Starting from the belief that the power of speech has done great harm in families, churches and empires, Bate describes the types of talker everyone has met. The monopolist, the false humourist, the flatterer, the brawler, the mischief-maker, the pleonast and the grumbler are each sketched with examples and a moral about how to talk better.
A wry Victorian guide to conversation that still identifies familiar faces at any dinner table. Download the free EPUB.