If you randomly stopped people on the street and asked them to assess their lives, most would wonder, "Am I happy?" A Victorian would wonder, "Am I a good person?" 
 National pride, self-respect, hard work, self-reliance, family, neighborliness -- these ideals were the embodiment of Victorian living. At a time when the national spotlight is cast on the demise of cultural decency and the disintegration of family, Victorian scholar Linda Lichter presents an invaluable guide that demonstrates how the ideals of character and civility that formed the bedrock of community during this bygone age can breathe new life and dignity into the troubled '90s. 
 Illustrated with period black-and-white drawings, this engaging, enlightening text explores the fascinating underpinnings of Victorian mores and values; from courtship, child rearing, dress codes and manners to attitudes toward death, religion and sex. Celebrating a time when family was revered, children were raised in a mannerly and moral fashion, and love spoke of a transcendent state between the sexes, Simple Social Graces reminds readers of the traditional ideals that can help heal and strengthen American society today.

Simple Social Graces: Recapturing the Lost Art of Gracious Victorian Living

Lichter, Linda S.

History

William Morrow

We can go home again, and not just to the hearthbut to the art of love and the art of civilized living. . .
Imagine a time when common courtesy was a standard for all, when a genuine moral authority reigned supreme and when relations between the sexes were marked by mutual respect and honor. These were the hallmarks of the Victorian era.
In The Benevolence of Manners, sociologist Linda S. Lichter guides us on a wonderful journey back to the complex world of our Victorian ancestors, illuminating their most precious concepts and presenting a wealth of invaluable advice for our troubled times: the fine and elusive art of living.
<ul>
<li>Although the Victorian era is often misunderstood as a time of sexual repression, it was in fact a time of sexual flowering--when love and romance were unshackled by chronic infidelity and exploitation.</li>
<li>In Victorian families, the greatest gift a parent could give their child was not complete indulgence, but a strong sense of self-reliance and restraint.</li>
<li>Victorian parents successfully instilled confidence and character in their children by holding them to the same high standard of civility as adults.</li>
<li>Whereas we often seek to be "good enough," the Victorians strove for consistent perfection. The Victorians achieved more, and received more, because they expected the very best from themselves and others.</li>
</ul>
These Victorian values, as Lichter eloquently explains, are not simply outdated relics, but priceless tools for mending the many problems of our modern world. If we have the courage to follow the path the Victorians have left behind, we can regain the joy of gracious living. Slowly but surely, Victorian wisdom can again become our own.

The Benevolence of Manners: Recapturing the Lost Art of Gracious Victorian Living

Harper Paperbacks

Examines how social issues have been presented in television programs from the 1950s to the present

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Humor & Entertainment

Rothman, Stanley

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Simon&Schuster

Simple Social Graces

Politics & Social Sciences

Sociology

Blackstone Audio,Inc.

The Lichter's and Rothman have laid bare TV's social agenda. This book is insightful, fair-minded, and always interesting.--Fred Barnes, The New Republic

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Gateway Books

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