A Good Talk

"I might have guessed that Daniel Menaker could talk about talk with the same facility and charm that he can bring to any conversation. Still, A GOOD TALK, his lively analysis of the workings of social speech, comes as a delightful revelation."—--Billy Collins, former Poet Laureate of the United States and author of Ballistics

"The art of conversation is in decline, and Daniel Menaker has hastened that decline by writing prose that is so funny, surprising, and habit-forming that the reader is inclined to cancel all social engagements and stay in at night with this book. I don't know about you, but I find it hard to resist an author who compares Socrates to
Columbo."—Mary Roach, author of Stiff

"How can a single book be so learned, so wise, so helpful, and so short? A Good Talk is a great delight."—Ann Packer, author of The Dive from Clausen's Pier

"Just when it seems our society has forgotten how vital it is to our health and well being to have both intimate and public productive conversation, Daniel Menaker brings us "A Good Talk." This intelligent and thoughtful exploration of human communication happens to be very entertaining, but more importantly it provides a roadmap for enhancing your own relationships with good talk." —Gail Saltz, M.D. Psychiatrist, Psychoanalyst, and Today Show Contributor