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Rules for Modern Life

Rules for Modern Life

A Connoisseur's Survival Guide

Summary

Do gentlemen wear shorts? What are the rules regarding interior decor in a high-security prison? Is it ever acceptable to send Valentine's cards to one's pets?

The twenty-first century is an age of innumerable social conundrums. Around every corner lies a potential faux pas waiting to happen. But if you've ever struggled for the right response to an unwelcome gift or floundered for conversation at the dinner party from hell, fear not: help is at hand.

In Rules for Modern Life, Sir David Tang, resident agony uncle at the Financial Times, delivers a satirical masterclass in navigating the social niceties of modern life. Whether you're unsure of the etiquette of doggy bags or wondering whether a massage room in your second home would be de trop, Sir David has the answer to all your social anxieties - and much more besides.

Reviews

  • Brilliant... Hugely entertaining
    The Times

About the author

Sir David Tang

Sir David Tang (1954 - 2017) was the founder of the China Club, Shanghai Tang and China Exchange, an entrepreneur, philanthropist, confidant to plutocrats, founder of fashion label Shanghai Tang and the Financial Times' agony uncle columnist. Prior to his career in business he taught philosophy at Peking University. Sir David was a great ambassador for his native Hong Kong and was awarded a knighthood in 2007 for his services to charity. In his much-loved weekly column for the Financial Times, he answered readers' questions about property, interiors, architecture and gardens - although he often strayed beyond his remit to debate concerns about everything from etiquette to grammar. He died of cancer, aged 63, and was survived by his wife Lady Lucy Tang and his two children Edward and Victoria.
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