Okay, who was the first flatterer? If you guessed Satan, you'd be close, but according to You're Too Kind, flattery began with chimpanzees, who groom each other all day long. In fact, flattery is an adaptive behavior that has helped us survive since prehistoric times. Our flattery is strategic praise, and to illustrate its myriad forms, Richard Stengel takes us on a witty, idiosyncratic tour, from chimps to the God of the Old Testament to the troubadour...
Without intending to be too kind, the question this book really raises is who should read it. Some will love it while others will hate it. What will be your reaction? Flattery is one of those subjects that most people cannot and do not want to take seriously. If you like a little humor with your social commentaries, you will enjoy this book. If you want a how-to book on being a more successful flatterer, you will find...
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Sam Rayburn was a towering Speaker of the United States House of Representatives in an era when the Speaker was king. His advice to new members of congress: If you want to get along, go along. This is Stengel's advice -- in spades! And he has the history to prove it. But this is no more a self-help, climb-the-corporate-ladder book (although if you take his advice you will help your self and, perhaps, reach the top of the ladder)...
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I bought this book with high hopes, and did enjoy it. But. It does bounce around, from the fascinating history of flattery to great tips about flattery to research concerning flattery.There's much to be learned from this book, and I'm glad I bought it, but I can't really say it's an enjoyable read. It's just not laid out well.
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What can I say about Richard Stengel's book that this smart -- no, incandescent -- writer couldn't say better himself? And, while we're at it, wait'll you see how great he looks in the dust jacket photo! Like the lipstick-smeared derriere on the front cover, Stengel's book comes in two parts: first is a history of flattery. It moves from the Bible, which suddenly makes sense through Stengel's lens ("God begins to preach...
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The book made for enjoyable reading. It was interesting as it is especially pertinent in a culture like the American culture which tries its hardest to bolster everyone's ego with feel-good messages. I think the truth is that we have got tired of hearing cliched congragulatory phrases and in an attempt to communicate something postive we try to outdo all the jaded postivisms out there by paying richer, heavier, and more...
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