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The Fine Art of Small Talk

How to Start a Conversation, Keep It Going, Build Networking Skills, and Leave a Positive Impression
Apr 02, 2017pvdl rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I wanted to like this book. I really did. But I didn't like this book. As other reviewers have pointed out, there's nothing new or original or surprising in this book. Example: what is the first rule to approach new people and start a conversation? Answer: You have got to screw up your courage and actually approach them. Duh. But that's not the value of the book. The value of the book is that if you've brought it home with you, it can provide the practical support and reminder to actually do it. As well as a few opening lines, not all of which are complete garbage. And that is worth the price alone. Or free, if you got it from the library, as I did. The writing style is a little inflated - she takes far too many words to convey thin ideas. It's like listening to your sister on the phone to her girlfriend for 3 hours. Some of her "common sense" ideas are in direct conflict with each other. Example: page 63 advises this opening line "I thought I heard an accent. What part of the country/world are you from?". But page 163 urges the direct opposite, "Don't act like an FBI agent. Questions like "where are you from?" lead to dead-end conversations. O-kaaay, then. Peter