10 Rules for Talking: An Expert's Guide to Mastering Difficult Conversations

Psychologist Tim Harkness has noticed sometimes it seems everyone is shouting, but nobody is listening. Surely we don't need to learn how to talk? And yet, in an age of Brexit and Trump, where social media provides a platform for instantaneous, unfettered opinion, doesn't it feel that we've lost our ability to move discussions forward? 10 Rules for Talking is a timely guide to help you talk to people who don't share your opinion. Harkness focuses on difficult conversations - the complex, emotional and recurring discussions that persistently affect our personal and professional lives. The ten rules will teach you to remember most people are good and worthy of respect (Rule 3), why it is important to keep a conversation safe (Rule 5) and how to truly listen (Rule 9). Learn how to persuade, respond and - most importantly - keep the conversation progressing. Welcome to a new way of talking.

Tim Harkness is a leading psychologist and sports scientist, with interests ranging from sports data to the rules of public discourse. He developed the 10 Rules for Talking over a lifetime of conversations, having grown up in South Africa during Apartheid and working as a psychologist in private practice. Tim is married with three sons.