Polite

Are women really more polite than men?
What is the best way to apologise?
And when is it OK to swear?
Politeness rules our day-to-day lives, whether it's speaking to colleagues about issues at work, dealing with difficult family members or wondering if you should eat the last piece of pie.
For years, Professor Louise Mullany has been examining the prevalence and power of politeness in our everyday speech and actions, and discovering what this says about us.
In Polite, Louise shows how the unseen science of politeness governs everything we do, from what we say to how we act, and reveals how a better understanding of the rules and norms of politeness can help us in all aspects of our work, leisure and home lives.
And, in doing so, she answers the age-old question... are politeness standards really declining?

Louise Mullany has taught the science of politeness at the University of Nottingham for the past 25 years, where she is Professor of Sociolinguistics. As well as lecturing and researching in this pioneering field, she works as a consultant with businesses, public sector organisations and charities, applying politeness and sociolinguistics to improve performance. She has published several books on language and linguistics and is author of over 50 journal and chapters on language and communication in businesses, healthcare, politics and sport. She has also been a guest speaker on professional communication in a number of countries around the world.