Talk to the Hand
has a fun subtitle: “The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door.” That’s cute.
In this one, Lynne Truss (who also wrote Eats, Shoots, and Leaves
about grammar gripes) goes on a formal rant about rudeness in today’s society. It’s a fun book about keyboard warriors, and all those jerks out there who are typically only rude when they can safely hide behind a computer screen and not get their lights punched out.
Initially, I read Talk to the Hand thinking it would be chock-full of humorous, uplifting stories about rude people getting their just desserts, or tips for handling people when they’re rude. Surprisingly, this book wasn’t too relatable. It reads like a personal essay and discusses rude things that are already widely acknowledged—such as talking on the phone loudly in public places and not saying thank you when people hold open the door for you.
Furthermore, Talk to the Hand isn’t very interesting or engaging, and doesn’t get into WHY society is ruder now than ever before. That’s what I’d like to talk about. Why are people so much ruder today than they were 20 or 30 years ago? I miss the old days.
Anyway, I’d recommend skipping this one, even if you were a fan of Eats, Shoots & Leaves (2002).
Other non-fiction works by Lynne Truss include:
What did you think about Talk to the Hand?
Last Updated on February 6, 2026 by Sarah Ann
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