People being rude seems to have gotten worse in recent years, but it is far from a new problem. The idea that self comes before others has been around for a long time, but it being accepted more and more as the norm. This shouldn’t be the case, and, as Steven Michael Selzer conveys in Civility, there are simple ways to combat it.

The book takes George Washington’s rules for being civil and updates them to match today’s problems. There are still some that will not apply today as they once did, but the underlying message of treating others with respect still applies. Showing each other respect would go a long way towards bettering relations with those around us.

I can see some people having a problem with a few of the rules, but that is mainly due to them thinking these are too strict. The book is definitely thought-provoking. There were a few that set me on edge at first, but then I realized that I was aggravated because I would have to set me aside.

Civility is easy to read and interesting, but not exactly what I had expected. Several times, the humor was wooden and seemed forced, like it was an afterthought. I know the book isn’t meant to be comedy, but it would have been better if the humor flowed better, or was left out. Even with that, I found plenty of things to think about.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.