50 books...
27) Choosing Civility: The Twenty-five Rules of Considerate Conduct - P.M. Forni
As with "Saving Civility..." by Sara Hacala, I read this for work, with the thought of using it as a framework for group sessions with adolescent boys. Dr. Forni breaks his lessons in civility into 25 "mini-chapters", rather than Ms. Hacala's 52, however they cover many of the same subjects.
As others have noted, the first section of the book can feel a bit preachy. Dr. Forni spends this section making an argument that civility is a necessary and vital part of society - an idea that his readers are likely already sold on, given that they have picked up the book at all.
The second section picks up quite nicely. This is where Dr. Forni presents his 25 lessons on how to be civil. Fortunately, his tone is much less that of a preacher, and much more that of a teacher. It is quite apparent though that he is a professor, with a doctorate - he does not speak down to his audience, but he does speak to the well-educated. His examples are geared towards professionals in white-collar jobs, and the quotes chosen are high-minded, often hearkening back to earlier times.
The third section presents some of the benefits of being civil, and it struck me that these might have made for a more convincing first section.
In terms of using this to work with teens, well... I do like the breakdown of the lessons themselves, and some of the "points" within each lesson are stated in clear, simple language. However, I will certainly have to work to find examples that are relevant to my audience in group, as they are not Dr. Forni's intended audience. For the adult who is either already in the professional world, or aspiring to join it, this is an excellent guide with relevant examples.
As with "Saving Civility..." by Sara Hacala, I read this for work, with the thought of using it as a framework for group sessions with adolescent boys. Dr. Forni breaks his lessons in civility into 25 "mini-chapters", rather than Ms. Hacala's 52, however they cover many of the same subjects.
As others have noted, the first section of the book can feel a bit preachy. Dr. Forni spends this section making an argument that civility is a necessary and vital part of society - an idea that his readers are likely already sold on, given that they have picked up the book at all.
The second section picks up quite nicely. This is where Dr. Forni presents his 25 lessons on how to be civil. Fortunately, his tone is much less that of a preacher, and much more that of a teacher. It is quite apparent though that he is a professor, with a doctorate - he does not speak down to his audience, but he does speak to the well-educated. His examples are geared towards professionals in white-collar jobs, and the quotes chosen are high-minded, often hearkening back to earlier times.
The third section presents some of the benefits of being civil, and it struck me that these might have made for a more convincing first section.
In terms of using this to work with teens, well... I do like the breakdown of the lessons themselves, and some of the "points" within each lesson are stated in clear, simple language. However, I will certainly have to work to find examples that are relevant to my audience in group, as they are not Dr. Forni's intended audience. For the adult who is either already in the professional world, or aspiring to join it, this is an excellent guide with relevant examples.