The Zen of Listening: Mindful Communication in the Age of Distraction
Shafir, chief of speech pathology at Massachusetts's Lahey Clinic with over 25 years of clinical experience helping patients learn to speak, has written a real "heads-up" book for this age of soundbytes, multitasking, and hidden agendas. Communication is an interactive process dependent on both speaking and listening. Too often, the listening part is given short shrift, and we are left wondering why we feel "empty." Defining listening as "the willingness to see a situation through the eyes of the speaker," Shafir goes beyond the mechanics of good listening behavior to an approach requiring relaxation, focus, and a desire to learn from the speakers' perspective. In a friendly and informal tone, she discusses specific exercises, activities, and strategies to improve awareness, provides illustrations, and gives examples from her clinical experiences. While the book has relevance to anyone who spends time talking with others, counselors and those in the helping professions will find its solid and practical advice especially useful.DDenise S. Sticha, Seton Hill Coll., Greensburg, PACopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.