THE ART OF BEING MIDDLE CLASS

Middle-class Brits are embarrassed, awkward, and charmingly insecure in their tastes. The Art of Being Middle-Class, based on stories from cult blog The Middle Class Handbook, is here to help.

What are the essential topics to cover when talking about other couples?

What do you do about the awkward bag on the seat moment?

How do you subtly boast about your summer holiday destination?

What does your cooker hood say about you?

With tips on taste and etiquette, a conspiratorial cheer here and there, and a kick up the bum when necessary, this book sets out to help our marvellous British MCs be the best they can be.

Praise for The Middle Class Handbook:

"Indispensable... whether you're middle class or pretending not to be." GQ magazine.

"Hilarious... we laughed our organic, brushed cotton socks off." Grazia.

"The Middle Class Handbook skewers the middle classes, and then dissects them with ruthless comical accuracy." Esquire.

At www.middleclasshandbook.co.uk our purpose is to uncover, muse, debate and celebrate micro-aspects of the tastes and behaviours of the modern middle classes, across endless subjects from motoring to food and drink. We bring tips to soothe worries, give a heads-up on brands to watch, inspire talking points, identify trends, provide the inside track on stuff MCs need to know and, when necessary, settle questions of etiquette.

The Middle Class Handbook - devised by creative practice Not Actual Size - started life in 2009 as a blog dedicated to exploring the stuff modern British middle classes say, do, think and buy. Since then, it has grown into a vibrant hub for all things middle class, spawning published books, a buzzing online network, one-off events, flagrantly middle-class merchandise, and a specialist MC brand consultancy. And as it has grown, so has the range of contributors behind the daily blogs, ranging from teachers and estate agents,to farmers and IT support workers.