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Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected...it gives topics by occupation
Review: I was expecting a book that teaches you how to talk to anyone and create a great conversation. Instead, this book lists occupations and gives you topics to discuss with people if they have a certain job on that list. In other words, one needs to memorize what questions go with which job, then, if you happen to meet a doctor, for example, you can talk about the move to HMOs and the changes in healthcare business. I didn't find it very helpfull
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Summary: So whatta say to a vegatarian?
Review: I was under the impression that I was purchasing a book that would give some helpful insight as to how to carry a conversation. I was disappointed that there isn't much beyond questions to ask people when you meet them.However, I plan to hang on to this as a reference book. It is a good starting point to developing a conversation with a person you are meeting for the first time. Rather than standing there talking about the weather, or saying, "so what do you do?" You can actually be prepared with a few questions to get the conversation flowing. Sometimes it is just nice to know what to say when you meet a priest, wine connoisseur, cowboy or ship captain...for the first time. Afterall, this book is about, "breaking the ice" in conversations.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic
Review: The other people who wrote scathing reviews of this book are buffoons. This is a very helpful book and here's why: No, it doesn't tell you "how to communicate." Get Dale Carnegie for that. What it does do is list "key words," general explanations and various other ways to *make others think that you're a part of their group*. Every closed group of people (accountants, athletes, the rich, filmmakers, etc.) have their own jargon that they use to recognize each other. Once you learn these key-words and are able to have even a minimal discussion about someone's special interest, you're in. They suddenly see you as a "kindred spirit." This is a book for people who are glib and interesting already and simply need a reference regarding a ton of specialists. Tremendous resource!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: The other people who wrote scathing reviews of this book are buffoons. This is a very helpful book and here's why: No, it doesn't tell you "how to communicate." Get Dale Carnegie for that. What it does do is list "key words," general explanations and various other ways to *make others think that you're a part of their group*. Every closed group of people (accountants, athletes, the rich, filmmakers, etc.) have their own jargon that they use to recognize each other. Once you learn these key-words and are able to have even a minimal discussion about someone's special interest, you're in. They suddenly see you as a "kindred spirit." This is a book for people who are glib and interesting already and simply need a reference regarding a ton of specialists. Tremendous resource!
Rating: 
Summary: Do not buy this book!!!
Review: The title is a misnomer. There is no generalized guidance about how to talk to anybody about anything. Each short chapter gives you topics and buzzwords to use with specific professional groups or hobbyists.
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Summary: There is No Way to Make This Premise Work
Review: The way the book is laid out, it would be a heck of a lot to remember. It would be like something out of a comedy if you asked what each person did, then looked it up in the book! The only people it will benefit are certain kinds of salesman, who are looking for an "in" with a potential client. They would need to buy it. I gave it three stars, because it is good for the folks it should be serving, but not for everyday people.
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Summary: This books is more like a reference!
Review: This is only a good book if you want to start a conversation with stranger! It is a good follow up to Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" where the point is "To be interested in other people so that others will be interested in you". However it doesn't outline what you should talk about from front to back. It only gives sample questions about what you should talk about with a list of a few hundred professions. So buy the book if your point is to "Start a conversation", but don't expect the book to carry you through the whole nine yards. So think of it as a reference guide, not a book about "conversation" per se.
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Summary: Do not buy this book!!!
Review: This is the single most useless and dissapointing book I have ever purchased. No one, who could have a chance to even flip through the pages would ever buy this book. If the author had any ethical integrity, she would immediately get this book off the market. Those of you who think that this book would have any redeeming value as a "reference"- dream on! Here's an opening line that she forgot to put in her book, "Hello, please wait while I set up my teleprompter".
Rating:
Summary: Dissapointing
Review: When I had read How to Make Anyone Fall in Love With You, I had thought Lowndes was a wonderful author. I ordered How to Talk to Anybody About Anything, and was dissappointed. I expected her to explain how to make good conversation, but she failed to do so. All she did was tell you questions to ask specific people. If you dont know what they do how do you know what to ask? What are those questions to ease into the conversation before you find out what they do? Are you supposed to remember every question for every instance, or must you tell the person to hold on a second while you pull out the book to look up questions? This book will serve a person who is invited to their mate's buisness dinner and wants to know how to speak to a person of that profession, but still, the 5-8 questions she tells you to ask is not enough to carry on a long conversation, and you would be better off buying a book on that occupation alone. I was very dissappointed in this book, and would not reccommend that many people buy this.
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