{"product_id":"scarlett-rules-isbn-9780812975314","title":"Scarlett Rules","description":"“Some day I’m going to do and say everything I want to do and say, and if people don’t like it I don’t care.”–Scarlett O’Hara, from Gone with the Wind\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEver since the publication of Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 epic blockbuster, Gone with the Wind, Scarlett O’ Hara has captivated millions with her wily ways, saucy attitude, irresistible charms–and legendary faults. Now, in Scarlett Rules, intrepid journalist Lisa Bertagnoli shares 24 life-enhancing lessons inspired by Tara’s most beguiling resident.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRule 1: Pretty Is as Pretty Does–Not a conventional beauty, the literary Scarlett knew it took more than an attractive face to get noticed. Learn to put your best features forward.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRule 8: Keep Your Eyes on the Prize–Scarlett used determination and perseverance to survive and thrive. Unlock your abilities and go for the gold. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRule 15: Find Your Niche–A woman ahead of her time, Scarlett succeeded on her strengths. Discover your gift and shine!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith each pearl of wisdom comes a Scarlett Lesson featuring savvy advice from life coaches, relationship gurus, and other experts. Full of wit and insight, this irresistible guide guarantees that, as God is your witness, you’ll never be without gumption, poise, and individual style again!\u003cb\u003eLisa Bertagnoli\u003c\/b\u003e is an international journalist who has written hundreds of articles for publications including \u003ci\u003eNewsweek\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSelf\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWorking Mother\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Washingtonian\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFitness\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eReal Simple\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e Chicago Sun-Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eChicago\u003c\/i\u003e magazine, and \u003ci\u003eCrain's Chicago Business\u003c\/i\u003e. A Midwest correspondent for \u003ci\u003eWomen's Wear Daily\u003c\/i\u003e, she is also a regular contributor to the \u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e. Lisa has appeared on \u003ci\u003eChicago Tonight\u003c\/i\u003e on PBS and on NPR's \u003ci\u003eOn the Media\u003c\/i\u003e. She has a master's degree in linguistics from Indiana University. She is also the author of \u003ci\u003eScarlett Rules\u003c\/i\u003e. She lives in Bucktown, Chicago, Illinois, with her husband, William.Bertagnoli: SCARLETT RULES\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Scarlett rule 1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Pretty is as pretty does\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught  by her charm. . . .—Gone with the Wind\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Beauty is all very well at first sight; but who ever looks at it when it  has been in the house for three days?—George Bernard Shaw\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Fans who’ve seen the movie yet not read the book all agree: Katie Scarlett  O’Hara was beautiful. Drop-dead gorgeous Vivien Leigh brought Scarlett to  life on the silver screen,   and Leigh was perfect for the role. Her model-slim figure, wavy jet-black  hair, and green eyes eerily matched Margaret Mitchell’s description of our  heroine—except for one important detail. Where Vivien Leigh’s classic  features made people stop and stare—“What a lovely child,” commented Queen  Mary of England when the sixteen-year-old Vivien was presented at  court—Scarlett wasn’t beautiful, a fact made clear in the very first  sentence of the novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    What made Scarlett different from every other average-looking girl in the  world is that Scarlett was unaware of her lack of beauty. And if someone  had had the nerve to mention that fact to her, she probably wouldn’t have  cared. Scarlett knew how to dress to play up her figure, and she knew how  to act to make men (and women) forget she was anything but ravishing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Scarlett’s favorite gowns were green, the better to highlight her  bewitching, catlike eyes. She wore hats and gloves to protect her  milky-white complexion, so prized by Southern belles, from the harsh  Georgia sun. When she could, she wore gowns that showed off as much of  that peaches-and-cream skin as she could.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Scarlett knew that clothes make the girl. More important, she understood  that charm almost always seals the deal. She knew instinctively that the  perfect accessories for her just-right gowns were the Scarlettisms that  Gone with the Wind fans know so well: fluttering eyelashes, a flirtatious  smile, that calculated toss of her head. When she had harsh words to say,  Scarlett sugarcoated her speech, smiling and fluttering those eyelashes  all the while. Better than most anybody, Scarlett knew that it’s not what  you say, it’s how you say it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    But Scarlett’s charm was as filigreed as the French lace trimming her  pantalets. Unlike Melanie, who was born gracious, or Ashley’s sisters,  who’d rather die than display anything less than impeccable manners and  perfect charm, Scarlett’s veneer carried her only so far. When Scarlett  did not get her way, her Irish temper flared, her brow furrowed, and she  forgot every single deportment lesson drummed into proper Southern girls.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Only when the upset world was righted once again and tilting decidedly in  Scarlett’s favor was she sweetness, grace, and charm personified.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e      On the surface, Scarlett had charm in spades. But she lacked true charm:  the ability to be unfailingly unflappable, polite, and well-mannered even  under awful circumstances. Had Scarlett been truly charming, she would  have accepted Ashley’s marriage to Melanie graciously and would never have  let Rhett get under her skin, as he did so many times.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Truly charming people make anyone feel that he or she is the only person  in the world. They know how to deliver a compliment and how to accept one.  They know how to make people feel good about themselves and about life, no  matter what the circumstances.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Like a mean backhand or a perfect risotto, charm is a skill that takes  cultivating. What does it take to be like her, the woman whose entrance  makes a party, whose smile is like the sun breaking through clouds, who’s  invited everywhere and then some? The next time you’re at a party and spot  a woman surrounded by people hanging on her every word, watch her. Take  mental note of what she says and does in the company of her admirers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    This is what you’ll learn: She listens. She doesn’t interrupt. She doesn’t  reply to an anecdote with a quick “Oh, that happened to me once!” She lets  the story, however trite, long, or boring, belong to the teller. She  remembers people’s names and details about their lives: new job, new baby,  new home. If she doesn’t remember a name, she graciously asks for it,  because candidly admitting a lapse in memory can be charming in itself.  She asks to see baby pictures, sparing proud new parents the awkwardness  of an unwanted show-and-tell.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She gives well-considered, straightforward compliments with no hidden  meaning. She’ll say, “That dress looks great on you,” not “That dress  makes you look so thin.” She’ll tell you how gracious your home is, not  that white paint makes the living room look so much bigger. You get the  idea. A real compliment, one that makes the hearer blush with pride,  carries not even the smallest piece of negative baggage.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    A charming woman knows how to accept a compliment, even the backhanded  type that she never delivers. She knows the proper response is a handful  of words: “Oh, thank you. How kind of you.” And that’s it. No  embellishment or argument needed. Not “Oh, this old thing?” Not “You’ve  got to be kidding.” A short, gracious response does the trick.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    A charming woman lets people help her. When a man offers to carry her  groceries to her car, she says yes. When a man holds the door for her, she  says thank you. She doesn’t even consider shaming him with a rant on how  she’s strong enough to open the door herself, thank you very much. It  makes people feel good to help other people; a charming woman knows that.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    A charming woman says thank you and please. She hand-writes thank-you  notes, even if she’s already thanked the giver in person. She knows that  anachronisms such as thank-you notes and letters are oh-so-welcome in this  world of dashed-off electronic communiqués and mailboxes full of catalogs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    A charming woman knows that weddings and parties are   a social contract of sorts. Attendees are expected to contribute to the  atmosphere, not merely sit in a corner and observe.   She responds to invitations promptly; when she says yes   she shows up; when she arrives, she draws wallflowers out   of their corners. She asks them about books they like, movies they’ve  seen, vacation spots they adore. She doesn’t ask about their jobs; that’s  a dead end and a possibly embarrassing question.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She also knows that wakes and funerals are necessary. She knows to say  “I’m so sorry for your loss” to the mourners and leave it at that: no  philosophizing or prognosticating on the deceased’s current residence with  God, angels, or other heavenly creatures. And when the bereaved appears at  a social gathering weeks or months later, she knows to greet that person  with a warm “It’s good to see you again,” not the tossed-off thoughtless  “How are you?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Why bother cultivating charm when life is filled with so many other  demands? Here’s one reason: It’s the right thing to do. Think how much  more pleasant the world would be if more people made even half an effort  to be charming. And here’s another: You never know whom you’re going to  charm. That person could lead you to a great job, a new friend, maybe even  a spouse. Scarlett, our faulty heroine, was certainly at her most charming  when she had something—tax money for Tara, a husband—to gain.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    But here’s the biggest reason to be charming: Beauty fades; charm lasts.  As George Bernard Shaw observed, nobody notices beauty after it’s been in  the house for three days. Charm is noticed—and cherished—forever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    put your best foot forward\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Not every woman has Scarlett’s mesmerizing eyes or her tiny waist. But  every woman does have physical qualities that, given just a bit of  attention, can make her a knockout. According to Jesse Garza, co-founder  of Visual Therapy, an image-consulting firm with offices in New York and  Los Angeles, here are the beauty spots women tend to overlook.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Your health. Before he even takes a peek at their wardrobes, Garza  counsels his clients to exercise and eat nutrition-packed foods. The  result? Healthy, glowing skin and a body confidence that no Chanel suit  can beat. “Nutrition and exercise give you the best version of yourself,”  Garza says.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Your hair. Shiny, healthy hair cut in a flattering style will elicit wows  wherever you go. Even if you don’t spend a lot of money on your clothes,  invest in a good haircut.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Your skin. Garza is adamant on this one: “Moisturize! Use sun block!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Your clavicle. “That area from shoulder to shoulder is really beautiful,”  Garza says. Give it some attention with an elegant bateau-cut top; for  extra pizzazz at night, rub in a bit of shimmery body lotion.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Your calves. Wear skirts tailored to a length that shows the taper of your  calf toward your knee. “The curve of a calf can be super-great,  super-sexy,” Garza says.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Your back. Forget a plunging neckline; try a plunging backline instead. A  deep V-back, a sexy drape, or a cowl gives people something to talk about  when you leave a room.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Your overall shape. Every body has a shape, and women make a big mistake  when they smother themselves in baggy garments. “It’s better to create a  waist and go with clothes that are more tailored,” Garza suggests.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Your curves. Ankles, wrists, hips, shoulders, butt: Curves make a woman’s  body. Play up your curves with garments that skim them but don’t turn them  into sausage casings. “Curves are sexy done the right way,” Garza says.And 23 other life lessons inspired by Scarlett O' Hara; This book has not been prepared, approved, or licensed by the estate of Margaret Mitchell.","brand":"Villard","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302883119333,"sku":"NP9780812975314","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780812975314.jpg?v=1767736176","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/scarlett-rules-isbn-9780812975314","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}