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The Art of Conversation
 
 
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The Art of Conversation [Hardcover]

Catherine Blyth
2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
RRP: £12.99
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The Art of Conversation + How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks For Big Success In Relationships + How To Win Friends And Influence People
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: John Murray (6 Nov 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0719521815
  • ISBN-13: 978-0719521812
  • Product Dimensions: 20.2 x 13.4 x 3.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 55,061 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Catherine Blyth
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Product Description

Review

'It is a treasure trove of literary and historical delights, with each page containing a little gem in the form of a quotation or a factoid' (Independent on Sunday )

'Blyth is a passionate talker, and here she takes us on an entertaining tour of the art of proper conversation . . . you'll never be at a loss for words at those awkward socials again!'

(Glamour )

'A bit of fun by a young genius. The Art of Conversation . . . is a  witty meditation upon
all aspects of talk . . . if you give to a friend it will itself provoke hours of amusing chat as you read out her jokes and her wisdom'

(A.N. Wilson )

'I tried my hardest to dislike The Art of Conversation, but it's hard to dislike anything that quotes Chanelle from Big Brother in the same breath as Andrew Marvell and Henry James'

(Guardian )

'As Woodrow Wilson once opined of the US President Warren Harding, I am simply in possession of 'a bungalow mind'. I hope that reading The Art of Conversation has furnished me with a staircase or two'

(Observer )

'Everybody will read it, but pretend they haven't'

(Observer )

'A witty, entertaining guide, much praised'

(Bookseller )

'Modern man - and woman - have forgotten how to engage larynx and ears. Catherine Blyth teaches the lost art with wit and charm'

(Harry Mount, author of AMO, AMAS, AMAT . . . AND ALL THAT )

'Blending science with psychology and philosophy with literature, she argues the case for banter and badinage. It's free, fun and gets your brain cells firing like the prettiest of firework displays'

(Marie Claire )

'Brings a professional sensibility to the topic'

(Scotland on Sunday )

'It's fun, it's fresh and it's flirty - all the things it teaches that we can be, if only we master the art of conversation'

(The Resident )

'A witty and thoroughly entertaining guide to the noble art of conversation'

(Katie Hickman )

'Get off that bloody computer and read this bloody great book. Reclaim the orgasmic pleasures of a bloody good conversation. Don't let modern technology turn you into an uncommunicative ninny: ingest this book and start conversing . . . and then start living'

(Simon Doonan, author of ECCENTRIC GLAMOUR )

'Witty, charming and appropriately garrulous . . . it shamed me into wanting to
mend my own, lumpen, non-conversational ways and pull my speech-related
socks up...this smart little book should be in every house like Gideon
bibles in hotel rooms'

(Mail on Sunday )

'This is a gushingly erudite, high-spirited and enjoyably bossy book . . . a lot of wit and wisdom'

(Literary Review )

'The book offers a host of delightful tips on listening, talking shop and even surviving conversational bores' (Diplomat )

'Her book, The Art of Conversation, is a rallying cry for this neglected yet vital pleasure'

(Psychologies )

Product Description


Every day we use our mobiles and computers to communicate, but ironically we are losing touch with face-to-face talk. Catherine Blyth reveals the endless possibilities of conversation and shows that when it works it can come close to heaven.


 


With examples from Elizabeth I to Tommy Cooper, courtesans to nomads, The Art of Conversation is full of tips on listening, talking shop and surviving conversational bores. Be it sharing a joke with a stranger, sparking a new idea or just letting off steam with a friend, there are infinite adventures to be had if you break the ice and say hello. . .


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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I simply could not finish this book since Catherine Blyth appears to be unable to write in a clear, concise and coherent manner. Too many times I found myself re-reading passages trying to grasp her meaning. She is at her worst when explaining her personal experiences; it took several tries to determine what was even going on, who she was talking about and who said what.

I cannot possibly tell you which is worse: her choice of diction or her sentence structure. They are both terribly bad and make for very frustrating reading. Having six clauses in one sentence and employing high-brow phrases and obscure words are not the marks of a good writer. This book has every sign of a wannabe writer trying too hard.

When I attended university, a professor told the lecture hall that 'If someone has trouble understanding what you have written, it is you, the writer, not the reader, who is at fault.' This has never resonated so true. As great as the concept of this book seems (and it is) it's simply inaccessible.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Too clever by half 4 Jun 2009
Format:Hardcover
This was a reasonably entertaining read - the author has experience of many interesting conversations - but, having read it, I cannot say that it improved the art of my conversations. 'How to Talk to Anyone' by Leil Lowndes has more of the dreaded feel of the 'self-help book' about it, but is probably better for improving your own conversation skills
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book could have been more enjoyable if it was not overpowered by a questionable sentance structure. Pick any paragraph, "Other snipers are at work. Now sex roles are unmoored, modern couples' lives must be custom-built and it's all up for debate: who cooks, works, holds baby. As if the basic challenge - recalibrating two peoples wants and needs over the vagries of time - weren't enough. Never have men and women has so much to discuss. And still we dream of the One. Then again, with artful conversation, we might find him, or her."
Try and tell me there is no clearer way to write this!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Brilliant collection of ideas, but should have more emphasis on...
At a time when there are so many books on conversation, it is good to find one that is slightly different. Read more
Published 2 days ago by James Taylor
Not too bad
This book isn't well written, it doesn't flow. But I suppose there are some good points in it. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Published 18 months ago by Mr. K. R. Amatt
Rich as a Christmas pudding...that is, too rich for me
This book is written in a decidedly conversational tone. It glitters with quotations and philosophical reflections, is crammed with historical and personal anecdotes and is full of... Read more
Published on 9 May 2010 by Light Reader
The art of writing....
Ms Blyth's verbose and over-engineered structures make for some very irritating reading. Although the book does contain a few interesting ideas, unfortunately the reader is left to... Read more
Published on 2 Feb 2010 by Anna Bindi
The Art of the Title
Not quite what I was hoping for. As a bit of a wallflower, I expected a book giving a strategy for guiding me through the maze of conversation, some ideas for navigating its dead... Read more
Published on 9 July 2009 by M. Williams
Except That . . .
The Art of Conversation is bursting with ideas but seldom have I read a book in English that felt as though it were my second language. Read more
Published on 12 April 2009 by Jonathan Posner
Artless conversation?
This book is ok, author has a slightly irritating manner which made it hard work to get through the book. Read more
Published on 18 Feb 2009 by Candy camera
What we should all be doing
A wonderful book to remind us of the joys of human contact of the platonic kind, and how much richness of life we lose when we dismiss and ignore it. Read more
Published on 2 Feb 2009 by The laughing fox
sparkling, entertaining and..... educational.
I don't really consider myself one of life's natural converationalists, so I approached this book with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation, hoping for something light and... Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2009 by swisslet
A superb piece of writing
This is an excellent book written by a promising new author of obvious talent. the author has used her wit and erudition to create a charming little book about an often neglected... Read more
Published on 29 Dec 2008 by Michael Moriarty
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