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kait_unicorn's review against another edition
2.0
I started this book thinking it would offer guidance on how to bring Dharmic practice into conversation - how cultivating compassion, for example, can help us to be open to others and engage in communication on a deeper level. Instead it reads like a High School psychology guide on chit chat. This may be intentional, as a way to engage with a larger, non-Buddhist audience. So perhaps I am the wrong target for this book. I found it grating in places, and simplistic to sounding almost patronising in others.
donifaber's review
4.0
Much better than the average self-help book because it focuses on the big picture, focusing on a conversant as a warrior waging battle to achieve peace. Mipham defines words in really interesting, mind-spinning ways, such as "aggression as wanting things to be anything but what they are." It has moments of reflection at the end of each chapter to help you apply the concepts. I found myself underlining a lot. The best distillation of its message is: "A good conversation is the constant embodiment of living in the challenge of never giving up on others. Simultaneously, it is the heroic gesture of not giving up on ourselves."
allen's review
4.0
A nice application of mindfulness techniques to conversational practice. A quick easy read that really strikes the cords of being present, mindful, attentive, and giving oneself over to the power of listening presence.
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