Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves

這是一本開創性的著作，揭示了我們對話中隱藏的架構，以及即使是微小的改善，如何能對我們工作和生活中的人際關係產生深遠影響——本書來自一位著名的哈佛商學院教授，以及對話心理學領域的領先專家。

「艾莉森．伍德．布魯克斯（Alison Wood Brooks）以極度的溫暖、同理心和喜悅，將對話的科學帶入生活，她是這個領域的世界級專家。」— 安琪拉．達克沃斯（Angela Duckworth），《恆毅力》（Grit）的《紐約時報》排名第一暢銷作家

我們所有人都可能在困難的對話中感到掙扎，但我們往往連簡單的對話也不擅長。哈佛教授艾莉森．伍德．布魯克斯認為，儘管我們無時無刻都在進行對話，但對話是所有人類任務中最複雜、最具挑戰性、最微妙的一項，充滿了解讀錯誤和誤解的可能性。然而，對話同時也是巨大的快樂來源，每一次對話都提供了一個表達我們是誰、了解他人是誰的機會——讓我們感到連結、被愛、充滿生命力。

在《談話》（Talk）一書中，布魯克斯展示了為什麼對話只要稍微更有效，就能對我們的親密個人關係和職業成功產生巨大影響。布魯克斯借鑒了對話的新科學，提煉出教訓，展示了我們如何能更好地彼此理解、學習並帶來愉悅。其關鍵在於她的 TALK 準則：

• T (Topics 議題)： 選擇議題並好好管理它們。

• A (Asking 發問)： 提出更多問題。

• L (Levity 幽默)： 運用幽默保持對話的活躍。

• K (Kindness 友善)： 優先考慮對話夥伴的需求。

透過橫跨對話光譜的各種實驗——從發問過少（或太多）的快速約會者，到迴避預先思考議題的未來商業領袖，再到揭示友善語言精髓的交通攔檢——布魯克斯帶我們深入對話的世界，給予我們信心和建議，以更有創意和同理心的方式來處理任何互動。

《談話》不僅涵蓋我們面對面的對話，也涵蓋了透過電話、電子郵件、簡訊和社群媒體進行的對話，它是一本周到且實用的指南，適合任何尋求更好地建立和維持人際關係的人。從管理我們的情緒、激發創造力，到應對衝突和變得更具包容性，正確的對話技巧可能正是過上更有目的性生活的關鍵。

A groundbreaking book that reveals the hidden architecture of our conversations and how even small improvements can have a profound impact on our relationships in work and life—from a celebrated Harvard Business School professor and leading expert on the psychology of conversation.

“Alison Wood Brooks brings to life the science of conversation, in which she is a world expert, with the utmost warmth, empathy, and joy.”—Angela Duckworth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Grit

All of us can struggle with difficult conversations, but we’re often not very good at the easy ones either. Though we do it all the time, Harvard professor Alison Wood Brooks argues that conversation is one of the most complex, demanding, and delicate of all human tasks, rife with possibilities for misinterpretation and misunderstanding. And yet conversations can also be a source of great joy, each one offering an opportunity to express who we are and learn who others are—to feel connected, loved, and alive.

In Talk, Brooks shows why conversing a little more effectively can make a big difference in the quality of our close personal relationships as well as our professional success. Drawing on the new science of conversation, Brooks distills lessons that show how we can better understand, learn from, and delight each other. The key is her TALK Maxims:

Topics: Choose topics and manage them well
Asking: Ask more questions
Levity: Use humor to keep conversations fizzy
Kindness: Prioritize their partners conversational needs

Through experiments ranging across the conversational spectrum—from speed daters who ask too few questions (or too many), to future business leaders averse to topic forethought, to traffic stops that reveal the essence of kind language—Brooks takes us inside the world of conversation, giving us the confidence and the advice to approach any interaction with more creativity and compassion.

Addressing our face-to-face conversations as well as those we have by phone, email, text, and social media, Talk is a thoughtful guide for anyone seeking to better establish and sustain their relationships. From managing our emotions and sparking creativity to navigating conflict and being more inclusive, the right conversation skills just might be the key to leading a more purposeful life.