Don't Take the Last Donut: New Rules of Business Etiquette

Author Judith Bowman covers a lot of business etiquette in relatively few pages. I found her chapter about exchanging business cards especially informative, and her warning about showing the soles of your feet was quite interesting. (I didn't know some cultures find soles of feet vulgar and low, and it's insulting to be shown them.) I also learned there isn't gender differentiation for business etiquette. This book is worth reading if you're new to giving business presentations or attending business meetings, or if you need to brush up on what's current in the business world. Note: The book's title, which amused me and caused me pick up the book, set me up to expect a humorous book. It is NOT humorous. But it is not dry/dull either; it's a pleasant read. Also, Bowman states that you shouldn't take the last donut, but she doesn't say why.

Every single piece of information necessary to "fit in" is written in this book. What would you do if you had to entertain the Vice President of your company ? It did happen to me. With the informations provided I was able to handle details like a pro. And, I am able to share some info with my team on how to take care of "high profile" clients. Extremely helpful !!!

DON'T TAKE THE LAST DONUT: NEW RULES OF BUSINESS ETIQUETTE is an important pick for any who would understand the protocols of business, from making a proper business introduction and creating a good first impression to handling small talk, conferences, and email. It's an important pick for any business library and also for any college-level library where students are entering the work world for the first time, covering all the latest basics of business etiquette and standards.

Ms. Bowman provides an elegant and hugely informative guide to navigating the modern business setting, often using her own experiences (both the exquisitely graceful and the occasional faux pas) as illustrative examples. Her thoughts should be particularly valuable to those who are in sales and networking oriented businesses, as it clearly lays out how one makes an introduction, exchanges business cards, makes "small talk", gives a presentation, and entertains at a restaurant. Missing from the book, however, are practical tips for those who are not constantly meeting others for the first time, but who interact with fellow employees everyday in the office/cubicle. There is no practical advice for dining with co-workers (where there is no clear host/guest relationship), participating in meetings with team-mates, giving feedback to others (career advice, firings, promotions) or inviting others for after-hours drinks. The practical reason for this, I believe, is that Ms. Bowman is a solo entrepreneur herself, always looking for new clients for her consulting businesses, and therefore does not think too much about office employees at large firms. Nevertheless, much of her advice will be valuable to anyone aspiring to be an executive, since the higher you rise, the more you end up having to sell and network with clients. As a side note, the editing job was left unfinished, and there are many sentence fragments, missing or misspelled words (e.g. "Luis Vuitton"), and dangling modifiers that make you wonder what the author intended to say. Despite these imperfections, the quality of the information and the anecdotes make this work shine.

This book is a must read for anyone in business, no matter your age. Judy tells it like it is in the world of business as far a social behavior is concerned. Life is all about the small things and being properly mannered is very important. This book will allow you to be home-charm schooled ! Enjoy