Helen Gurley Brown, the former editor of Cosmopolitan Magazine has written a number of books. The only one I’ve read was on this last trip, Wild Again, which I’m afraid I found frivolous. As a result I sort of "sped read" my way through it. However, aA couple of things she wrote about registered with me. One was her advice about travel. She said " When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money, then take with you half of the clothes and twice the money." And I was amused about her comment regarding the rude treatment of the French. She says a friend told her that they act that way because they are mad since they never won a war, were forced out of Vietnam, lost World War I and II and Napoleon was defeated in St. Petersburg.

I did identify with her complaint of the lack of good manners when she received a thank you letter from a celebrity. At the end ofthe letter it was typed "Dictated, but not read." She was insulted. Many years ago I first read Dale Carnegie’s famous book How to Win Friends & Influence People. He makes direct reference to not using that phrase. He relates the personal experience in a story about himself. When he was a young man he had written to a famous author requesting some information. Carnegie decided it sounded important to end his letter with that phrase, "Dictated, but not read." The author sent his letter back to him with the message "Your bad manners are exceeded only by your bad manners." It was a lesson Carnegie never forgot about good manners. I decided not to use that device and never have in my correspondence. However, there are those in my office and many other professionals who use the phrase because they want people to know that they haven’t proof read the letter going out. I, on the other hand, prefer to sign all my letters or, in an emergency, have my name signed with the initials of the secretary signing for me beneath it. An unsigned letter noting it was dictated, but not read, just seems inconsiderate. By the way, in my view, there are few if any greater books of wisdom about dealing with people then Carnegie’s two books, How to Win Friends & Influence People and  How to stop Worrying and Start Living." Both are classics I keep handy and re-read over again. Now if I could only learn to practice what he preaches!