Robert Poynton

I live between a small town in rural Spain that no-one has heard of and Oxford. I spend much of my time in conversation with all sorts of people in both those places and all over the world. My most recent book, 'Do Conversation', was shaped by this experience and my belief that conversation is an 'everyday miracle' that helps us think better and brings us alive to each other. And I believe that conversation is essentially an improvisation (though I would say that, having also written 'Do Improvise'). My other Do book is 'Do Pause'. I think we need constant reminding that our best ideas and best selves come from variation, not from being 'always on'.

All my books are about thinking deeply about practical ways to do things that can help us in every day life and work. I believe that creating the conditions where good things can happen is more powerful than trying to control events or people.