When I was in my twenties and giving dinner parties every week, I came up with a couple of money-saving devices. First, no snacks. This also ensures that, by the time dinner is served, your guests are so hungry they’ll mistake almost anything for a masterclass. Second, invite people on a Monday evening, so they won’t stay too late. As my millionaire cousin likes to say: ka-ching!

I mention all this because one reason people don’t give more dinner parties is that they think they’re too expensive. Another is that they’re afraid of being judged. I remember being taken aback when a guest of mine said she would never dare to give a dinner party. Jago Rackham has friends who have said something similar to him – which, by his own account, is what prompted him to write this manual, which is a terrific step-by-step guide to convening a handful of people at your home to eat, drink, and talk about this and that.

Invite people to dinner on a Monday evening, so they won’t stay too late

Invite people to dinner on a Monday evening, so they won’t stay too late

It’s not easy to pull this kind of book off without falling into Polonius-like platitudes. (Don’t invite too many people; but then again, don’t........

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