Description

Bought and ripped by me. Exclusive to elib. Available to all here. Do not share elsewhere or you will be smacked.A wide-ranging, exhortatory look at the pleasures of great conversation, including strategies for how to bring it about, from the witty pen of an Englishwoman wise in its waysIn The Art of Conversation, Catherine Blyth eloquently points out the sorry state of disrepair that conversation has fallen into-and then, taking examples from history, literature, philosophy, anthropology, and popular culture, she gives us the tools to rebuild. Her prose embodies the conversational values she promotes: It’s smart, succinct, self-deprecating, and light on its feet.The Art of Conversation isn’t about etiquette, elocution, or knowing how to hold your teacup with your little finger crooked just so. It’s about something simple and profound: connecting. In our distracted days, it’s easy to forget that each of us possesses a communication technology that has been in research and development for thousands of years. Conversation costs nothing, but can bring you the world.Blyth offers us a chance to revel in the possibilities of conversation. As Alexander Pope nearly wrote, “True ease in talking comes from art, not chance, as those move easiest who have learned to dance.” Okay, Pope was actually talking about writing, but Catherine Blyth has that skill as well. When you have read The Art of Conversation, you’ll not only know the steps, but hear the music like never before.When it works, conversation is one of life’s greatest joys. When it doesn’t it’s hell. Passionate talker Catherine Blyth uncovers the principles and possibilities of this vital yet undervalued pleasure. With examples from Elizabeth I to Tommy Cooper, courtesans to nomads, this warm and witty guide will help you navigate the varied challenges of dates, job interviews and dinner parties. Discover* How listening steers conversation and silence lifts intelligence * Why you should laugh at your own jokes and other no-wit humour tricks * How to make bores interesting and become an invisible flirt * Why ‘goo-goo’ is the most important word in the world * How face-to-face talk wires us for life: accept no substitute