Nowadays it seems the old rules of etiquette are changing faster than we can keep up with them. Technology that accelerates communication; alternative lifestyles and family arrangements; tele-commuting and other unconventional career situations all conspire to render many of the rules of generations past obsolete. Amidst such changes many of us are at a loss for how to behave with good manners and grace. In 21st Century Etiquette, Charlotte Ford, a doyenne of decorum in her own right, takes the mystery out of modern propriety and reminds us that polite behaviour comes down to a simple matter of common sense and treating others with respect. Never stuffy and always direct, she offers reliable advice for every area of contemporary life and every conceivable social conundrum including: cell phone civility; dating and the single life; modern marriages and alternative lifestyles; propriety in the workplace; dressing for all occasions; entertaining from easy to extravagant; correspondence incuding e-mail, invitations and condolence cards; handling divorce, illness and other of life's challenges; everyday etiquette concerning the gym, smoking, tipping, gift giving and more. Peppered throughout with personal essays from some of today's most poised and successful communicators, including Cokie Roberts and Helen Gurley Brown, as well as helpful lists of etiquette do' and don'ts, 21st Century Etiquette is a delightfully readable and useful guide that is sure to set the standard for a brand-new century of civility.