George Washington's Rules
of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation
is a list of 110 rules copied by our nation's first President when
he was a teenager in 1745. They were discovered in his manuscripts partly gnawed away by mice at his Mt. Vernon home.
2
When in company, put not
your hands to any part of the body, not usually discovered.
11
Shift not yourself in the
sight of others nor gnaw your nails.
24
Do not laugh too loud or
too much at any public spectacle.
56
Associate yourself with men
of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for 'is better to be
alone than in bad company.
82
Undertake not what you
cannot perform but be careful to keep your promise.
110
Labor to keep alive in your
breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.
The rules are a list of maxims that
taught modesty, respect and a heightened consideration for others to
young minds who later led our nation in revolution.
The moral character of our country's founders helped shape a nation
that strives through its leaders to protect inalienable rights of
its people. These rules and the patriots they helped shape remind us
that we need civility and leaders of moral character if a civil
society is to avoid the consequences of having neither.
This inspiring in-depth reference is the perfect gift for graduates,
history buffs, and anyone who appreciates early American history.
The book will be published in both perfect bound and digital formats
for readers on 11-01-10 and is beautifully illustrated by Jeff Moore
with a foreword by Glenn Reynolds and a preface by Christian Grantham that traces the moral code to
its origins.
Rediscover our nation's character and help stoke the embers of civil
conscience with your own edition of these elegant and curious rules of
civility and decent behavior.
Christian Grantham - is a media consultant and covers local government for the Murfreesboro Post. Grantham worked on domestic policy forums for President Bill Clinton’s Administration and in a variety of news mediums.
Jeff Moore - designs and illustrates with an architectural firm in Birmingham, Alabama. His illustrations for this book draw inspiration primarily from portraits and engravings depicting the life of George Washington and the founding of our nation.
Glenn Reynolds - is the Beauchamp
Brogan Distinguished Professor of Law at the
University of Tennessee College of Law. Founder of
the pioneering political blog InstaPundit, he
also writes for publications including The Wall
Street Journal, the Washington Examiner,
and Forbes.
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