What is the best way to apologise? And when is it OK to swear?

Politeness rules our day-to-day lives, whether it's speaking to colleagues about issues at work, dealing with difficult family members or wondering if you should eat the last piece of pie. For years, Professor Louise Mullany has been examining the prevalence and power of politeness in our everyday speech and actions, and discovering what this says about us.

In Polite, Louise shows how the unseen science of politeness governs everything we do, from what we say to how we act, and reveals how a better understanding of the rules and norms of politeness can help us in all aspects of our work, leisure and home lives.

And, in doing so, she answers the age-old question... are politeness standards really declining?