num_pages: 272
description: WE NEED TO TALK.In this urgent and insightful book public radio journalist Celeste Headlee shows us how to bridge what divides us--by having real conversationsBASED ON THE TED TALK WITH OVER 10 MILLION VIEWSNPR's Best Books of 2017Winner of the 2017 Silver Nautilus Award in Relationships &amp; CommunicationWe 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. (Jessica Lahey author of New York Times bestseller The Gift of Failure)Today most of us communicate from behind electronic screens and studies show that Americans feel less connected and more divided than ever before. The blame for some of this disconnect can be attributed to our political landscape but the erosion of our conversational skills as a society lies with us as individuals.And the only way forward says Headlee is to start talking to each other. In We Need to Talk she outlines the strategies that have made her a better conversationalistand offers simple tools that can improve anyones communication. 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 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. The belief that your intelligence protects you from erroneous assumptions can end up making you more vulnerable to them. We all have blind spots that affect the way we view others. Check your bias before you judge someone else.HIDE YOUR PHONE. Dont just put down your phone put it away. New research suggests that the mere presence of a cell phone can negatively impact the quality of a conversation.Whether youre struggling to communicate with your kids teacher at school an employee at work or the people you love the mostHeadlee offers smart strategies that can help us all have conversations that matter. 
language: None
title: We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations that Matter
publisher: Harper Wave