a Married Daughter
VIIIand#160; and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; About Married Sons
IXand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Grandchildren
Xand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Living with your Mother-In-Law
XIand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Food for Thought
XIIand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Wedding Plans
XIIIand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;The Right Sort of Mother-In-Law
XIVand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;To The Reader