Modern Manners: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Social Graces (Hearst Books, $17.95), edited by Thomas P. Farley, is an anthology of Town & Country magazine’s highly popular etiquette column, which Farley helmed for nearly a decade. Modern Manners is a must-read for anyone who cares about (or needs to learn about) manners, and contains roughly fifty essays, by writers including Hugh Downs, Frank McCourt, Charles Osgood, Peggy Noonan, and Jamie Lee Curtis.The Experts' Guide to Doing Things Faster (Clarkson Potter; $28), edited by Samantha Ettus, contains savvy tips and advice from 100 high-profile authorities, including Richard Branson (on how to get a loan), Hannah Storm (on getting ready in the morning) and Rande Gerber (on stocking a bar). Thomas P. Farley's chapter, "Minding Your Manners in a Fast-Paced World," provides a fitting and graceful end to the book.