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Civility |  | Author: Stephen L. Carter
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Category: Book
List Price: $14.99
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Seller: Books Squared
Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 307675
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Pages: 352
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.9
ISBN: 0060977590
Dewey Decimal Number: 321.8
EAN: 9780060977597
ASIN: 0060977590
Publication Date: April 1, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com Review
In this followup to Integrity, Yale law professor Stephen Carter continues to meditate upon the "prepolitical" qualities on which a healthy society is based. Why do people show poorer manners today than in previous ages? How did we come to confuse rudeness with self-expression and acting on our "rights"? Carter looks at these and other important questions with a combination of his personal experiences and an extremely long shelf of reading material, all the while maintaining an informal writing style that continually--but politely--engages the reader, inviting him or her to think about these issues along with Carter. There are important messages here about generosity and trust, about respecting diversity and dissent, and about resolving conflict through dialogue rather than mandate. Stephen Carter would never be so uncivil as to demand your attention, but Civility most definitely compels.
Product Description
The acclaimed author of "The Culture of Disbelief" proves to readers that manners matter to the future of America.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 16
 quick and as described November 4, 2009
Donald E. Campbell (Pearl, MS USA)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
quick turnaround and the book was as described. would purchase from this seller again.
i LOVE this book August 23, 2009
Benjamin Lambert
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I have read this book cover to cover at least a dozen times. I bought it for Christmas gifts last year. i have two copies, because I'm always loaning one out. it's that good.
We see how the erosion of manners and common courtesy has taken its toll on society, and we see it in a thoughtful and well put across manner.
If you want to be able to talk intelligently about respect, integrity, culture this book is a great kick starter to your understanding of how it all plays out in society at large.
Excellent review of "good behavior" September 16, 2007
KA Ward (Great Falls MT USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Civility
This book is not a book of etiquette. It is an historical review, leading to how personal behavior affects our society. It is not a "feel-good" book about success or personal growth. It is spiritually aligned within the Judeo-Christian tradition, and makes a solid contribution in proposing the need of this influence in our society. It is a classic of contemporary thought, and could well be a textbook in a class on ethics in a Christian college. The actual issues of ethics (doing good) are thoroughly explained here. Highly recommended.
 America's Uncivil Wars continue On the Home Front. December 13, 2006
Betty Burks (Knoxville, TN)
2 out of 11 found this review helpful
With today's busy vehicles everywhere, pedestrians beware. Many are killed by hasty, untrained drivers and nothing is done. Only on occasion, if the killer runs, he may be charged with manslaughter, but this is the exception to the fule, not the norm. America has become an ill-mannered watershed of rudeness, both behind the wheel and just walking in the crowded malls. We are headed toward a social breakdown.
Does language really matter? An arm thrust up in the air (body language) is considered a vulgar hand signal. Nowadays, you can't even wave at someone. There is a strong anything-goes ethic, and will eventually erode into total chaosand anarchy. Trash talk and head butts are the idiom of sports, as the participants take out their hatred and disrespect on whoever gets in his path. It's called getting mean, which leads to violence. Hostility and provocation abounds even in civilized societies. It is the quintiessential Don Quiote tilting at windmills, which can't speak to say "thank you." Hardly anyone replies "You're welcome."
There has been a continual degradation of the moral fiber of this country. We tend to applaud rebels, wthose who speak and behave 'honestly,' if not properly. No longer a society of decorous parlor chat, any deep-seated change in behavior will take at least half a generation. Today the culture celebrates impulse over restraint; there no longer exists the respect for the aged or anyone who has a different opinion. Everyone's beliefs are firmly in place at the expense of dignity of the other person. In their place exists hatred and disrespect which goes beyond annoyance at rudeness. The rising tide of nastiness evolves from our nation's emphasis on individual expression and the free venting of emotions.
Good breeding, politeness, consideration or courtesy along with values are a thing of the past. In church, you are constantly being reminded to treat others the way you want to be treated. The Golden Rule. From a 1960s pop tune: "Shout it from the mountain so everyone can see; courtesy can bring harmony." It is an anthem out of season, a lonely plea for the virtue of respect. Respect for ourselves, as much as others, most especially our elders. If it weren't for them, we would not be here to be mean.
Polished graces can get you where you're going faster than a speeding BMW. Donna on the front desk at the Sports and Fitness Center is a prime example of the golden rule. She goes out of her way to be nice and make the patrons feel better. I told her, "we need more people like you." We are lacking values, decorum, courtesy, dignity of the other person, and in particular manners. They'be become a thing of the past.
In the era of the Confederate General, Robert E. Lee, who was the quintessential Southern gentleman, older people always went first no matter what. Not anymore! Jefferson was motioned to go ahead of Washington and resisted at the inauguration of John Adams. Being vice president, he had to learn to go first, but it did not come naturally. In our government (House of Representatives), civility does prevail, as the leadership keeps control from breaking into an all-out fight -- like in Britain's House of Commons.
To resolve differences, instead of past hatred and degradation, dialogue in place of a monologue is a necessity. If there is to be justice, it has to come through a conversation of different interests and different wills. There exists a kind of social deafness. Movies today portray the anti-woman attitudes with strange men setting out to harm females much smaller than they are (in height). The old one were set in an era when manners and restraint played a dominant role in society.
We need to remember and ralize how human each can be to the other. In politics, demonizing and telling flat-out lies about one's opponent has increased through the years. Negative and misleading ads (money talks) are increasing. Lawyers battle opponents ruthlessly, lying, cheating, and threats of malpractice from angry clients. Civility needs to return to our lives or we will soon kill each other off. Then what?
An excellent read December 16, 2003
MNPFS (Annapolis, MD)
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
This book's topic is as simple as it's title, but this is a good thing. The theme of this book is the lack of civility in the modern world, and how to fix this problem. The answer he suggests is a return to our religious values. This is applicable not only to those of us who are Christian, or even to those of us who believe in God, but rather to all, because the basic assumptions such as the dignity of human life is farily starightforward. If more people would heed his advice, the world would be a much better place.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 16
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