Conversation: How Talk Can Change Our Lives

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Summary: Conversation: How Talk Can Change Our Lives
Review: Got it for Christmas, thoughtful & insightful & fascinating. Worth reading. The artwork takes a little getting used to.

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Summary: better than I expected
Review: I heard about this book on an old radio interview with the author, Mr. Zeldin. I was impressed enough to buy the book. I think the ideas in the book are way ahead of our times, which is why I'd like to recommend it to everyone. It's a fast read, you can get through it in an afternoon easily. But the ideas are as profound as those in A Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I'm sure I'll read this book over and over at odd times.

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Summary: Visual conversations
Review: I recently participated in a book club in which we discussed Zeldin's, "An Intimate History of Humanity", and a friend gave me his new, little book to compare his approach to a different subject matter. Since I am an artist, she wanted me to also critique the illustrations. I was unexpectedly impressed by the beauty and charm of the original art work, and realize that Zeldin is not only a great thinker, but also an original artist, so the book is now on my Christmas list as a lovely gift for someone who can benefit from his words of wisdom about "talking" as well as enjoy the elegant, colorful expressions of conversation.

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Summary: Romance when science is needed
Review: Learned in its own way, this book is basically a romantic rumination rather than a scholarly examination of a topic -- conversation -- that today attracts more careful minds. Deriding in its early pages how-to-win-in-conversation books, Zeldin advocates a new form of conversation that involves greater levels of openness, creativity, etc., etc. While it is hard to disagree ("no more creativity!"), this hardly bespeaks any understanding of how conversation actually works, for which one is better referred to research in sociology, sociolinguistics, and related fields.

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Summary: disappointing lack of practical suggestions
Review: This is a beautifully produced small hardcover on glossy paper to include the author's provocative marbleized drawings. The author was described by the Independent on Sunday (London) as "one of the forty world figures whose iseas are likely to have a lasting relevance to the new millennium," and is a member of the BBC Brains Trust, the British Academy, and the European Academy. So what's the problem? Maybe I'm just not smart enough to get it, but this book seemed insubstantial to me. "We need a new conversation," Zeldin repeats, new ways of talking with each other within and about work, love, technology, family, but the proposals and examples never come. He's studied conversation, and had innumerable conversations with people all over the world, but how would one characterize these as "new" or "old"? Unfortunately, the book does not live up to the promise of its subtitle.

The final chapter, "How Conversation Encourages the Meeting of Minds," on providing hospitality to strangers to enrich the family dialogue, and the 36 conversational topics at the end, were the most practical of the book. But a book I had looked forward to giving as a gift fell short of my hopes for stimulating thought and community through conversation.

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Summary: disappointing lack of practical suggestions
Review: This is a beautifully produced small hardcover on glossy paper to include the author's provocative marbleized drawings. The author was described by the Independent on Sunday (London) as "one of the forty world figures whose iseas are likely to have a lasting relevance to the new millennium," and is a member of the BBC Brains Trust, the British Academy, and the European Academy. So what's the problem? Maybe I'm just not smart enough to get it, but this book seemed insubstantial to me. "We need a new conversation," Zeldin repeats, new ways of talking with each other within and about work, love, technology, family, but the proposals and examples never come. He's studied conversation, and had innumerable conversations with people all over the world, but how would one characterize these as "new" or "old"? Unfortunately, the book does not live up to the promise of its subtitle.

The final chapter, "How Conversation Encourages the Meeting of Minds," on providing hospitality to strangers to enrich the family dialogue, and the 36 conversational topics at the end, were the most practical of the book. But a book I had looked forward to giving as a gift fell short of my hopes for stimulating thought and community through conversation.

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Summary: Our Potentiality!
Review: With this book, Theodore Zeldin reminds us that the thoughts we translate from electrical charges spurting about our craniums into lines of airborne vibrations named WORDS are so powerful. Each composition of sentence can serve as a tool to 'change the world'. This potentiality gives 'gift' to our listener as it gives 'gift' to us. Such potentiality allow transcending the moment of NOW into the sphere of CHANGE. Zeldin's brief historical study of conversation reminds us of the opportunity to affect another person: at mind/soul level. Our thoughts truly are 'tools' to teach others. The randomness of prattle is urged to be replaced by the potent and influential weight of words that may register on the inner recording devices of another human. In that considered act (forming sentences of worth) one learns/relearns the value of Jesus implied when he said "whenever two or more of you are gathered together, there I am with you also." Do slip this book into your hands and those of your language intimates! It will yield the deepened relationships for which we ALL yearn (marriages included).

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Summary: Enjoyed the book and the NPR radio show as well
Review: Zeldin explains his intentions of writing this book to stimulate conversion. It certainly has done this in my life. I have discussed this book with people who have not read it. Passionate conversation has resulted.

I have learned quite a bit about myself from this book. For example, I learned I am an elocutionist. Zeldin points out in a historic account that elocutionists focus more on the form (proper grammar/style) rather than depth in conversation. I may now overcome some prejudices I have when people fall out of form.

Perhaps one of the most fascinating ideas he presents is that conversation with like minded people can become boring. Upon learning this I went straight to someone with conflicting views and had an argument with them. The emotions that came from that conversation were overwhelming and appreciated by both of us. I have the book to thank for this.

36 prints of artwork that are similar to what you see on the cover are contained within the pages. I also have enjoyed discussing this art with people.

The book fulfills its promise to stimulate conversation. I highly recommend this quick read to anyone interested in the dynamics of conversation, even if you are shy or quiet.