Rating: 
Summary: Dissapointed
Review: I found this book to go on and on, without giving me anything new. Lot of name dropping. Constant overuse of the self created term "conversensation" and so many Yiddish words and phrases, that she felt the need to add a Yiddish glossary at the end of the book. Not at all helpful to me, and I am by no means experienced in this area.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Waste Your Money
Review: I listened to this audio tape and it was awful. I felt her suggestions were not practical (keep a notebook of funny things that happen during the day and then use those stories at a party) and her examples of conversations were very self-serving and not anything I would strive to attain. She bashed the advice of asking questions to keep a conversation rolling, and I find this to be a great tool. If you are dying to find what this is all about, go to your local library. Otherwise, don't bother.
Rating: 
Summary: More padding per pound than any book I've ever found
Review: I'm sorry, but this book is a big disappointment. There are some pretty good suggestions (read the newspaper, practice your jokes, etc.) but you have to wade through thousands of words to find them. And the stories! I felt like I was being dragged kicking and screaming through story after story -- most boring. There is enough solid information here to make a good ten page magazine article. The rest is fluff -- filler. Granted, it's easy to read. It just doesn't say anything. Save your money and buy "How to work a room" by the same author. It has just about everything in this book and a lot of other stuff that's better. And it's not nearly so padded.
Rating: 
Summary: No longer tongue tied
Review: Thanks tothis great book by Susan Roane, I went from being shy and aloof to being assertive and amiable. I have more fun at parties and social activities. I always know what to say to everyone. before people avoided me because I appeared to be aloof. Shy people always seem that way, but in reality, just need a break.Sue Roane even gives you tips on what to say at funerals. This is the kind of techniques that top CEO's use. A must for anyone in networking or has a social life. Which I presume includes everyone but the 1 star reviewers.
Rating: 
Summary: Lots of usuful hint, but certain areas lack depth
Review: The book provides lots of common sense tips which we easily forget during daily life, e.g. use 'and' instead of 'but' when disagreeing with people; ask 'how' instead of 'why' to make questions sound less demanding. However, certain areas like the topic on cross-cultural communication, the auther seems to write only to fill the pages. There is no real practical common or in-depth advices. For someone who has been living in 3 continents and 5 countries in the past 26 years, this chapter is definitely very superficial. Also, the book seems to start repeating itself half way through, and remedies are only offered only in areas that the author has some opinions. For those she does not have too much to say or anhy clue, it is either skipped or non-value-added opinions were offered. Other than the above mentioned, I do recommend the book, esp as either a 'refreshing course' or a 'crash course' in social skills.
Rating:
Summary: A confidence booster!!!
Review: This book covers the most basic elements of successful conversing; for example, what EXACTLY to do when walking into a room full of people. Offers good questions, comments, etc. to use when in various situations. And presents ideas on how to make others good conver"sensational"ists. I have yet to practice these skills (and there are quite alot outlined), but, am I excited about trying them out! Also, includes a chapter on "net-iquette".
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: This book made me really amazed. It provides all the basics of human communication. The material covers virtually all subjects you can think of, it's logically structured, easy to read, and - what's the most important - it's all correct! (I found only one thing I don't quite agree with, but I admit it might be a matter of taste.) I was surprised to find many things I have discovered during many years by trial and error. If I only had the book ten years ago - it would have saved me so much trouble. I've been reading tens of books that gave me small pieces of information. In RoAne's book, it's all there! There are two tips I would like to give you in connection with this book. Firstly, you might find some of RoAne's advice difficult to accept. You may think: "No, I don't like this. I feel it's wrong. It just can't be true." It is, I assure you. Of course, you shouldn't take anything on fate, but I advise you to try the communication techniques described in this book. Eventually, you will discover that she's indeed right. Secondly, reading the book alone won't make you a perfect communicator. You still need to practice the techniques. Please don't be frustrated if it doesn't work the right way the first time. The knowledge you get from this book will give you a huge advantage. It'll spare you many stupid mistakes I have made in my life. So, why only four stars? Well, I noticed that the book actually contained very little I didn't already know. As I said, I have discovered it all by countless trials and errors. I'm sure that for 95 per cent of people seriously interested in improving their communication skills, this book is invaluable. However, if you know all the basics already and are looking for some kind of high efficiency tools in some specific field of communication, you should look somewhere else. If I could compare communication with driving, I would say that Susan RoAne teaches you how to drive your car safely and smoothly in your home town. If you want to win the Paris-Dakar race, you'll need something else.
Rating:
Summary: a book of common sense....nothing more.
Review: this book was a major disappointment to me....it contains nothing more than common sense, with the same information repeated over and over again. it has too many chapters, each of which is too short with very little content. the book provides no unique insight or observations on the art of conversation. save your money, and don't buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent overview on the subject
Review: This book was my first -- and only -- purchase on the subject of conversation. In other words, it got the job done. After perusing books on the subject on Amazon.com and at various bookstores, I settled on this book because of its straightforward and commensensical approach. Let's face it, the art of conversation is not rocket science; anyone can do it, they just need some simple tools and some experience. This book provides the tools and the general encouragement to get you into the arena with some confidence. The great thing about this book is that it avoids the false dichotomy that I saw in a lot of books on the subject: conversation as manipulation or as self-abnegation. The former approach teaches you how to insincerely steer the conversation to your purposes; the latter resigns you to the role of passive agent of others' whims. Susan Roane takes the high road of letting you be yourself -- and letting others be themselves. Ms. Roane's approach is refreshingly proactive: if you want to be a good conversationalist you need to work at it. She lays out important principles and ideas that have substance. For instance, she sets you at ease by reminding you that there is no shame in small talk; that small talk is a large part of making a connection with someone, whether you've known that person for thirty years or for thirty seconds. After all, do you and your closest friend talk about deep issues twenty-four hours a day? Or do you never, ever mention the weather with them? So don't feel that you have to present a dissertation on quantum physics to make a strong impression, let alone to break the ice! Nor should you regard discussing the weather as hopelessly gauche. Ms. Roane's more general advice is just as refreshing in its simplicity: she notes that to be a more interesting conversationalist you need to be a more interesting person; and to be a more interesting person you need to read widely and experience life. Good advice! And a far cry from the kind of book that has you memorize hundreds of questions or bits of information. How boring; and more fundamentally, how fake. You engage in conversation to learn interesting things and develop a connection with people; not so you can demonstrate your ability to memorize lists with which to flatter a person into your good graces -- or in order to sacrifice your independence in order to look impressive in someone's eyes. My complaints with the book are few and minor, the main one being that the writing is overburdened with puns, and that Ms. Roane's penchant for crediting her sources is overdone to the point of distraction. (Ms. Roane would have better served the reader by saying "a friend" a little more often rather than "Mr. so-and-so from such-and-such corporation" every time she mentioned someones' advice.) To be good at anything requires honest work, and Susan Roane doesn't shy away from this fact. But the great thing about conversation is that it is the most natural thing in the world once you realize a few important points and own a few skills. Whether you are interested in the art of conversation for your business or your personal life, this book will help you accomplish your goals. Honest contact better serves even a business-related conversation -- and is a hell of a lot more fun to boot.
Rating:
Summary: Everyone in business needs this book
Review: This is one of my favorite books.It is easy to read and teaches the reader what to say in every situation. I met Susan 15 years ago and frankly she is best networker I have ever met.
Go out and buy this book today- it will help you in every social situation - and certainly help you in business as well.
Rick Frishman. Pres. Planned TV Arts www.plannedtvarts.com. Co- author "Networking Magic" & "Guerrilla Publicity". www.rickfrishman.com
| 
