We Need To Talk

Civil discourse is one of humanity's founding institutions and it faces an existential threat: We, the people, need to talk about how we talk to one another. Celeste Headlee shows us how
We Need To Talk is an important read for a conversationally-challenged, disconnected age. Headlee is a talented, honest storyteller and her advice has helped me become a better spouse, friend and mother
This powerful debut offers ten strategies for improving conversational skills. Tidbits from sociological studies and anecdotes from history, including from civil rights activist Xernona Clayton's groundbreaking conversations with KKK leader Calvin Craig, round out a book that takes its own advice and has much to communicate
In the course of her career, Headlee has interviewed thousands of people from all walks of life and learned that sparking a great conversation is really a matter of a few simple habits that anyone can learn
This book is necessary . . . Headlee's treatise on creating space for valuable mutual reciprocity is one that should become a handbook in any school, business or even a doctor's office where the everyday person visits
A well-researched and careful analysis of how and why we talk with one another - our strengths and (myriad) weaknesses . . . A thoughtful discussion and sometimes passionate plea for civility and consideration in conversation
Refreshingly honest....In the era of the lost art of conversation, Headlee helps us find our voice
The perfect pre-Thanksgiving read to head off family squabbles and turn the holiday meal into a feast of ideas instead of a political fracas
BASED ON THE WILDLY POPULAR TED TALK WITH MORE THAN TEN MILLION VIEWS

Take a moment to consider how many outcomes in your life may have been affected by poor communication skills. Could you have been offered that job you really wanted? Saved a relationship? How is it that we so often fail to say the right thing at the right time?

Journalist Celeste Headlee has interviewed hundreds of people from all walks of life, and if there's one thing she's learned, it's that it's hard to overestimate the power of conversation. In We Need to Talk, she outlines the strategies that have made her a better conversationalist - and offers simple tools that can improve anyone's communication. For example:

*BE THERE OR GO ELSEWHERE. Think you can type up a few emails while on a business call, or hold a conversation with your child while texting your spouse? Think again.

*CHECK YOUR BIAS. We all have blind spots that affect the way we view others. Check your bias before you judge someone else.

*HIDE YOUR PHONE. Don't just put down your phone, put it away. Research suggests that the mere presence of a phone can negatively impact the quality of a conversation.

Whether you're struggling to communicate with your child's teacher, your neighbour, or someone you love, We Need to Talk offers smart strategies that can help you have conversations that matter.

@celesteheadlee
www.celesteheadlee.com

WE NEED TO TALK. They are, perhaps, the most dreaded four words in the English language. But in her timely and practical book, We Need to Talk, Celeste Headlee—a public radio host—makes the case that they are urgently needed.
Today most of us communicate from behind electronic screens, and studies show that Americans feel less connected and more divided than ever before. And the only way
forward, says Headlee, is to start talking to one another. In We Need to Talk, she outlines the strategies that have made her a better conversationalist and offers actionable steps anyone can take to improve their communication skills. For example:

• BE THERE OR GO ELSEWHERE. Human beings are incapable of multitasking, and this is especially true of tasks that involve language. Think you can catch up on your e-mail while talking on the phone? Think again.
• CHECK YOUR BIAS. The belief that your intelligence protects you from erroneous assumptions can make you more vulnerable to them. We all have blind spots that affect the way we view others.
• HIDE YOUR PHONE. Don’t just put down your phone, put it away. Research suggests that the mere presence of a cell phone can negatively impact the quality of a conversation.

Whether you’re struggling to communicate with your child’s teacher, your boss, your neighbor, or someone you love, Headlee offers smart strategies that can help us all have conversations that matter.