Before you say yes to your cousin-in-law's annual company picnic, or another endless dinner with that tedious ex-roommate you never liked in the first place, wait-there's a graceful, guilt-free way out! Whether you're dodging an overbearing boss, the chatty guy next to you on an overcrowded flight, your least favorite client, your least favorite parent, or anyone else, this lighthearted, indispensable guide will show you how to make a seamless, effective escape.The perfect guide for our over-committed, hectic times, Artful Dodging puts an end to all those feeble excuses no one ever believes. It banishes, once and for all, the notion of an invitation you can't refuse. In an almost Kryptonite-like fashion, it helps to break the vice of social obligation that has so many of us in its grip. Yes, it's true: Artful Dodging can set you free.Topics include: the pros and cons of using a Classic Excuse * mastering the Duck and Cover * using voice mail, Call Waiting, and other telephone techniques * emergency escape tactics * flattery, melodrama, and other dodging diversions * vanishing into thin air * and much more.For everyone who's mastered the art of making friends and now needs to improve at shaking them, Artful Dodging comes to the rescue, with humor, smarts, and a great exit line.AUTHORBIO: JEANNE MARTINET is the author of The Art of Mingling (now in its tenth printing), The Faux Pas Survival Guide, Getting Beyond Hello, and Come-ons, Comebacks, and Kiss-offs.

A master dodger as well as an inveterate mingler, she lives in New York City.But if you're planning on calling her, she won't be home.