Talk Better How small shifts in conversation can change everything

I recently came across a review of Talk by Alison Wood Brooks, a book that examines why conversation is more complicated than we think.

The review highlights ten research-backed insights that are both surprising and useful, particularly if we are concerned about enhancing our ability to connect with others. These are the key points:

• Preparing topics in advance makes conversations better
• Our intuitions about which topics make for rewarding conversation are wrong
• Switching topics more frequently makes conversations more enjoyable
• People who ask questions are more likable
• We’re more hesitant to make jokes than we should be
• We underestimate the power of compliments
• Apologies make us look good
• We think we understand each other more than we do
• We have a hard time believing that people who disagree with us are actually listening
• Conversations rarely end when anyone wants them to

Good conversations aren’t about being clever or saying the right thing. They come from being curious, paying attention, and dropping some of the assumptions that get in the way.