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A review by jkkb332
We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter by Celeste Headlee
3.0
I wouldn't have chosen to read this on my own, but it was the selection for my team's bookclub this month. I like participating so I figured why not. It sounded interesting enough, and conversation is a skill that I feel like I can always improve on.
I liked a lot of Headlee's points. The part that stood out to me the most is when she talks about empathy and how important it is to having a real conversation. I'm a pretty empathetic person, but it made me realize I'm not doing a good job of teaching my boys to be empathetic. We don't talk enough about feeling what others might be feeling, and I'm going to change that.
Headlee talks a lot about herself in this book. She uses her own learning curve as illustrations of both good and bad conversations. While a lot of the book is her talking about how good she's gotten at conversation and how she's gotten there, I think it's warranted. She's got an impressive resume as a journalist and radio/TV host, so she's had a lot more opportunities to hone her skills than most people.
Overall, I feel like a lot of this is common sense, but it's good to have to laid out in an easily digestible format. I'm not totally convinced by her argument that the unrest and divide in our country is due to a lack of good quality conversation, but I do think it contributes. Unfortunately, the people who need this book most are probably not very likely to read it.
I would suggest this to anyone who wants practical tips on how to hold good quality conversations, to go beyond the surface to truly get to know and understand people.
P.S. This is my 52nd book for the year and completes my 2023 reading challenge. :)
I liked a lot of Headlee's points. The part that stood out to me the most is when she talks about empathy and how important it is to having a real conversation. I'm a pretty empathetic person, but it made me realize I'm not doing a good job of teaching my boys to be empathetic. We don't talk enough about feeling what others might be feeling, and I'm going to change that.
Headlee talks a lot about herself in this book. She uses her own learning curve as illustrations of both good and bad conversations. While a lot of the book is her talking about how good she's gotten at conversation and how she's gotten there, I think it's warranted. She's got an impressive resume as a journalist and radio/TV host, so she's had a lot more opportunities to hone her skills than most people.
Overall, I feel like a lot of this is common sense, but it's good to have to laid out in an easily digestible format. I'm not totally convinced by her argument that the unrest and divide in our country is due to a lack of good quality conversation, but I do think it contributes. Unfortunately, the people who need this book most are probably not very likely to read it.
I would suggest this to anyone who wants practical tips on how to hold good quality conversations, to go beyond the surface to truly get to know and understand people.
P.S. This is my 52nd book for the year and completes my 2023 reading challenge. :)