Place cards are usually employed for dinners involving eight or more. They're actually quite useful for avoiding that embarrassing little pantomime that occurs when it's time to be seated and no one wants to appear rude by being the first to choose a spot. The time spent on that awkward moment of hesitations and musical chairs can throw off the timing of the first course. Worse still, the DIY attitude can compromise the flow of the conversation as the extroverts will congregate leaving the wallflowers to fend for themselves. A seating plan (given concrete form by those handy little cards) allows the host (and/or hostess) to employ a bit of strategy. Not only does it often permit guests to make new acquaintances, it's often essential for defusing potential conflict. Victorian novels abound with exasperated heroines trapped next to boring uncles or tedious vicars, but they also offer great romance and interesting banter fueled by the astute positioning of the simple place card. Aside from those truly formal occasions, when seating plans are governed by specific protocols, today the place card assumes a decorative role as well as a purely functional one. Festive holiday tables are perfect for flaunting a creative (and strategically placed) place card.  This is just one aspect of the stylishly laid table examined by Francesca Moscheni and the fourteen interior stylists who collaborated with her on Tavole d'autore, a great gift for anyone who enjoys stepping into the role of art director of the convivial moment.