Thomas P. Farley

Thomas P. Farley is a manners expert who has been interviewed on matters of etiquette by the Today show, the CBS Early Show, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Christian Science Monitor, People Style Watch, USA Today, CNN, ABC and Nick at Nite's TV Land, as well as on radio stations across the country. As the overseer of Town & Country magazine’s “Social Graces” column from 2000 to 2008, he helped to shed light on topics from “Elevator Etiquette” to “Horrible Things People Do in Public.” His book, Modern Manners: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Social Graces, went into multiple printings. He is also a featured contributor to the new book The Experts Guide to Doing Things Faster (Clarkson Potter; 2008). In addition, his thoughts on life's finer things (including manners, of course!) can be heard on the Martha Stewart Living Radio network, where he is a fill-in guest host

Farley’s passion for topics of manners extends well beyond the printed page. He has been a guest lecturer at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies and has done manners classes for schoolchildren. “I think it’s important for both adults and kids to know that being mannerly doesn’t entail memorizing long sets of rules,” he says. “It often means simply thinking twice before you act.

A graduate of Fordham University, Farley is presently at work on his second book, which will address the tricky matter of tech etiquette—from BlackBerry use to Facebook quandries. “Technology is advancing so rapidly that our manners simply can’t keep pace,” he explains. “And yet, as the general populace rushes head-first into a quest for gadget-led efficiency, only those who remember their manners will truly get ahead.”