Review: The lost art of conversation
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 13, 2014
Reading this author's stories about his down-to-earth, but erudite father brings back so many memories of my older relatives.  Going through family papers after my aunt's death, I was surprised to learn that she took Latin and geometry in the eighth grade!  Sadly educational standards have fallen since the 1910's.Most of us who were raised by Depression-era parents were at least exposed to the virtues of thrift and improvisation, although those lessons may have been left behind during the years of post-WWII  prosperity.  Today some people are returning to the less-is-more philosophy of life and some of us never abandoned it.  But the most appealing thing about Philip's parents is that they practiced the art of conversation.  Not every family was lucky enough to have an in-house vaudeville team, but there is no question that TALK was an important leisure-time activity before television got a death-grip on our brains.My only complaint about this book is its shortness.  I would like to know far more about this couple, their parents, siblings, education, and friends.  I hope this author will keep writing.  I also hope that many  people will take his advice to write down any family history or anecdotes.  In the past it was difficult to record and preserve our family histories.  We don't have that excuse today and we should all take full advantage of the technology that keeps our memories alive for coming generations.