Wow, this is a meaty book. I picked it up to get some ideas how to improve my own conversation skills, but it ended up becoming a masterclass in human connection. There is so much information, ideas, and examples in this book, I'd suggest reading it a few times, taking notes each time. Then take notes on your notes. ;) As an author, I benefit twofold in that I can use this book as inspiration for character types and their conversations. ( )

The writing style of this book is very conversational - but what's easy to hear often comes across strangely on the page. The rules of different conversational goals are all illustrated with interesting anecdotes, but the reader becomes confused about what the point is. [Sometimes the story illustrates the rule; sometimes it illustrates what happens when the rule is broken; sometimes it illustrates an exception to the rule. And when the rule is vague, as it often is, you just have to guess.] I must say, I am interested while reading, but do not remember anything after I've put it down - except the chapter endings, which give a typology of hard-to-converse-with types. Those are fun. The beginning, on the importance of conversation, is probably the best food for thought. ( )

This is a rather odd book - the author doesn't seem to be able to meld a mix of aims that appear in this book - a history of the conversation, an essay about while conversations are important in today's society, and a bit of a how-to guide. Rather, while the writing is very erudite and there are some interesting points, this book is generally a bit of a muddle, and the reader is left feeling a bit 'so what?' when they finish it. ( )

An entertaining read, though Catherine's eloquent english is occasionally a bit opaque to a non-native English speaker. ( )

Such a delightfully archaic title encourages the reader to expect the wit of Oscar Wilde – or at least the gentle humour of Jane Austen: one way or another, I thought the book would be amusing.

Forget it: this is an earnest guide to one of the fundamental methods of human interaction – fundamental, yes; necessary, most certainly but, in this electronic age more honoured in the breech than the observance.

Catherine Blyth writes well and you may smile, even chuckle wryly, but first and foremost you will learn why ‘convos’ – the use modern parlance – are an essential part of our development and key to what sets us apart as ‘human’. ( )