LibGuides: Interpersonal Communication: Books & eBooks

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Breaking Through Gridlock : The Power of Conversation in a Polarized World Think about the last time you tried to talk with someone who didn't already agree with you about issues that matter most. How well did it go? These conversations are vital, but too often get stuck. They become contentious or we avoid them because we fear they might. What if, in these difficult conversations, we could stay true to ourselves while enriching relationships and creating powerful pathways forward? What if our divergent values provided healthy fuel for dialogue and innovation instead of gridlock and polarization? Jason Jay and Gabriel Grant invite us into a spirit of serious play, laughing at ourselves while moving from self-reflection to action. Using enlightening exercises and rich examples, Breaking through Gridlock helps us become aware of the role we unwittingly play in getting conversations stuck. It empowers us to share what really matters - with anyone, anywhere - so that together we can create positive change in our families, organizations, communities, and society.
Dictionary of Conflict Resolution Defining terms, including haggling and mediator, this comprehensive resource will standardize the language of conflict resolution - improving dialogue and understanding among professionals and theorists and promoting uniformity and consistency in the language. It offers common and varied uses of terms, clarifies differences between terms, and recommends accurate usage.
Emotion in Social Relations : Cultural, Group, and Interpersonal Processes Within psychology, emotion is often treated as something private and personal. In contrast, this book tries to understand emotion from the 'outside,' by examining the everyday social settings in which it operates. Three levels of social influence are considered in decreasing order of inclusiveness, starting with the surrounding culture and subculture, moving on to the more delimited organization or group, and finally focusing on the interpersonal setting.
The Experience of Human Communication : Body, Flesh, and Relationship This book deals with matters of embodiment and meaning--in other words, the essential components of what Continental thought, since Heidegger, has come to consider as "communication." A critical theme of this book concerns the basic tenet that consciousness of one's Self and one's body is only possible through human relationship. This is, of course, the phenomenological concept of intersubjectivity. But rather than let this concept remain an abstraction by discussing it as merely a function of language and signs, this work attempts to explicate it empirically. That is, it discusses the manner in which--from infancy to childhood and adolescence (and the dawning of our sexual identities) through physical maturity and old age--we come to experience the ecstasy of what Merleau-Ponty has so poetically termed "flesh." It is rarely clear what someone means when she or he uses the word "communication." An important objective of this book is, thus, to advance understanding of what communication is. In academic discourse, "communication" has come to be understood in a number of contexts--some conflicting and overlapping--as a process, a strategy, an event, an ethic, a mode or instance of information, or even a technology. In virtually all of these discussions, the concept of communication is discussed as though the term's meaning is well known to the reader. When communication is described as a process, the meaning of the term is held at an operational level--that is, in the exchange of information between one person and another, what must unambiguously be inferred is that "communication" is taking place. In this context, information exchange and communication become functionally synonymous. But as a matter of embodied human psychological experience, there is a world of difference between them. As such, this book attempts to fully consider the question of how we experience the event of human communication. The author offers a pioneering study that advances the raison d' tre of the emergent field of "communicology," while at the same time offering scholars of the human sciences a new way of thinking about embodiment and relational experience.
Handbook of Communication and Social Interaction Skills Providing a thorough review and synthesis of work on communication skills and skill enhancement, this Handbookserves as a comprehensive and contemporary survey of theory and research on social interaction skills. Editors John O. Greene and Brant R. Burleson have brought together preeminent researchers and writers to contribute to this volume, establishing a foundation on which future study and research will build. The handbook chapters are organized into five major units: general theoretical and methodological issues (models of skill acquisition, methods of skill assessment); fundamental interaction skills (both transfunctional and transcontextual); function-focused skills (informing, persuading, supporting); skills used in management of diverse personal relationships (friendships, romances, marriages); and skills used in varied venues of public and professional life (managing leading, teaching). Distinctive features of this handbook include: * broad, comprehensive treatment of work on social interaction skills and skill acquisition; * up-to-date reviews of research in each area; and * emphasis on empirically supported strategies for developing and enhancing specific skills. Researchers in communication studies, psychology, family studies, business management, and related areas will find this volume a comprehensive, authoritative source on communications skills and their enhancement, and it will be essential reading for scholars and students across the spectrum of disciplines studying social interaction. handbook include: * broad, comprehensive treatment of work on social interaction skills and skill acquisition; * up-to-date reviews of research in each area; and * emphasis on empirically supported strategies for developing and enhancing specific skills. Researchers in communication studies, psychology, family studies, business management, and related areas will find this volume a comprehensive, authoritative source on communications skills and their enhancement, and it will be essential reading for scholars and students across the spectrum of disciplines studying social interaction.
Handbook of Interpersonal Communication Interpersonal communication (IC) is a continuous game between the interacting interactants. It is a give and take - a continuous, dynamic flow that is linguistically realized as discourse as an on-going sequence of interactants' moves. Interpersonal communication is produced and interpreted by acting linguistically, and this makes it a fascinating research area. The handbook, Interpersonal Communication , examines how interactants manage to exchange facts, ideas, views, opinions, beliefs, emotion, etc. by using the linguistic systems and the resources they offer. In interpersonal communication, the fine-tuning of individuals' use of the linguistic resources is continuously probed. The language used in interpersonal communication enhances social relations between interactants and keeps the interaction on the normal track. When interaction gets off the track, linguistic miscommunication may also destroy social relationships. This volume is essentially concerned with this fine-tuning in discourse, and how it is achieved among various interactant groups. The volume departs from the following fundamental questions: How do interpersonal relations manifest themselves in language? What is the role of language in developing and maintaining relationships in interpersonal communication? What types of problems occur in interpersonal communication and what kind of strategies and means are used to solve them? How does linguistically realized interpersonal communication interact with other semiotic modes? Interpersonal communication is seen and researched from the perspective of what is being said or written, and how it is realized in various generic forms. The current research also gives attention to other semiotic modes which interact with the linguistic modes. It is not just the social roles of interactants in groups, the possible media available, the non-verbal behaviors, the varying contextual frames for communication, but primarily the actual linguistic manifestations that we need to focus upon when we want to have a full picture of what is going on in human interpersonal communication. It is this linguistic perspective that the volume aims to present to all researchers interested in IC. The volume offers an overview of the theories, methods, tools, and resources of linguistically-oriented approaches, e.g. from the fields of linguistics, social psychology, sociology, and semiotics, for the purpose of integration and further development of the interests in IC., Topics e.g.: Orientation to interaction as primarily linguistically realized processes Expertise on theorizing and analyzing cultural and situational contexts where linguistic processes are realized Expertise on handling language corpora Expertise on theorizing and analyzing interaction types as genres Orientation to an integrated view of linguistic and non-linguistic participant activities and of how interactants generate meanings and interact with space Expertise on researching the management of the linguistic flow in interaction and its successfulness.
Handy Answer: The Handy Communication Answer Book Whether it’s for a professional presentation, a school paper, an Internet blog or video, or something more personal, The Handy Communication Answer Book explains the concepts, provides insights, shares advice, and examines the skills needed to master effective and efficient communication for every setting and occasion.
How to Win Friends and Influence People You can go after the job you want--and get it! You can take the job you have--and improve it! You can take any situation--and make it work for you! Dale Carnegie's rock-solid, time-tested advice has carried countless people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. One of the most groundbreaking and timeless bestsellers of all time, How to Win Friends & Influence People will teach you: -Six ways to make people like you -Twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking -Nine ways to change people without arousing resentment And much more! Achieve your maximum potential--a must-read for the twenty-first century with more than 15 million copies sold!
I Never Thought of It That Way : How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times When you think you have the answers, you need to be asking a lot more questions-and embracing fearless curiosity. Partisanship is up, trust is down, and we're hanging with friends and social media feeds that make us sure we're right and everyone else is ignorant (or worse). It can feel impossible to understand one another . . . but it is more important than ever. The solution? A new framework to reclaim our humility, channel conflict, and reach understanding far beyond our own perspective. In a fearful and polarized environment, we have a choice- We could let our minds and worlds shrink as we settle into certainty. Or, we can start asking questions. But does it make sense to stay curious about other people's perspectives when the wrong question can blow up in your face, ruin a relationship, or make people think you're the weird one? The best insights live where one fearless mind meets another-where two people share the goal of better understanding each other rather than being "right" or "wrong." In this timely, personal guide, journalist M nica Guzman shows why curiosity is our best policy and how you can put it to work for you immediately, sharing practical tips from the trenches of the social, political, and cultural divides. You'll learn- . How to ask what you really want to know (even if you're afraid to) . How to grow smarter from even the most tense interactions, online or off . How to cross boundaries and find common ground-with anyone Guzman's approach will help you to have adventurous and downright human conversations with the people in your life who have the most to show you- those whose identities, values, and experiences make them see the world in an entirely different and fascinating way. Along the way, you'll learn that life is best lived with an open mind, and that the world around you is a much nicer place when you're always ready to say, "I never thought of it that way!" We think we have the answers. But Guzman shows that we need to be asking a lot more questions.
Key Themes in Interpersonal Communication What are the main influences on the formation of self-identity? What role do language and non-verbal communication play in the construction and display of identity? How does consumer culture impact on displays of self-identity? The rapid growth of cultural diversity within Western societies not only presents new possibilities and dilemmas for the construction of self and social-identity, but also highlights the need for individuals to be aware of the factors which impact upon co-cultural and intercultural communication. Many of the messages carried in everyday social interaction can be seen to carry the raw materials out of which identities are explored, displayed and constructed. This introductory text explores the socio-cultural surround in which interpersonal communication takes place, and considers the interface between interpersonal and mass communication. Case studies, models, questions for discussion and examples linking theory and practice allow you to explore ideas about the formation and display of identity in everyday encounters. Topics include: Exploration of the concept of identity Identities in groups Social identities: ethnic, class, gender and sexuality Consumer identities Marginalised or 'outsider' identities Models of communication Intercultural communication Key Themes in Interpersonal Communication is a must-read for all students on Communication studies, Cultural studies and Sociology courses.
Maintaining Relationships Through Communication Relational maintenance provides a rallying point for those seeking to discover the behaviors that individuals utilize to sustain their personal relationships. Theoretical models, research programs, and specific studies have examined how people in a variety of close relationships choose to define and maintain those relationships. In addition, relational maintenance turns our attention to communicative processes that help people sustain their close relationships. In this collection, editors Daniel J. Canary and Marianne Dainton focus on the communicative processes critical to the maintenance and enhancement of personal relationships. The volume considers variations in maintaining different types of personal relationships; structural constraints on relationship maintenance; and cultural variations in relational maintenance. Contributions to the volume cover a broad range of relational types, including romantic relationships, family relationships, long-distance relationships, workplace relationships, and Gay and Lesbian relationships, among others. Maintaining Relationships Through Communication: Relational, Contextual, and Cultural Variationssynthesizes current research in relationship maintenance, emphasizes the ways that behaviors vary in their maintenance functions across relational contexts, discusses alternative explanations for maintaining relationships, and presents avenues for future research. As such, it is intended for students and scholars studying interpersonal communication and personal relationships. ionships, and Gay and Lesbian relationships, among others. Maintaining Relationships Through Communication: Relational, Contextual, and Cultural Variationssynthesizes current research in relationship maintenance, emphasizes the ways that behaviors vary in their maintenance functions across relational contexts, discusses alternative explanations for maintaining relationships, and presents avenues for future research. As such, it is intended for students and scholars studying interpersonal communication and personal relationships.
One Paradigm, Many Worlds: Conflict Resolution Across the Disciplines One Paradigm, Many Worlds: Conflict Resolution across the Disciplines surveys how the paradigm of collaborative conflict resolution shapes a variety of disciplines. Conflict resolution examines the theory, research, strategies and spirit that accompany subscription to this win-win approach to conflict. In the past few decades, such a collaborative approach has emerged to challenge existing win-lose paradigms to approaching conflict that are predicated on some form of violence and unacknowledged/ unchanging power differentials. By challenging these existing paradigms, One Paradigm, Many Worlds documents and instructs on the merits of the collaborative approach to conflict resolution. It promises a broad and contemporary examination of how this paradigm both influences and holds the potential to influence a number of different professional and academic disciplines. The text is organized in four sections. They focus on the application of conflict resolution in the human services, elementary/secondary education, higher education, and a range of other disciplines (philosophy, communication, international relations). With such a breadth contained in the text, One Paradigm, Many Worlds' unifying core is the centrality of conflict resolution as a paradigm supportive of cooperation, positive communication and relationship to self, to others, to organizations and institutions, and to society.
Theories and Models of Communication This unique volume offers an overview of the diversity in research on communication: including perspectives from biology, sociality, economics, norms and human development. It includes general social science and humanities approaches to communication, from systems theory to cultural theory, as well as perspectives more specifically related to communication acts, such as linguistics and cognition. The volume also features chapters on the participants and various elements in communication processes, on possible effects and on wider consequences of mediation with technical media]. The scope of the contributions is global, and the volume is relevant to both the empirical and the philosophical traditions in human sciences. Designed as a stand-alone collection to engage undergraduates as well as postgraduates and academics, this is also the first book in, and an introduction to, the de Gruyter Mouton multi-volume Handbooks of Communication Science.

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Are You Really Listening? : Keys to Successful Communication The importance of listening -- Spouses and partners -- Parents and children -- Professionals and clients -- Managers and employees -- Friends and siblings -- The basic forms of non-listening -- Defending -- Identifying the "me too" syndrome -- Giving advice -- Judging -- Learning to listen to ourselves -- Learning to listen to others -- Learning to be heard -- Concluding thoughts.
Brilliant Communication Skills Learn and practice the powerful skills of good communication to get the very best from relationships both at work and home.   Clever tips, techniques, practical pointers and real life examples will help you boost and polish your communication skills as you learn the best ways to say what you mean to get what you want.
Conversation Approaches the subject of conversation in a sophisticated, thought-provoking manner, explaining what kind of talk charmed and excited people in the past, why conversation is different today and what it could be like in the future.
Defusing Angry People One in five adults has and anger management problem, and 45 percent are losing their tempers on a regular basis. These alarming statistics show unchecked anger is all around us, whether it be hostile individuals, backstabbing family members, bullies, or normally peaceful people who inexplicably go ballistic. InDefusing Angry People, Kevin Fauteux utilizes his experience treating patients' anger issues, gives important steps to understanding rage, and then shows how to employ specific de-escalation assessment techniques to effectively defuse volatile situations.
Difficult Conversations The 10th-anniversary edition of the New York Times business bestseller-now updated with "Answers to Ten Questions People Ask" We attempt or avoid difficult conversations every day-whether dealing with an underperforming employee, disagreeing with a spouse, or negotiating with a client. From the Harvard Negotiation Project, the organization that brought you Getting to Yes, Difficult Conversations provides a step-by-step approach to having those tough conversations with less stress and more success. you'll learn how to: · Decipher the underlying structure of every difficult conversation  · Start a conversation without defensiveness  · Listen for the meaning of what is not said  · Stay balanced in the face of attacks and accusations · Move from emotion to productive problem solving
How to Have Impossible Conversations "This is a self-help book on how to argue effectively, conciliate, and gently persuade. The authors admit to getting it wrong in their own past conversations. One by one, I recognize the same mistakes in me. The world would be a better place if everyone read this book." -- Richard Dawkins, author of Science in the Soul and Outgrowing God In our current political climate, it seems impossible to have a reasonable conversation with anyone who has a different opinion. Whether you're online, in a classroom, an office, a town hall -- or just hoping to get through a family dinner with a stubborn relative -- dialogue shuts down when perspectives clash. Heated debates often lead to insults and shaming, blocking any possibility of productive discourse. Everyone seems to be on a hair trigger. In How to Have Impossible Conversations, Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay guide you through the straightforward, practical, conversational techniques necessary for every successful conversation -- whether the issue is climate change, religious faith, gender identity, race, poverty, immigration, or gun control. Boghossian and Lindsay teach the subtle art of instilling doubts and opening minds. They cover everything from learning the fundamentals for good conversations to achieving expert-level techniques to deal with hardliners and extremists. This book is the manual everyone needs to foster a climate of civility, connection, and empathy.
How to Listen with Intention: The Foundation of True Connection, Communication, and Relationships Learn to connect, create rapport, develop trust, and build deep relationships.In this day and age, the art of deep listening is a superpower. If you can make someone feel heard and important, you are on the highway to their heart. And it's not as difficult or complex as you think.How to go from stranger to cherished friend in record time.How to Listen with Intention is ultimately a book about relationships. A relationship must be give-and-take - are you taking more than you are giving? Are you making people feel comfortable opening up to you? Are you listening well, or unwittingly being a conversational/relationship narcissist?It's time to ask these difficult questions and learn the skills to not only help people in times of need, but create new friendships with just about anyone -- after all, who doesn't like to be heard?Increase your emotional intelligence and people analyzing skills.Patrick King is an internationally bestselling author and social skills coach. His writing draws a variety of sources, from scientific research, academic experience, coaching, and real-life experience.
Listen Up or Lose Out : How to Avoid Miscommunication, Improve Relationships, and Get More Done Faster Most people retain only a fraction of what they hear, resulting in miscommunications and lost opportunities. But learning how to actively listen and absorb what a person is saying, thinking, and feeling can set the stage for dramatically improved relationships and increased personal success.In Listen Up or Lose Out, communications expert Robert Bolton highlights the underestimated and not well utilized tool of active listening and explains how it can be used to gather perspectives, bridge differences, and resolve problems. By breaking down listening into a set of learnable skills such as avoiding the urge to criticize, question, or advise; focusing on the speaker's point of view; asking the right questions, in the right order; and learning how to read people's feelings and reflect them back, Bolton explains how one can become a skilled listener who experiences fewer conflicts, makes better decisions, and discovers opportunities that others might miss. Whether personally or in business, could you benefit from better communication? Give listening a try!
Natural Bridges: A Guide to Interpersonal Communication Natural Bridgesis a concise, practical, inexpensive, and student-friendly guide to interpersonal communication. This book explores the fundamental principles and skills necessary for effective communication. Building on the theme that our every word and behavior contributes to building a bridge or a barrier in our daily interactions with others, Natural Bridgesprovides students with concepts and real-world guidelines for productive communication with acquaintances, friends, family-members, romantic partners, and co-workers.
People Skills Now in its fourth edition this popular textbook provides an up-to-date guide to the knowledge and skills required for working successfully with people. Divided in to three key areas of people skills development, Part 1 highlights the importance of personal effectiveness; Part 2 explores core interaction skills including verbal, nonverbal and written; and Part 3 outlines the skills of intervention. Packed with engaging features, each chapter includes practice focus boxes that help connect theory with real-life practice and exercises that stimulate and challenge the reader. Whether you're a social worker, nurse, youth worker, a manager or supervisor, or in any role that involves working with people and their problems, this book will help you to develop your skills and improve your effectiveness. 
Small Talk: How to Start a Conversation, Truly Connect with Others and Make a Killer First Impression Did you ever wonder how to jumpstart a conversation that just won't get off the ground? Or have you even felt the urge to avoid social gatherings because striking up a conversation with a stranger makes your stomach do flip-flops? Diane Weston provides solutions for those who feel their conversations have more awkward moments than they would like. She reveals tools and techniques anyone can use to start a meaningful conversation so you don't need to worry about upcoming social gatherings anymore. Whether it is a work party, a conference, or a friend's dinner, with the help of this book you will be prepared to turn a stranger into an acquaintance and an acquaintance into a friend. Small Talk: How to start a conversation, truly connect with others and make a killer first impression  teaches you how to become an expert at small talk. This practical guide is divided into four easy-to-read sections. The introduction will ease you into an exploration of good communication. You'll be able to learn all about: The differences between introverts and extroverts The basics of human interaction and foundations of good communication The unspoken rules of small talk It will also help you put all that basic theory into practice, so you can boost your social skills to the max. You'll be able to identify the different aspects of non-verbal communication such as: The consequences of your facial expressions How people can be affected by your tone of voice The significance of your posture and gestures The secrets to positive body language Furthermore, part three of the book will set your confidence soaring as you learn foolproof small talk techniques. You'll cover methods such as: How to make a dazzling first impression The best conversation starters Ultimate ice breakers to crack even the toughest nuts Learning how to listen to others and detect non-verbal cues Interacting in one-on-one and group conversations Advanced science-backed small talk techniques such as: the ARE technique and the FORD method But if you're worried about putting these techniques to use, this book will guide you right through any hiccups along your path to exceptional communication. You'll learn to: Overcome your social anxiety and get in the right mind-set to talk to anyone Jump-start a conversation that just won't get off the ground Strategies to keep a conversation going and get past awkward silences Beat dull chat How to stop yourself falling into a conversation black hole How to exit a conversation gracefully If you want to learn the practical techniques of the best conversationalists and become a master of communication, this book will help you reach your goals. Don't let your conversation fall flat. Take the first step in learning how to become an expert small talker. Simply scroll up and grab yourself a copy.
Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach us About the Art of Persuasion Thank You for Arguing is your master class in the art of persuasion, taught by professors ranging from Bart Simpson to Winston Churchill. The time-tested secrets the book discloses include Cicero’s three-step strategy for moving an audience to actionÑas well as Honest Abe’s Shameless Trick of lowering an audience’s expectations by pretending to be unpolished. But it’s also replete with contemporary techniques such as politicians’ use of “code” language to appeal to specific groups and an eye-opening assortment of popular-culture dodges, including: The Eddie Haskell Ploy Eminem’s Rules of Decorum The Belushi Paradigm Stalin’s Timing Secret The Yoda Technique Whether you’re an inveterate lover of language books or just want to win a lot more anger-free arguments on the page, at the podium, or over a beer, Thank You for Arguing is for you. Written by one of today’s most popular online language mavens, it’s warm, witty, erudite, and truly enlightening. It not only teaches you how to recognize a paralipsis and a chiasmus when you hear them, but also how to wield such handy and persuasive weapons the next time you really, really want to get your own way.
Um-- Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What they Mean Um… is about how you really speak, and why it’s normal for your casual, everyday speech to be filled with verbal blunders — about one in every ten words. Why do they happen? Why can’t we control them? What can you tell about the people who make them? In this charming, engaging account of language in the wild, linguist and writer Michael Erard also explains why our attention to some verbal blunders rises and falls. Why was the spoonerism named after Reverend Spooner, not some other absent-minded person? Where did the Freudian slip come from? Why do we prize "umlessness" in speaking? And how do we explain the American presidents who are famous for their verbal blundering? You’ll have new ways to listen to yourself and others once you’ve met the people who work with verbal blunders every day — journalists, transcribers, interpreters, police officers, linguists, psychologists, among others — and when you’ve learned what verbal blunders tell about who we are and what we want. A rich investigation of a fascinating subject, full of entertaining examples, Um. . . is essential reading for talkers and listeners of all stripes.