Never be at a loss for words again!Perfect your people skills with his fun, witty and informative guide, containing 92 little tricks to create big success in personal and business relationships.In How To Talk To Anyone, bestselling relationships author and internationally renowned life coach Leil Lowndes reveals the secrets and psychology behind successful communication. These extremely usable and intelligent techniques include how to:Work a party like a politician works a roomBe an insider in any crowdUse key words and phrases to guide the conversationUse body language to connectThis is the key to having successful conversations with anyone, any time. Read more

5,000,000 COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE • TRANSLATED IN MORE THAN 35 LANGUAGESWhat is Violent Communication?  If “violent” means acting in ways that result in hurt or harm, then much of how we communicate—judging others, bullying, having racial bias, blaming, finger pointing, discriminating, speaking without listening, criticizing others or ourselves, name-calling, reacting when angry, using political rhetoric, being defensive or judging who’s “good/bad” or what’s “right/wrong” with people—could indeed be called “violent communication.”   What is Nonviolent Communication?   Nonviolent Communication is the integration of four things:  • Consciousness: a set of principles that support living a life of compassion, collaboration, courage, and authenticity  • Language: understanding how words contribute to connection or distance  • Communication: knowing how to ask for what we want, how to hear others even in disagreement, and how to move toward solutions that work for all  • Means of influence: sharing “power with others” rather than using “power over others”   Nonviolent Communication serves our desire to do three things:  • Increase our ability to live with choice, meaning, and connection  • Connect empathically with self and others to have more satisfying relationships  • Sharing of resources so everyone is able to benefit Read more

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERYour ultimate guide to the art of winning arguments, in a brand new editionEveryone is always trying to persuade us of something: politicians, advertising, the media, and most definitely our families. Thank You for Arguing is your master class in the art of persuasion, taught by professors ranging from Bart Simpson to Winston Churchill. With all the wisdom of the ages, from classical oratory to contemporary politics and pop-culture, Thank You For Arguing shows you how to win more than your fair share of arguments, as well as: >How to shine at work, avoid speeding tickets, and outwit argumentative partners >Cicero's secrets to moving an audience, Donald Trump's savvy speechmaking, the art of giving a TED talk>Tactics like Setting Your Goals, Making Them Like You, Gaining the High Ground>Defuse an angry accuser and benefit from your own mistakes>The art of rhetoric, from eloquence and friendship to wit and irrefutable logicWritten by one of today's most popular online language experts, Thank You For Arguing is brimming with time-tested rhetorical tips and persuasion techniques that will change your life. And that's not hyperbole. Read more

'Politics and the English Language' is widely considered Orwell's most important essay on style. Style, for Orwell, was never simply a question of aesthetics; it was always inextricably linked to politics and to truth.'All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia.When the general atmosphere is bad, language must suffer.'Language is a political issue, and slovenly use of language and cliches make it easier for those in power to deliberately use misleading language to hide unpleasant political facts. Bad English, he believed, was a vehicle for oppressive ideology, and it is no accident that 'Politics and the English Language' was written after the close of World War II. Read more

How do you respond to the grumpy teenager slamming doors? To the rebellious teen who keeps breaking curfew? To the angry adolescent who keeps raising their voice?Well, parenting experts Joanna Faber and Julie King have the answers, and are here to help.Part of the internationally bestselling How to Talk... parenting series, this user-friendly guide gives insights and tried-and-tested strategies to navigate the everyday challenges of life with teenagers, showing you how to put them into practice in real-life scenarios.Whether you want to learn how to engage cooperation, take appropriate action, avoid lectures, express your feelings and understand each other, work out solutions together, this accessible book is filled with top tips, relatable stories and forward-thinking techniques designed to transform how you parent your teenagers. Read more

A charming, gorgeously illustrated botanical encyclopedia for your favorite romantic, local witch, bride-to-be, or green-thumbed friend.Floriography is a full-color guide to the historical uses and secret meanings behind an impressive array of flowers and herbs. The book explores the coded significances associated with various blooms, from flowers for a lover to flowers for an enemy.The language of flowers was historically used as a means of secret communication. It soared in popularity during the 19th century, especially in Victorian England and the U.S., when proper etiquette discouraged open displays of emotion. Mysterious and playful, the language of flowers has roots in everything from the characteristics of the plant to its presence in folklore and history. Researched and illustrated by popular artist Jessica Roux, this book makes a stunning display piece, conversation-starter, or thoughtful gift. Read more

“As funny as it is informative, this book will have you laughing out loud while you contemplate the revolutionary power of words.” —Camille Perri, author of The Assistants and When Katie Met CassidyA brash, enlightening, and wildly entertaining feminist look at gendered language and the way it shapes us.The word bitch conjures many images, but it is most often meant to describe an unpleasant woman. Even before its usage to mean “a female canine,” bitch didn’t refer to women at all—it originated as a gender-neutral word for “genitalia.” A perfectly innocuous word devolving into an insult directed at females is the case for tons more terms, including hussy, which simply meant “housewife”; and slut, which meant “an untidy person” and was also used to describe men. These are just a few of history’s many English slurs hurled at women.Amanda Montell, reporter and feminist linguist, deconstructs language—from insults, cursing, gossip, and catcalling to grammar and pronunciation patterns—to reveal the ways it has been used for centuries to keep women and other marginalized genders from power. Ever wonder why so many people are annoyed when women speak with vocal fry or use like as filler? Or why certain gender-neutral terms stick and others don’t? Or where stereotypes of how women and men speak come from in the first place?Montell effortlessly moves between history, science, and popular culture to explore these questions—and how we can use the answers to affect real social change. Her irresistible humor shines through, making linguistics not only approachable but downright hilarious and profound. Wordslut gets to the heart of our language, marvels at its elasticity, and sheds much-needed light on the biases that shadow women in our culture and our consciousness. Read more

What if charisma could be taught? What you'll find here is practical magic: unique knowledge, drawn from a variety of sciences, revealing what charisma really is and how it works. You'll get both the insights and the techniques you need to apply this knowledge. The world will become your lab, and every person you meet, a chance to experiment. The Charisma Myth is a mix of fun stories, sound science, and practical tools. Cabane takes a scientific approach to a heretofore mystical topic, covering what charisma actually is, how it is learned, what its side effects are, and how to handle them.'Engaging, clear, and chock-full of wisdom, practical recommendations, and uncommonly good sense' Stephen Kosslyn, director, Center for Study of Behavioral Sciences at Stanford 'Cabane has done us a big favor. She's woven solid science and engaging narrative into an instructive treatment of the role of charisma in leadership' Robert B. Cialdini, author of Influence 'If you are interested in increasing your ability to be charismatic in your unique setting or employment, this book will give you direct skills to use' Psychology Today Read more

'Focusing' is a technique first developed 25 years ago by American psychologist and philosopher Eugene Gendlin. Hugely influential, it offers six specific steps you can take to open up your inner world of deeper feelings and intuition - and shows you how to listen to others with more empathy. Short, very accessible yet also profound, this book is even more relevant today than it was when originally published. Read more

Get people's attention and get your message across at work. Learn the simplest way to improve your business communication skills today. There is no fluff and no vague advice, just practical step-by-step methods you can start using today.This multi-award-winning book teaches specific methods for having short, clear business conversations, emails, meetings, interviews, and more. Check out the reviews to hear from the real people this book has helped. Communication should be clear and concise, and we should get to the point quickly. The problem is we don’t always know how to do this. What does it mean to be concise? How can a complex topic be summarized in just a few lines?This award-winning book is a step-by-step guide for clear, concise communication in everyday work conversations. Being concise is not about trying to condense all the information into sixty seconds. It is about having clear intent, talking about one topic at a time, and focusing on solutions instead of dwelling on problems.Throughout this book you’ll discover how to:· Have shorter, better work conversations and meetings· Get to the point faster without rambling or going off on tangents· Lead your audience toward the solution you need· Apply one technique to almost every discussion, email, presentation and interview with great results This book is a result of more than 20,000 conversations in both business and technical jobs. Chris Fenning has trained individuals and teams around the world in these techniques. He has worked with organizations from start-ups to Fortune 50 and FTSE 100 companies. These methods work for them all.Having clearer communication is easier than you might expect, and it all starts with the first minute. Read more

“One of those life-changing reads that makes you see—or, in this case, hear—the whole world differently.” —Megan Angelo, author of Followers“At times chilling, often funny, and always perceptive and cogent, Cultish is a bracing reminder that the scariest thing about cults is that you don't realize you're in one till it's too late.”—Refinery29.comThe New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Magical Overthinking and Wordslut analyzes the social science of cult influence: how “cultish” groups, from Jonestown and Scientologists to SoulCycle and social media gurus, use language as the ultimate form of power.What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join—and more importantly, stay in—extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level, it already has . . .Our culture tends to provide pretty flimsy answers to questions of cult influence, mostly having to do with vague talk of “brainwashing.” But the true answer has nothing to do with freaky mind-control wizardry or Kool-Aid. In Cultish, Montell argues that the key to manufacturing intense ideology, community, and us/them attitudes all comes down to language. In both positive ways and shadowy ones, cultish language is something we hear—and are influenced by—every single day.  Through juicy storytelling and cutting original research, Montell exposes the verbal elements that make a wide spectrum of communities “cultish,” revealing how they affect followers of groups as notorious as Heaven’s Gate, but also how they pervade our modern start-ups, Peloton leaderboards, and Instagram feeds. Incisive and darkly funny, this enrapturing take on the curious social science of power and belief will make you hear the fanatical language of “cultish” everywhere. Read more

A detailed and compelling political study of how elite forces shape mass media.Edward S Herman and Noam Chomsky investigate how an underlying elite consensus structures mainstream media. Here they skilfully dissect the way in which the marketplace and the economics of publishing significantly shape the news.This book reveals how issues are framed and topics chosen, and the double standards underlying accounts of free elections, a free press, and governmental repression between Nicaragua and El Salvador; between the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and the American invasion of Vietnam; between the genocide in Cambodia under a pro-American government and genocide under Pol Pot.What emerges from this ground-breaking work is an account of just how propagandistic our mass media can be, and how we can learn to read them and see their function in a radically new way. Read more

Unleash the Power of Storytelling offers a practical roadmap to crafting and delivering more powerful, persuasive stories that you can use to get more of what you want out of your career and your life.“In this engaging, no-nonsense, and often extremely funny handbook on the craft behind great stories, Rob Biesenbach shares his own storytelling roadmap without hesitation, giving you precisely what you need to raise your business storytelling to an art form."Shonali Burke, ABC, President & CEO, Shonali Burke Consulting"There is no greater skill that will positively impact your career as much as becoming a masterful storyteller. Well-told stories have the power to teach, clarify, and inspire. Rob's experience and unique point of view makes him a go-to authority for ambitious leaders."Patricia Fripp, Past President, National Speakers Association"All the experts suggest you tell stories — but no one tells you how. That's where Unleash the Power of Storytelling comes in. Rob Biesenbach provides a five-step process for crafting your stories, and six ways to ensure they’re relevant to your audience. After you read this book, you’ll never again have to wonder ... ‘but how?’"Gini Dietrich, Founder and Author, Spin SucksWHAT CAN STORYTELLING DO FOR YOU?Study after study confirms that stories have unparalleled power to break down walls, build trust, and influence people to act. More than facts and data alone, stories are fundamental to capturing and expressing our ideas, wishes, and beliefs … and getting the results we want.The right story can help you: nail a job, interview, earn a raise, close a sale, build trust with an employee or colleague, strengthen relationships with customers, become a more comfortable networker, win over a skeptic, rally a team, align people with a strategy, promote your brand, raise a toast, deliver a eulogy, get out of a speeding ticket, and more ...WHY THIS BOOK?The market is flooded with a dizzying array of books, experts, and resources on business storytelling. This book cuts through the hype to clarify and demystify the storytelling process.Unleash the Power of Storytelling offers step-by-step instructions for finding, shaping and telling powerful stories. You’ll learn about the essential ingredients that go into any good story and how to avoid common storytelling pitfalls.A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR THE BUSY PROFESSIONALTaking a fun, no-nonsense approach, Unleash the Power of Storytelling will teach you: the hard science behind why stories work, a simple three-part structure for telling any story, the role of emotion in fueling great stories, how to cut the clutter and focus your story on the essentials, how and where to find great stories, and tips for delivering your stories in the most effective way possible.The book also contains tons of practical examples showing you how to use stories in job interviews, presentations, customer calls, employee meetings — even how to craft the right story for a wedding toast or eulogy! Read more

You might already consider yourself a stellar conversationalist, but could you be even better? This book will help enrich your life, one conversation at a time. 'Reading TALK is like having a conversation with the world's best conversationalist' Angela Duckworth_________Conversation is at the heart of our relationships and decision-making - but the science behind our everyday interactions, and how to improve them, is little known.In Talk, Harvard Professor Alison Wood Brooks provides fascinating insights into the power of effective communication. She gives you the tools that her MBA students say transform their lives, bringing together psychology, linguistics, sociology and neuroscience in her original framework:T – Topics – including the surprising impact of preparing topics before a conversationA – Asking – why we need to do more (and why we do less than we think)L – Levity – how to find the fun in conversations with anyoneK – Kindness – how to be a better listener and not simply pretend to be one!Through her own original research, Brooks shows readers how small changes in how we communicate can make a big difference to our relationships, our careers and our lives. Read more

Being deprived of social gatherings revealed just how important they are; to connect with others, collaborate, share ideas and create moving, life-affirming experiences.___________________________If there's one thing lockdown showed us, it's that time together is a gift we've too often taken for granted.In The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker shows us how to ensure that however we meet, it's a truly transformative experience. An expert on organizing successful gatherings whether in conference centres, crisis zones or her living room, Parker sets forth a human-centred approach to gathering that can help us create meaningful, memorable moments - large and small, for work and play.The result is a book full of exciting real-world ideas that will forever alter the way you look at your next business meeting, dinner party and garden barbecue.___________________________'Hosts of all kinds, this is a must-read!' Chris Anderson, creator of TED'Priya Parker has created both an art and a science to gathering in ways that can bring joy and fulfilment to any meeting' Deepak Chopra'A long overdue and urgent manifesto' Seth Godin, New York Times bestselling author of This is Marketing Read more

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A MUST-READ INSIDER'S GUIDE TO CREATING UNFORGETTABLE SPEECHES AND PRESENTATIONS"The most insightful book ever written on public speaking." - Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals Done right, a talk can electrify a room and transform an audience's worldview; it can be more powerful than anything in written form. This invaluable guide explains how the miracle of powerful public speaking is achieved, and equips you to give it your best shot. There is no set formula, but there are tools that can empower any speaker.Ted Talks shares the five key techniques to presentation success: Connection, Narration, Explanation, Persuasion and Revelation (plus the three to avoid). It answers the most frequently asked questions about giving a talk, from 'What should I wear?' to 'How do I handle my nerves?'. Since taking over TED in 2001, Chris Anderson has worked with all the TED speakers who have inspired us the most, and here he shares insights from such favorites as Sir Ken Robinson, Salman Khan, Monica Lewinsky, and more - everything from how to craft your talk's content to how you can be most effective on stage. SEE WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT TED TALKS:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Best book ever on how to produce a transformational talk"⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "If you want to be better at public speaking I strongly recommend this book"⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Top read and full of top tips and recommendations to delivering a great presentation" Read more

In this fascinating survey of everything from how sounds become speech to how names work, David Crystal answers every question you might ever have had about the nuts and bolts of language in his usual highly illuminating way. Along the way we find out about eyebrow flashes, whistling languages, how parents teach their children to speak, how politeness travels across languages and how the way we talk show not just how old we are but where we’re from and even who we want to be. Read more

Why do we have different accents and where do they come from? Why do you say ‘tomayto’ and I say ‘tomahto’? And is one way of speaking better than another?In You’re All Talk, linguist Rob Drummond explores the enormous diversity in our spoken language to reveal extraordinary insights into how humans operate: how we perceive (and judge) other people and how we would like ourselves to be perceived. He investigates how and why we automatically associate different accents with particular social characteristics ― degrees of friendliness, authority, social class, level of education, race, and so on ― and how we, consciously or subconsciously, change the way we speak in order to create different versions of ourselves to fit different environments.Ultimately, You’re All Talk demonstrates the beauty of linguistic diversity and how embracing it can give us a better understanding of other people ― and ourselves. Read more

In an increasingly polarised world, it sometimes feels impossible to talk to someone you disagree with, let alone change their mind. However, as David McRaney reveals, you could be just one conversation away from reshaping someone's world view – here's how. ‘In a time when too many minds seem closed, this is a masterful analysis of what it takes to open them.’ ADAM GRANT, AUTHOR OF THINK AGAIN Self-delusion expert and psychology nerd David McRaney sets out to discover not just what it takes to influence others, but why we believe in the first place. Along the way he meets a former Westboro Baptist Church member who was de-radicalised on Twitter, goes deep canvassing to see how quickly people will surrender their character-defining views, finds a former 9/11 Truther who turned his back on it all, and reveals how, within a few years, half a country can go from opposing the ‘gay agenda’ to happily attending same-sex weddings. Distilling the latest research in psychology and neuroscience, How Minds Change reveals how beliefs take hold, not over hundreds of years, but in less than a generation, in less than a decade, and sometimes in an instant. *** ‘Optimistic, illuminating and even inspiring.’GUARDIAN ‘A tonic for those who might scratch their head at how others could be so nonsensical.’ NEW SCIENTIST ‘How Minds Change brings us face to face with the radically weird science of how our thoughts, perceptions, and beliefs are actually formed, and how they can, for better or worse, be modified.’ JORDAN ELLENBERG Read more

Designers can create stronger products by considering multiple users with varied perspectives and thus create balance, termed equilibriUX, in their designs.The field of technical and professional communication is young, and research related to it-and specifically usability-is constantly growing. Usability and user-experience researchers are broadening research into studies involving social issues, accessibility, reconciliation, and user advocacy. Amplifying Voices in UX explores the theme of balance in design and UX in three main areas: curriculum design that includes empathy, service learning, and design justice; design and balance for effective medical and health communication; and design to create balance in labor, social, civic, and political movements. Read more