Many people assume that good communicators possess an intrinsic talent for speaking and listening to others, a "gift of gab" that cannot be taught. The reality is that communication skills are developed slowly and with deliberate effort, and even the most gifted speakers may feel that there is at least one communication skill--say, public speaking--that they just can't master.

Messages is a best-selling classic that has already helped more than 100,000 readers develop communication skills in all areas of life. Now in its third edition, this comprehensive and endlessly practical guide includes a new chapter on couples communication and new information on using validation strategies during conflicts. Topics covered in this book include: active listening, reading body language, developing conflict resolution skills, talking to children, communicating with family members, public speaking, handling group interactions, being interviewed for jobs, and being the interviewer. This book is an invaluable resource that can help any reader develop one of the most important skill sets they have.

Best ever! (5.0)

This is without a doubt, the best book ever! Great depth and breath of the subject matter, presented in a very understandable and logical format.
I've reccomended it to, or bought it for everyone I talk to! Wife, kids, friends........

didnt like it (1.0)

this book assumes that you conversate with rational people


i fel blah blha blah, it doesnt assume that you might be conversating with a sadist, an unstable person etc...


it doesnt work,

waste of time and money

id suggest, "getting to yes" by william ury and a couple of his other books

Great for basic communication skills, not so good ath public skills (3.0)

This book is great for personal communications skills. It reveals many of the mistakes we all make in our personal communications. I didn't like the second half of the book which talked about social communication skills.

Too academic (1.0)

This book is too academic and is more like reading a subject textbook...useless for professional communications.

Definitive Bk on Topic; THE MESSAGES WORKBOOK IS A VALUABLE COMPANION (5.0)

It's easy to miss the full importance of communicating well, but it's the lifeblood of relationships and thus you could ultimately say it's crucial to our happiness. This book makes clear the value of communicating well, but more importantly, shows you how to improve your communication skills. Given that's what most of us care about most [theory is nice, but putting it into to practice is what really counts], I also suggest reading The Messages Workbook. The Messages Workbook gives you the exercises to take your communication and therefore relationships to the next level.