The Forgetful Gentleman: Thirty Ways to Turn Good Intentions Into Action by Nathan Tan. 224 pages
I had found this little book on a cart waiting for evaluation (because the book has not circulated at all) and even though it's aimed at men, I thought it would make for an interesting read. The summary on Goodreads says: "An illustrated reference guide instructs and informs readers on the subtle art of being a contemporary gentleman by incorporating both traditional and modern practices. This book offers action-oriented guidance on a range of subjects, including advice on managing social networks, choosing the right suit silhouette, fostering the art of conversation, hosting a successful party, mixing a signature cocktail, developing creativity and much more. "
The author divides down his advice into different chapters, and that's one of the quibbles I have with this book. It's not that they are divided into chapters, but rather that I felt the chapters didn't flow well. For example, the chapter on how to iron a dress shirt goes to a following chapter on mentoring. Perhaps it would be better to have the chapters on clothing, shoes, ties, etc. all follow each other in a logical progression.
I did find some of the advice to be helpful, especially the information on digital and business etiquette, table manners and a chapter titled "The Courage to Encourage." However, I felt that the book was a bit much when it came to chapters on microbrews, "The Gentlemanly Escape," and how to "Start an Honorable Gentleman's Club," Whether it's tongue-in-cheek or not, though, there are some interesting things to glean from this book.
This blog is the home of the St. Louis Public Library team for the Missouri Book Challenge. The Missouri Book Challenge is a friendly competition between libraries around the state to see which library can read and blog about the most books each year. At the library level, the St. Louis Public Library book challenge blog is a monthly competition among SLPL staff members and branches. For the official Missouri Book Challenge description see: http://mobookchallenge.blogspot.com/p/about-challenge.h
Saturday, May 6, 2017
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