We Need to Talk

How to Have Conversations That Matter

By: Celeste Headlee

Narrated by: Celeste Headlee

Length: 5 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

"We need to talk."

They are, perhaps, the most dreaded four words in the English language. But in her timely, insightful, and wonderfully practical audiobook, We Need to Talk, Celeste Headlee - who earns a living by talking on the airwaves of National Public Radio - makes the case that they are urgently needed.

Today, most of us communicate from behind electronic screens, and studies show that Americans feel less connected and more divided than ever before. The blame for some of this disconnect can be attributed to our political landscape, but the erosion of our conversational skills as a society lies with us as individuals.

And the only way forward, says Headlee, is to start talking to each other. In We Need to Talk, she outlines the strategies that have made her a better conversationalist - and offers simple tools that can improve anyone's communication. For example:

• Be there or go elsewhere. Human beings are incapable of multitasking, and this is especially true of tasks that involve language. Think you can type up a few emails while on a business call or hold a conversation with your child while texting your spouse? Think again.
• Check your bias. The belief that your intelligence protects you from erroneous assumptions can end up making you more vulnerable to them. We all have blind spots that affect the way we view others. Check your bias before you judge someone else.
• Hide your phone. Don't just put down your phone; put it away. New research suggests that the mere presence of a cell phone can negatively impact the quality of a conversation.

Whether you're struggling to communicate with your kid's teacher at school, an employee at work, or the people you love the most, Headlee offers smart strategies that can help us all have conversations that matter.

©2017 Celeste Headlee (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

very relevant to today's political climate

This book was packed with good information and advice that I will be applying to my professional conversations. It made me more aware of bad habits that I, unintentionally, was exhibiting during conversations and also made me really appreciate the couple friends I talk to about random stuff all the time - because listening is an act of love.

loved it

Communication skills and listening skills are the key to better relationships! A must have! Highly recomended!

Hope for less than fab conversationalists

Encouraged to learn tips for meaningful dialogue and listening... and interesting to hear data about the impact of social media conversation. Enjoyable, useful and thoughtful... Definitely worth the listen. Sincere thanks, Ms. Headlee, for this book.

enlightenment

Though id skip the first part and go right to part two. Excellent and insightful, be looking for more books by author. Beautiful voice.

A must listen for 2021 and beyond

Excellent content and writing - and here I thought I was a good conversationalist and, at very least, a good listener! I’m excited to start using the tips in this book in my personal life and plan on taking the information to work with me as well. A must listen for this political environment and just everyday life!

Another great one

I picked this book up after finishing one of Headlee’s other titles (“Do Nothing”). I just loved her writing style and down-to-earth approach. I’m glad I opted for this one as well, as it provided me with another great reading experience and more of Headlee’s keen wisdom.

The message of this one is clear and impactful: we’ve lost our ability to effectively communicate with one another, and that loss is taking a serious toll on our relationships and overall well-being. As Headlee points out, few of us actually talk “with” one another anymore — we simply talk “at” each other, then wait for our next chance to respond.

Technology isn’t helping this trend either — with the rise of the internet, it seems our attention spans have only gotten shorter, which has contributed further to our already faltering ability to effectively communicate with one another.

As the book nears its end, Headlee reminds us of a few key conversation insights. Namely: listening takes work, we all crave to be understood, and a happy life is social rather than solitary. As we put more focus on our conversational skills as a result of this book, maybe we’ll take those lessons to heart and improve several categories of our lives at once.

It’s another really great read that fans of the author and newcomers alike will enjoy.

-Brian Sachetta
Author of "Get Out of Your Head"

Excellent book

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book
Lots of good information and very well written

A much needed book for our time

Since finishing this book, I have become so much more aware of how much people talk about themselves (myself included) and barely listen or ask questions. This awareness is frustrating, but reading this book has made me realize it isn't only in my corner in the world, and that if I want it to change, I can start by improving my own conversational skills (and listening skills!).

The author does a terrific job stating her case and makes a lot of great points, while never sounding preachy (she herself states often how guilty she regularly is of the faux pauxs she criticizes. I hope everyone will read this book.

Great insights!

Great insights into the power and difficulties of having good conversations. Truly offers solutions to problems upu don't realize you have.

thankful my college required this

As a rising freshman into college this was given as a required reading, and I am very glad it was. Listening to it as an audiobook made it a lot easier to absorb the information instead of spacing out and getting lost. Great book, great advice, definitely one to share with my family.