Amazon.com As one of the few folks who made it out of the National Lampoon alive and writing， P. J. O'Rourke is--a comment that might please him more than most humorists--an elder statesman of American humor. While this says much about the thinness of the field， you gotta give him his props. Modern Manners is good， early O'Rourke， a book that you can read and enjoy without being to the right of Francisco Franco. Who can resist lines such as "A hat should be taken off when you greet a lady and left off for the rest of your life. Nothing looks more stupid than a hat." Or， "Don't wear a tweed jacket to work unless you expect to flush a covey of quail from behind the Xerox machine." Manners are a moving target， and some sections are in need of revision (cocaine really was a big deal， wasn't it?)， but don't let that dissuade you. By and large， Modern Manners comes through admirably.