Check out the recording from April Edwards’s live video:
https://embracinghome.substack.com/p/10-book-recs-for-effective-communication
One of my biggest fears in life is being misunderstood.
When I encounter a situation where I communicated badly it is guaranteed I will spend a few days rehashing that interaction and second guessing the whole conversation. (Not necessarily a good thing… which is why I read books on communication.)
As a practical non-fiction writer my goal is to be clear, kind, helpful, and share ideas as a human in progress. That can be really hard to do especially when I don’t know the context of my readers or what life hardships they bring to the conversation.
The topic of communication, listening, writing, and sharing with compassion is something you will often find in my non-fic book stack.
I looked over my office bookshelf (see the video for a peek) and picked my top 10 book recs to share with you.
Make sure you watch the video to hear some of my stories and experiences I’ve had with each of these books.
My Book Stack:
Check out the links to the author sites and poke around for free content. These authors all have excellent material that will help you move forward in many ways.
- Talk by Allison Wood Brooks
- Loved the science and studies behind this book. This will help you navigate the many micro-challenges and opportunities you face in conversation: What should you talk about? When should you ask a question? What should you ask? When should I share something of myself? How can you make small talk less painful? It was so well researched and written in a fun approachable way.
- Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg
- Excellently written, I enjoyed the variety of examples and scenarios. This book explores the psychology and neuroscience behind how we can all learn to be better communicators and make this world a better place.
- The Highly Effective Parent by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D.
- The tools in this book have helped me reduce chaos around me so that I can be more present and listening. I am an HSP and that there’s a lot of ways that my environment is overwhelming me that is stopping me from communicating. So once I realized that I could actually change some factors in my environment it made a huge difference.
- Everybody Fightsby Kim and Penn Holderness
- Living with other people always causes conflict. Disagreements are normal. They offer scripts for how to start, continue, and wrap up hard conversations. I don’t typically read “marriage books” but I loved this one.
- Drama Free by Nedra Glover Tawwab
- So much of my communication is wrapped up in family relationships. Extended family (mine & Jim’s) and close family we see regularly. Nedra Glover Tawwab addresses a variety of situations (and examples from her counseling practice) with solid solutions and healthy steps forward for all. Also her resources are amazing!
- Rejection Proof by Jia Jiang
- This book was hilarious and felt like a wild ride. Jiang shares his “100 Days of Rejection” experiment, where he deliberately sought out rejection to overcome his fear. After reading this I have felt more impowered and brave in scenarios where rejection is possible.
- The Power of a Positive No by Willian Ury
- This book has met me and helped me through some really difficult seasons. If you need a guide to advocating for yourself or loved ones this is your next read. It’s written with compassion and helpful tips.
- Mistakes Were Made (but not by me) by social psychologists Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson
- The authors argue that when people make errors or act against their own moral standards, they experience “cognitive dissonance”. To manage this discomfort, the brain subconsciously creates narratives that justify actions and absolve the self of blame. This book was a difficult but good read. By difficult, I mean not in comprehension, but emotionally. It showed me some very ugly sides of myself and some blind spots that I could not see before. Things I thought only “other people” did. 🫥
- Everybody Writes by Ann Handley
- The “Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content” and I would completely agree with that! Short chapters, fun to read, and very easy to apply to all types of writing (even just an email).
- Raising Hell, Living Well by Jessica Elefante
- This book is the power of Subtle Resistance at it’s finest. Jessica Elefante expands on what capitalism has done to create hidden influences in many levels of our lives. She does an excellent job at explaining why most of us deal with overwhelm and decision fatigue. “We live in a world that is under the influence. Our lives are being choreographed by forces that want something from us.” —Jessica Elefante
- *bonus book rec: Grace, Not Perfection by Emily Ley
- This book was a helpful guide to me in the midst of burnout when I needed someone to say that striving for perfection in all areas of my life was not necessary. It was full of practical ways to make space for real life and give myself and others more grace.
I would love to hear from you!
What books have you read on communication that impacted you?
Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.
And thank you for reading!
I appreciate each of you and what an encouraging community we are building.
🌵Have a great day!
