Let's Talk: How to Have Better Conversations

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Haven't got time to hang around and read great tips and advice on how to achieve your ideal work/life balance? Which means not only can we become more effective communicators if we choose but that we should not let those who do not employ them off the hook when there is a better alternative. Nihal interviews a range of people for whom communication is a key part of their life and business, whilst blending in some of his own stories and experiences along the way, to highlight his key recommendations for the importance of open and varied communication, and how we need to improve in ‘the art of conversation’. Within the chapter “Conversations in Extremis” we are given insights into conversations with Paramilitaries, Neo-Nazis and Hostage Negotiation; where people with opposing views still find a way to communicate. Although the author brings out various valuable points on having better conversations with others, most are generic and easily accessible online.

As much as I love exploring diverse genres when it comes to books, certain literary pieces do not significantly impact me after finishing them.Now he wants to understand how he developed his skills, what it exactly means to have a 'great conversation' and, most importantly, how he can teach us to have better interactions in our everyday lives. A lot of the time this worked well to link together the individuals the author spoke to for the book, but at times it did feel more like I was being sold his radio show/podcasts. It’s a very personal anecdotal take on conversation, the basic principles are ones that have been repeated in various places so nothing really enlightening. Let's Talk blends Nihal's experiences as an acclaimed interviewer with expert opinion on the secrets and psychology behind successful communication. The only thing lacking for me was actual transcripts of the conversations, in raw form, before they are converted into the prose of the book.

Nihal is a master of the art of conversation, one of the country's finest and smartest interviewers, and his book is both brilliant and necessary. He currently presents the daily afternoon show on BBC 5 Live and the official Penguin Books podcast. Throughout the book, we are shown the importance of a good conversationalist being driven by knowledge. Really enjoyed the writing style, but it felt like this was an autobiography packaged as something else. Nihal can also be heard on the official Penguin Books podcast, interviewing some of the top authors in the UK today, including the likes of Richard Osman and Bernadine Evaristo.

To read him is to get a lesson from a master practitioner of the art -- Anita Anand, author of The Patient Assassin You may also be interested in. The pandemic has exacerbated the trend towards fewer face-to-face interactions, while the growth of social media has led to heated arguments online. That’s the argument of Nihal Arthanayake, acclaimed interviewer and broadcaster for BBC Radio 5 Live, who has spent years trying to understand what makes for a great conversation. We're not currently in the golden era of conversation - it has either eroded away into emojis or escalated into online wildfires.

He revealed insights from leading authorities in neuroscience as well as from popular figures including Lorraine Kelly, former president of Ireland Mary McAleese, Professor Tanya Byron, Matthew Syed and many more, whom he has interviewed to find out why good conversation has eroded and how we can fix it. While effective dialogue is supposed to lead to greater fulfilment in our personal and professional lives, all the scientific evidence points towards us sharing fewer interactions than previous generations. When the lesson is to actually listen to other people in conversation I, sadly, need frequent reminders.

From ever decreasing face-to-face meetings to echo chambers online, we no longer have the necessary tools to talk to each other. For other, more casual conversations, it’s the desire to actively listen rather than wait to respond. The most valuable conversations themselves are spaces where the participants give over a part of themselves to each other to explore, illuminate and connect" Nihal makes communication natual and accessible to all.

The considered and respectful way he converses with all his guests made me 100% want to read this book. And while we know that effective communication can lead to greater fulfilment in our personal and professional lives, evidence suggests we are having fewer meaningful conversations than previous generations. I hope that most of us won’t be in the positions that some of the interviewees were in, there are lessons to be learned about having better conversations with those we disagree with.From ever-decreasing face-to-face meetings to echo chambers online, we no longer have the necessary tools to talk to each other. In some ways this is very similar to some of the other books that I have read more recently, in that this requires concentration and provokes introspection, and a desire to continue to develop. According to Johann Hari which is literally quoted in this book saying that such a thing as tweeting keeps you distracted for about 25 minutes every time. To say I’m slightly addicted to listening to his voice through his Radio 5 Live show is downplaying it. He doesn't put his ego in the way but acts as a tour guide using his vast talent from honing his career on the radio.