I want to offer a very special thank-you to Royce Flippin, who worked tirelessly with me to edit my rambling, run-on writing into a readable text.
Cindy Post Senning and Elizabeth Upham Howell were invaluable as they read every chapter and made sure I stayed on topic. With her expert’s knowledge about etiquette, Peggy Post kept my advice on point.
Thank you to Jessica McGrady, Toni Sciarra, and Greg Chaput for their understanding, patience, and insightful editing.
Many thanks go to Katherine Cowles, my agent, who believed in this project right from the start and encouraged me to pursue it when I wasn’t sure it would ever fly.
Anna Post and Lizzie Post are wonderful daughters who have drawn on their own experiences to help me fine-tune the etiquette advice.
Finally, I want to thank my great-grandmother Emily Post. I have spent a great deal of time reading her original Etiquette as well as her novels and other nonfiction books. The more I read and learn about her, the more I realize what a truly extraordinary woman she was. Long before she wrote Etiquette, she understood what it meant to be gracious and courteous—or, as she called it, “to have charm.” If ever there was a person who had charm, it was she.