This book, first published in 1753 and followed by a second edition in 1757, 'advises' women on how to irritate and annoy their servants, husbands, friends and acquaintances, an art which is "derived from our grand and general mother Eve herself". It was published anonymously by Jane Collier as a satire on the etiquette guides and the predominant attitudes to respectability in the mid-eighteenth century and still makes a humorous read today. One such recommendation encourages mothers to allow their children to misbehave in order to annoy any house guests:

"There is no better use of having your children noisy and troublesome, than this of plaguing all your acquaintance: for you may suffer them, when you have visitors, to make such a racket that you cannot hear one another speak; let them also, with their greasy fingers, soil and besmear your visitor's cloaths; cut their hoods … with scissors; put their fingers, and dirty noses … into the cream-pot, and drivel over the sugar; throw the remainder of the cream over somebody's clean gown; climb upon the chair, and thrust some bread and butter down the ladies backs; and in short be more troublesome and offensive, than either squirrels, parrots or monkies."