Let's Talk: 'A brilliant book on the art of conversation' Matt Haig

Nihal Arthanayake

Aug 2022 · Hachette UK

About this ebook

'Read this fascinating book and you'll become a better listener, a better conversationalist and better company' Adam Kay
'A brilliant book on the art of conversation' Matt Haig
'A compulsory book for these divided times' Sathnam Sanghera
'An intriguing exploration of the importance of a proper chinwag' Sara Cox
'A terrific book from a terrific broadcaster. Worryingly good'' Jeremy Vine
'An insightful, important read' Stacey Dooley
'A genuinely brilliant broadcaster' Matthew Syed
'Fascinating and thought-provoking' Jane Fallon
'Informed, open-minded, fair, astute, caring and funny' Ricky Gervais
'A grand theory of conversation' Dan Snow
'The conversation king' Laura Whitmore

...

Conversations are broken.

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. From ever decreasing face-to-face meetings to echo chambers online, we no longer have the necessary tools to talk to each other.

Nihal Arthanayake is bucking this trend.

He wants to know what it really means to have a 'great conversation' and, most importantly, how he can teach us to have better interactions in our everyday lives.

Let's Talk blends Nihal's experiences as an acclaimed interviewer with expert opinion on the secrets and psychology behind successful communication. From tracing the evolution of dialogue to discovering what lights up in the brain when we're enjoying a good discussion, Nihal speaks to conversational authorities including Lorraine Kelly, former president of Ireland Mary McAleese, Professor Tanya Byron, internationally bestselling author Johann Hari, Matthew Syed, and many more, to find out why good conversation has eroded over time and how we can fix it.

Part how-to and part manifesto, Let's Talk is Nihal's accessible, anecdotal and invigorating toolkit to having better conversations with anyone, any time.

About the author

Nihal Arthanayake is an acclaimed broadcaster and TV presenter. He currently presents a daily daytime show on BBC 5 Live, and his unique interviewing style was recently recognised at the BBC Radio and Music Awards where he won Interview of the Year. 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.