Well, it’s irresistible this week: The need to write about Sarah Palin, given her book tour (Oprah! Barbara Walters! The cover of Newsweek!) and her book release today.

In the book she mostly gives John McCain a pass, but blasts his campaign, citing various slights from campaign minions.

The memoir, Going Rouge, described as “score settling” by many critics, does aim straight at the strategists, complaining about being booted offstage on election night, having to pay the bill for a $50,000 background check, as well as being muzzled when she wanted to talk about Bristol’s pregnancy in her own way. (She wanted to talk about personal responsibility and the campaign “muzzled” her).

The critical question for you, dear reader, is not what Sarah’s doing but what are you doing?

I say, mind your manners. Be careful how and where you criticize your current boss and employers as I wrote in Tough Conversations with Your Boss. If you leave, leave with class.

Don’t burn bridges; they’re hard to rebuild. Most industries track members and your words will come back to haunt you. Be gracious when you leave. Simply announce that you’ve found a better fit for you, no more. Don’t take a last opportunity to trash your boss. Don’t go on the company blog and burn the organization. Clean up any messes before you leave. The odds of your words or deeds coming back to you like a boomerang are astronomical in the age of the internet as well as industry conferences, meetings and other corporate swap meets.

Also, you never know when you might want to return. A change of bosses in your group, or a change of heart for you, could easily drive you back into the arms of your former employer. The wise and successful consulting company, McKinsey and Company has accepted this essential truth so thoroughly that they actually have clubs and newsletters for McKinsey alumni. They know that the name means something and smart employees take advantage of that boomerang effect.