Reviews

If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating by Alan Alda

Only show reviews with written explanations

mel_reviews_in_a_pinch's review against another edition

4.0

Actual rating is 4.5 out of 5.

Not at all what I was expecting (my own fault for just grabbing an audiobook with Alan Alda’s name on it), but it was without a doubt THE most interesting non-fiction book I’ve read up to this point in my life. Alan Alda is now top of my list as the person I would want to have dinner/drinks with, in any situation.

Full review to come.

eeclayton's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0

Some of the material covered in this book was new to me, some of it wasn't. Although it's about science, it's not too scientific, with quite a few cases of anecdotal evidence, hunches and personal interpretations. Still, I loved reading it. Alda is very down to earth and never pretends to be an expert of the field. He tells stories about stuff he's curious about, his enthusiasm clearly shows, and it definitely pulled me in. It's a bit repetitive at times, but a great read nonetheless.

rebeccadanielle's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

I love Alan Alda, if anyone else had written this book then I honestly wouldn't have picked it up. I love the title because it's fun. There are a lot parts to this book that made me think about times I've not understood people or when people haven't understood me. If you're after another book like his previous ones then you will be disappointed. This one does have short anecdotes throughout it used to put points he's making into context. I'm not entirely sure who this book is really for and there were a couple of parts that I skimmed. Overall I enjoyed it and it's been a good talking point.

themtj's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

While it is by no means, "the last book you'll ever read on communication" it is extremely insightful. Large emphasis on the value of empathy and understanding how much you know about your field compared with who you're trying to communicate with.

kmg365's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I chose it on a whim, not being fully aware of the subject matter. Let me go out on a limb here and state that if you're a humanities kind of person, you'll probably love it. If you're a science person, you'll probably think it needed more footnotes, citations, and equations. I highly recommend the audio book, read by Alda, in which his obvious enthusiasm for his topic becomes contagious.

mokey81's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

I'd like to give this a 4.5. The content was great, but there were definitely parts that got repetitive.

I stumbled across this in my library's audiobook list, and I'm so glad I did. Not only did I truly take interest in the subject matter, but I enjoyed getting to know a side of Alan Alda I had no idea about. Alda is passionate about exploring the possibilities afforded us by advancements in science. And he realizes that in order to do that, we all need to be able to communicate and understand ideas. He realized there was a gap in communication and understanding. And he has devoted a good portion of his life exploring communication and how to improve it.

I really enjoyed the anecdotes that were examples of the principle he was discussing. I love that he runs an institution that works to improve communication. I just...this book made me love Alan Alda. He's a great man.