Talk The new science of conversation and the art of being ourselves

Alison Wood Brooks

Book - 2025

"A groundbreaking book that reveals the hidden architecture of our conversations and how even small improvements can have a profound impact on our relationships in work and life-from a celebrated Harvard Business School professor and leading expert on the psychology of conversation"--

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1 copy ordered
Subjects
Published
New York : Crown [2025]
Language
English
Main Author
Alison Wood Brooks (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
pages cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9780593443491
  • The coordination game
  • T is for topics
  • A is for asking
  • L is for levity
  • K is for kindness
  • Many minds
  • Difficult moments
  • Apologies.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Brooks, an associate professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, debuts with a perceptive guide to what she characterizes as "one of the most complex and uncertain" of everyday human tasks. Citing a need to move beyond "social niceties" espoused by earlier and slicker communication philosophies (such as Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People), she contends that good conversation involves "expecting problems, noticing them, and working to solve them as best we can." Obstacles to doing so include participants' competing priorities and the constant, mentally taxing practice of "self-reading, mind-reading, and room-reading." Brooks's suggestions for improvement range from the concrete, like preparing a list of discussion topics in advance, or asking lots of follow-up questions (those who do "are better liked"), to more complex skills like understanding and prioritizing others' "conversational needs" (which can include "hard feedback, new ideas, a quick laugh, a sounding board, challenging questions, a break"). Compiling valuable data from speed-dating sessions, sales calls, and parole hearings, the author builds a convincing case for practicing and better understanding the elements that shape good conversation. Lucid and pragmatic, this unlocks some of the mysteries of human communication. (Jan.)

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