How to Start a Conversation and Make Friends

Rating:
Summary: An incredibly helpful book
Review: I bought this book based on the recommendations I read here and I was not disappointed. The book is easy to read and I finished it within an hour. After reading it I can definitely say that it provided me with some tips on improving my conversation skills. I found the section on how to start conversations very useful. The book also covers how to become more receptive, how to keep a conversation going, how to keep a balance between talking and listening and also gives ideas on how to meet friends.

One concept the book does not cover is how to deal with folks who interrupt you. At my workplace, it is common for 2 or 3 people - at a meeting - to continually interrupt me or whoever is talking and provide their input. At times you can have several different communication threads going on because of this. The book also does not cover how the tone of your voice can effect your communication. If you speak to softly or with a monotone voice, others can find you boring. Overall, this book is a great starter book.

Rating:
Summary: Step 1- Accept you have a problem, step 2- read this book!
Review: Now before anyone can change how they are they have to accept they have a problem and to really want to change it. Once I realized that I had few friends and I had trouble commmunicating with others I went on a journey to find help. I found help in this book.

"How To Start A Conversation And Make Friends" explains all of the simple things which can be done to have an outstanding effect on your relationships. With this book you learn how to master the art of conversation. By doing this you get to have more friends and better friends. People will like you more and you will find people you like.

I noticed that I was being a much better conversationalist after reading the first few chapters! The book is very easy to understand and I flew right through it. Although it is easy to understand it has a lot of info so you have to pay attention to every tidbit. I reviewed a few chapters cause I felt I may have missed something important. When reading the book I found myself saying "Why didn't I think of that?". Everything just seems so logical. We have so many opportunities we just miss and we make people think we don't want to talk and we fail to see how foolish we are. Who would have thought that a smile, a nod of the head, and having open arms would make people approach you! Its so simple and yet we fail to do it. Why didn't I learn this in school?

I often feel like I am talking too much about myself. I will ask questions to show interest for other people, but I still feel like I am being egocentric when the conversation ball is in my hand and I am talking about myself. I don't think the book addressed this..

Regardless of the fact that it did not address everyting I highly reccommend this book to anyone who often finds themself at a loss for words, feels uncomfortable while talking, is shy, or just wants to have better conversations. Buy the book and refrence it when you feel that your conversations have problems.

Reading this book completely changed my life. I have more friends and I feel better about the friends I have. They seem to like me more and I am learning a lot about them which I like.

tip: You can view the first two chapters of this book on amazon.com for free just go to the picture of the cover and click "look inside". I bet you that these two chapters are enough to make you want to read the book and even be a better conversationalist! If you didn't get anything out of reading these two chapters then I would guess this book is not for you.

Rating:
Summary: not the best self-help
Review: The self-improvement books How to Win Friends and Influence People and Talking the Winner's Way are both way superior to this short book. Most of what you read is basically review if you've ready other similar books. And what's present doesn't pack enough substance or "how to" to make it really worth your time. About half-way through the book, Gabor started presenting fresh ideas. The problem, however, is that it was half-way through the book. Not a bad read, but there's so much better. If you happen across it one day on the street, it won't do any harm to read it. But I can't recommend paying money for something you already know, or can get for a better deal.